U.S. Sets Turin Hockey Roster

Caught between generations and with no compelling choices in net, USA Hockey officials on Monday chose 12 first-time Olympians for the men’s hockey team at the Turin Games, including all three goaltenders and two of seven defensemen.

But inexperience might be the least of Team USA’s woes. Likely No. 1 goalie Rick DiPietro of Winthrop, Mass., and the New York Islanders gave up six goals on 17 shots by Toronto on Monday, and he, John Grahame of Tampa Bay and injured Robert Esche of Philadelphia aren’t among the NHL’s top 25 in save percentage.

“John Grahame is probably one of the most competitive goalies I’ve ever worked with,” said U.S. Coach Peter Laviolette, who coaches the Carolina Hurricanes. “If there’s one save to be made in a game, he’ll make it.

“We’ll continue to watch every player, and the goaltenders in particular.”

The 23-man team features a group of small, quick forwards in Brian Gionta of the New Jersey Devils, at 5 feet 7, Jason Blake of the Islanders and Chris Drury of the Buffalo Sabres at 5-10 and Scott Gomez of the Devils, who’s 5-11. Olympic rookies Erik Cole of Carolina and Craig Conroy of the Kings, three-time Olympians Bill Guerin of the Dallas Stars and Brian Rolston of the Minnesota Wild, Mike Knuble of Philadelphia and Mike Modano of Dallas are all 6-2 or 6-3 and bring size and a scoring knack.

The U.S. team includes two four-time Olympians in Detroit Red Wing defenseman Chris Chelios and St. Louis Blues forward Keith Tkachuk. Chelios, who will be 44 next month, will become the first player to participate in an Olympic tournament 22 years after his debut; he played at Sarajevo in 1984, when DiPietro was 2 years old. Chelios became the oldest Olympic hockey medalist at 40 in Salt Lake City, where the U.S. finished second to Canada.

Derian Hatcher of Sterling Heights, Mich., and the Flyers will return at 33 after being omitted in 2002. King defenseman Aaron Miller, 34, will make his second Olympic appearance, as will Mathieu Schneider, 36, of the Red Wings, a former King. The youngest defensemen are Jordan Leopold of the Calgary Flames and John-Michael Liles of the Colorado Avalanche, both mobile and creative at 25.

Don Waddell, general manager of Team USA and the Atlanta Thrashers, said team officials took seven defensemen and 13 forwards after deciding Hatcher, Miller and Chelios can play five games in seven days and after the International Ice Hockey Federation allowed each team a three-man taxi squad that can be tapped in case of injury.

“I feel so fortunate to have an opportunity again at my age,” said Chelios, a three-time Norris Trophy winner. “In my wildest dreams, never, if you asked me 10 years ago, [did I think] I’d still be playing at this level.”

Miller thought he had a chance because he played for Laviolette at the last two world championships. “At the same time, I knew they were going to go with more young guys. I think they’re going for a good mix between the younger guys and older guys,” he said.

Conroy opened the eyes of Team USA executives with a four-point game against the Avalanche on Oct. 19 that began a spree of 25 points in 18 games. Waddell and Laviolette leaned toward players who are hot now, rather than choosing players who might pick up their games. That’s one reason King forward Jeremy Roenick was excluded.

The Olympic nod was emotional for Conroy, who grew up in Potsdam, N.Y., near Lake Placid, and remembered sitting on his grandmother’s couch while watching the 1980 U.S. team upset the Soviets before its stunning gold-medal triumph.

“I wasn’t on the couch very long. As soon as the game started, I was up,” he said. “That’s still a vivid memory to me. Of course, when I asked some of the guys on our team what they remember, Dustin Brown tells me he wasn’t even born yet.”

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Times staff writer Chris Foster contributed to this report from Vancouver, Canada.

* U.S. HOCKEY TEAM ROSTER: D9