U.S. development team products fuel 2006 draft
Toolbox
By John Manasso Cox News Service - Published: June 24, 2006
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — To those hockey fans who bemoaned the performance of the U.S. team in February's Olympics and its pity party after being eliminated from medal contention, take heart. The Next Generation is on its way.
In today's NHL draft, an American — defenseman Erik Johnson — could be selected as the first overall pick for the first time since 2000. Another American, center Phil Kessel of the University of Minnesota, is not far behind. Both players are products of the 9-year-old U.S. National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
"Since its inception, it's really turned out quality prospects," Johnson told reporters at a news conference Friday. "Obviously, you had (Rick) DiPietro No. 1 a couple of years ago, and Jack Johnson was (one of the) top picks last year. It's definitely turning out a lot of good players, and I think it will continue to do so."
On the heels of the United States' 1996 World Cup victory, the NTDP was established by Jeff Jackson, coach at Notre Dame. The program has been a success, producing the country's first World Junior (under-20) championship in 2003, back-to-back under-18 World championships and, perhaps most importantly, a host of players the caliber of Kessel, Erik Johnson and Jack Johnson, a defenseman taken third overall in 2005 by Carolina.
"There's a good list of Americans, (and) it's a credit to the NTDP and a reflection of what they're doing for those players," said Thrashers GM Don Waddell, a product of USA hockey.
"There's no question (of the program's impact)," said U.S. NTDP coach Ron Rolston, a former assistant coach at Boston College. Rolston's brother is the Minnesota Wild's Brian Rolston, perhaps the best U.S. player at the 2006 Olympics.
"You're seeing it especially in last year and this year's draft," Ron Rolston said. "Both are very good birth years, '87 and '88. It gives the kids the ability to come to the program and play and practice with supposedly the best kids at their age group. It accelerates their development."
The program operates, essentially, as a junior hockey team. The U.S. NTDP operates two teams: an under-17 group and an under-18, each consisting of 22 or 23 players who live with local families and attend one of two local Ann Arbor high schools.
The under-17 players compete on a team in the USHL, a league one level below the three Canadian major junior leagues. As part of the USHL, the under-17s play 70 games a season in Texas, Montana and the upper Midwest against players who might be 18, 19 or 20 years old.
"Two years in a row, we won the division," Rolston said. "We've done pretty well.
"The early part of the season, the kids learn some lessons out of the gate on how to play together. The older teams usually win a lot of games or the majority. As the season goes on, the tables turn. It's pretty competitive."
The following season, the 18-year-olds play exhibition games against Division I schools and in some European tournaments. Rolston estimates a season is about 60 games.
The Division I schools, Rolston said, love having the nation's most highly recruited high schoolers on their campus as a recruiting enterprise. Rolston said two players from this year's team opted to play as 19-year-olds in the USHL to grow physically and add another year of experience - a common practice for many NCAA players — but most likely will end up playing in college.
Players in the Canadian major junior leagues don't have that option. They are paid minor stipends that make them professionals in the eyes of the NCAA and, thus, ineligible to play for NCAA schools.
The top end of NTDP prospects are making an impact, and that's one reason Johnson could be selected first today.
"He's a tremendous kid," Rolston said. "I only had the pleasure of coaching him last year. We took him to the World Championship last year as an under-ager. He has a big-time work ethic. ... He's got everything. He's a big strong kid, 6-4, 225. He can skate; he has offensive ability; he's a good defender. He's just the total package. There's no mistake if I were making the first pick who I'd take there."
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