They Want to Create the Perfect Junior Mint

Stung by the U.S. teams’ poor showing at the Olympics and other major international competitions, USA Hockey has shown American ingenuity in devising a method to groom future medal winners.

The sport’s administrative organization created and funds the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., with the goal being gold--and the refinement of teenage talent. It’s an intense program for 46 boys ages 16 and 17, who train under U.S. National Coach Jeff Jackson at a complex called the Ice Cube. The boys live with local families and attend local schools.

The program is a departure from USA Hockey’s previous philosophy, in which elite youngsters played together only at summer clinics or for brief periods before international events. Divided into teams according to age, the under-17 team competes in the North American Hockey League and the under-18 team competes in the United States Hockey League, each against older opponents who test their skills. The program, which is 15 months old and costs about $1.8 million, helped 18 players get college scholarships in its first year.

“We want to see our kids playing in the world juniors only two years after they’re out of Ann Arbor and also in the world championships and Olympics, which could be a decade after they’re out of Ann Arbor,” said Dave Ogrean, USA Hockey’s executive director. “These players were going to go to college or play junior hockey, anyway. Now they go as much better players and high draft picks. We needed to take one fairly significant, radical step. We know we have quantity. We want quality too.”

Players come from traditional backgrounds--forward Connor Dunlop is the son of former NHL forward Blake Dunlop--and nontraditional, such as Jeremy Jackson of Hawthorne, a former roller hockey player who is of African-American heritage. They come from Minnesota, Massachusetts and Michigan--and from Winnetka, Calif., where Eric Bowen played roller hockey and didn’t take to the ice until a year ago, Alaska and New Jersey.

“It’s a tremendous program,” said Edmonton center Doug Weight, who skated at the Ice Cube during a contract dispute with the Oilers. “They have a great off-ice program and great chalk talks. They eat, breathe and sleep hockey, which is what you need at that age.”

If it proves successful, more training centers might open or the Ann Arbor center might expand to accommodate 60 or 70 players. The U.S. team’s performance at the world junior championships--which begin Dec. 26 in Winnipeg--will offer a hint because several players went through the program.

“Last year we had power players. This year there seems to be more quick, finesse players in the program,” Ogrean said. “We played an under-18 tournament against Sweden and Finland and won the thing. We’re going to have an extremely competitive team in Winnipeg. I think we can challenge for the gold medal.”