Professor Ron Wilson Likes His Chemistry With This U.S. Class

This is their chance to be little boys again and remember the moment in 1980 that led many of them to play hockey--and to realize they are the first U.S. hockey team with a good chance to duplicate the 1980 team’s gold-medal exploits.

Defenseman Gary Suter recalls that moment well. His brother, Bob, played defense for the United States at Lake Placid, N.Y., and brought his medal home for Gary to gaze at in wonder.

“He didn’t let me wear it, but he let me look at it,” Suter said. “Like everyone else, I was inspired as far as wanting to do as well as I could in hockey. I didn’t really have any dream of playing in the NHL--I wanted to play in the Olympics.”

Suter will have both dreams come true Friday, when the U.S. faces Sweden in the first Olympics to include NHL stars.

Knowing the six NHL-stocked powers will have only three practices before Friday’s games, U.S. General Manager Lou Lamoriello and Coach Ron Wilson staged a near-reunion of the squad that defeated Canada to win the World Cup of Hockey in 1996. Wilson, who won this job principally because of his World Cup success, believes his players have already recreated the camaraderie they developed.

“When we met in San Francisco for the flight here, you felt it immediately, a feeling of confidence,” Wilson said Tuesday, after leading his team through a brief practice at the Nagano Skate Center. “I don’t think, in my involvement in U.S. hockey, I’ve felt anything like it.

“These guys have played with most of the other guys, and most of their recent experiences together have been positive ones. The key is parking their personal agendas outside. Then you have chemistry.”

Said Dallas Star center Mike Modano: “I don’t think it will be difficult to pick up where we left off. It’s very easy to play well, when you’ve got this much talent in one room.”

Wilson said he’s leaning toward starting New York Ranger goaltender Mike Richter, the most valuable player in the World Cup, despite Richter’s unimpressive 14-19-14 record and 2.49 goals-against average. Wilson also said he doesn’t care about Ranger defenseman Brian Leetch’s minus-25 plus/minus rating and appointed Leetch an assistant captain, with left wing Keith Tkachuk of the Phoenix Coyotes. Chicago Blackhawk defenseman Chris Chelios was named captain.

Leetch, a 1988 Olympian, has been hampered this season by a broken finger, sore wrist and a nerve disorder that left his leg numb. That won’t stop him.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to be here, and I’m very excited to get it started,” he said. “I don’t think anybody who participated before thought they’d get another chance.

“My first time, I was 19 years old and we had high expectations. We were disappointed with the results in Calgary [a seventh-place finish]. When the decision was made for the NHL to shut down so NHL players could play here, I was thrilled.”

Wilson plans to have Modano center for Tkachuk and Bill Guerin; Jeremy Roenick center for John LeClair and Tony Amonte; Doug Weight between Brett Hull and Adam Deadmarsh and Pat LaFontaine with Shawn McEachern and Joel Otto.

“How good would it be to wake up in the morning and look at your gold medal, whether you keep it hanging in a picture [frame] or on a statue in the corner?” said Roenick, who missed the World Cup because he was an unsigned free agent. “Everyone who doesn’t get to see our games on TV because they’re on late, we’ll carry it and show our medals to them.”