2011 World Juniors Preview: US in Unfamilar Role

Filed under: Team USA, Team Canada, International Hockey, Junior Hockey

This year marks the 35th annual IIHF World Junior Championship (the tournament has been held since 1974, but didn't become officially sanctioned by the IIHF until 1977).

In the previous 34, the United States has won just six medals, and half of those have come since 2004. Only twice has Team USA skated away with the gold medal. The first time was in 2004, and while they hosted the 2005 tournament, that event featured guys like Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron, and more, and Team USA was simply overmatched, failing to medal.

This time around, the United States is poised to -- at the very least -- contend for a medal. The Americans have eight players back from last year's World Junior team. A ninth, defenseman Nick Leddy, was injured last year and didn't stand much of a chance of making the team.

 

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/23/2011-world-juniors-preview-us-in-unfamilar-role/

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