USA Hockey needs to undergo some big changes

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It was a dream scenario for those who wish hockey had more mainstream exposure in this country. With the tournament heading into a semifinal round featuring four stacked teams, Olympic hockey was foremost on the mind of even David Letterman, who did a quick bit on Team USA on his Thursday show. It was, as they say, funny stuff.

Alas, the segment skewered center Mike Modano for his ill-advised complaints after the U.S. was eliminated by Finland about having to book his own flight and hotel. (The more-cohesive Fins, like every other team, barely had time to practice as a unit before the Games, but apparently they stayed in a Holiday Inn Express before facing the Americans.) Modano deserves ridicule, and unfortunately it's not the first time Team USA left the Olympics in a blaze of disgrace. (Remember Furnituregate in Nagano in 1998?) But when he wasn't whining about travel arrangements, Modano made a worthy point: It is time for some new blood in USA Hockey. In fact, it's time for new blood in the entire Olympic hockey tournament. The experiment was fun while it lasted, but the NHL should stop sending players to the Games.

There are a million reasons for NHLers to stay home from the Olympics -- any GM or owner in the league can quote them in alphabetical order. There's the risk of injury to a star player (see Dominik Hasek, who may have torpedoed the Senators' Stanley Cup chances when he re-injured his groin 10 minutes into the Czech Republic's first Olympic match). There's the loss of two weeks' worth of gate receipts, no small matter in a league in which ticket sales account for a larger fraction of revenues than they do in other sports.

There's also this: You have to wonder if, especially on the American side, NHL players care much about the Olympics. Even if they do, the rushed scheduling and lack of practice time makes it impossible for them to gel into an effective team. (Just ask the Canadians.) And while the NHL talent makes the Olympic tournament fast-paced and fun to watch, let's face it. People, especially in this country, don't rally behind pros the way they would a group of kids who are willing to play their hearts out -- and don't mind calling a travel agent once in a while.