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“On Feb. 5 and 6, I’ll be coaching Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin,” he said. “Sometime around the 9th or 10th I’ll be dropping the black and gold and putting my USA colors on, and trying to stop them.”

Bylsma has no international experience, and he said he would rely on the advice of Americans who had coached at that level before. He said he had been consulting with the former Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson, who led the United States to a silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games, and Flyers Coach Peter Laviolette, who led the Americans at the 2006 Turin Games.

David Poile, general manager of the men’s Olympic team and the Nashville Predators, said that Bylsma’s assistants would be chosen in the next few weeks.

USA Hockey officials announced that the team’s orientation group would be at the Washington Capitals’ Kettler training center in Arlington, Va., from Aug. 25 to 29.

A native of Grand Haven, Mich., Bylsma recalled the mix of emotions he felt while watching the Olympic final in 2010, when Crosby beat the United States goalie Ryan Miller for the overtime goal that won the gold medal for Canada. Bylsma said he was at a local rink in the Pittsburgh area, where his 10-year-old son was playing.

“I do remember it very distinctly,” he said. “I was watching that game in a restaurant at an ice hockey rink with a bunch of other U.S.A. supporters who were cheering. And I was in a corner sitting in a chair when the puck squirted free, and he broke free from the dot on that angle in front of Miller. I stood up and knew that it was going to be over. I wasn’t really that pleased about that, even though it was Sidney.”

He added: “I certainly did congratulate him when he came back, and was happy for the fact that Sidney scored that goal. But I still took a lot of pride in the silver medal that Brooks Orpik brought back.”

Bylsma said he was proud to become the 18th coach of a United States Olympic men’s hockey team. He spoke again about the Americans’ victory in 1980 at Lake Placid, and what it meant to him.

“Each day that I continue to prepare and think about being the head coach, it’s a bigger and greater honor,” he said. “For me, I go back to 33, 34 years ago, in 1980, as a 9-year-old boy. I think I dreamt about winning a gold medal longer than I dreamt about winning a Stanley Cup. It dates back to that 1980 team.”

“As an athlete, I’m not sure there’s a bigger stage than winning a gold medal for your country,” he continued. “For a very, very long time I’ve wanted to be involved. This is a gold mine, to be able to do this and to be able to coach this team. For that honor and privilege, it’s very humbling.”

A version of this article appeared in print on June 30, 2013,

New York Times LOADED: 06.30.2013

683045 NHL

Seth Jones and Nathan MacKinnon vie for first overall pick in NHL Draft

By Pat Leonard / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Saturday, June 29, 2013, 9:54 PM

Seth Jones called his trip to the top of the Empire State Building on Thursday “too scary to ever do again.” But the 6-4, 205-pound defenseman originally from Texas will be sitting on top of the world once again Sunday in Newark if he’s selected first overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL draft, becoming the first African-American ever to be taken No. 1.

Jones, 18, a three-time gold medalist with Team USA — one at the World Junior Championships and two at the IIHF World U18 Championship — is the son of former NBA forward and recently fired Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Popeye Jones.

Jones will have to beat out Nathan MacKinnon, 17, a 6-0, 182-pound Canadian-born center who many expect to go first overall, in which case the Florida Panthers would waste no time pouncing on Jones at No. 2.

Both talents are intent on contributing right away.

“I want to be more than ready,” MacKinnon told NHL.com. “I don’t want to just hang on in the NHL next year and kind of watch.”

But no one can blame Hall of Famers Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy, now running the Avalanche, for leaning towards MacKinnon, who hails from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, the same hometown as Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. MacKinnon led the Halifax Mooseheads to this year’s Memorial Cup, winning the tournament’s MVP award and recording a hat trick and five points in the championship game over Jones’ Portland Winterhawks.

The likely top of the draft is rounded out by left wing Jonathan Drouin, 18 (5-11, 186 pounds) from Quebec, and defenseman Darnell Nurse, 18, (6-4, 193), an Ontario product and the nephew of former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.

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The Devils, who are hosting the draft, own the ninth pick and reportedly are most interested in drafting a forward, since they are top heavy at the position, paying Ilya Kovalchuk and Travis Zajac a combined $12.4 million per year. But Nurse grew up rooting for New Jersey and likely would be too good to pass up if he fell.

The Devils also own an early second-round pick (39th overall), an early fourth-round pick (100th) and an early sixth-round selection (160th). Previously held third-, fifth- and seventh-round picks are gone to Minnesota, Buffalo and Winnipeg via trade, respectively.

The Rangers’ goal in this draft, meanwhile, likely will be to shore up depth on defense and perhaps in goal, considering the limited firepower they have on the draft board. Of course, there is always the possibility of a draft-day splash deal.

Due to trades in 2012 and 2013, however, the Blueshirts do not have a pick until their three third-round selections. Their earliest pick is 65th overall, acquired from Nashville for the 89th overall selection in the 2012 draft. Perhaps if they make a trade or the puck bounces their way, they’ll be able to snag Bronxville product Steven Santini, 18, a righthanded shooting defenseman ranked No. 47 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. He lists the Blueshirts as his favorite team.

The Rangers own Columbus’ 75th overall selection from the Rick Nash trade, since they didn’t advance to the Stanley Cup Finals in year one, plus their original picks in the fourth (110th) and sixth rounds (170th).

Normally the Blueshirts would have a lot more to work with, but they packaged the rest of their picks in trades: the first-rounder (19th overall) for Nash, both the second-rounder (49th) and third-rounder (62nd) for Ryane Clowe, the fifth-rounder to Nashville for last year’s 142nd pick, and the seventh-rounder to Minnesota for since-traded minor-league forward Casey Wellman.

The Islanders need depth across the board, particularly in net, but all three NHL.com mock drafts project GM Garth Snow selecting a forward with their 15th overall selection. They’ll then draft in the third (76th), fourth (106th), fifth (136th), sixth (166th) and seventh (196th) rounds. The Isles’ previously held second-round pick (45th overall) belongs to Anaheim.

Anthony Brodeur, 18, the son of Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, is not ranked in the top 40 North American goaltending prospects but will be on hand in his first year of draft eligibility and could be a late-round pick.

New York Daily News LOADED: 06.30.2013

683046 NHL

Deep NHL draft draws comparisons to stellar 2003 haul

Michael Traikos | 13/06/29 | Last Updated: 13/06/28 10:51 PM ET

Ten years after he was a first-round bust who had a cup of coffee in the National Hockey League, Hugh Jessiman signed a one-year contract last month to play for Croatian-based team Medvescak Zagreb in Russia’s KHL. In a news release, the team’s athletic director described its new forward as a “big, explosive and powerful striker” who “can play a physical game if necessary. From him we expect a lot of good things.”

Now and then: A closer look at the 2003 NHL draft

Yes, some things never change.

In 2003, scouts were saying similar things about the 6-foot-6 prospect, who was given the nickname “Huge Specimen.” The New York Rangers thought so highly of Jessiman they selected him 12th overall, one spot ahead of Dustin Brown as well as Zach Parise (No. 17), Ryan Getzlaf (No. 19), Ryan Kesler (No. 23), Mike Richards (No. 24), Corey Perry (No. 28), Loui Eriksson (No. 33) and Patrice Bergeron (No. 45).

Out of that draft, Jessiman became the answer to a trivia question. In a can’t-miss draft that contained 24 future all-stars, seven captains and one-third of roster that won gold at the 2010 Olympics, he was the one big miss.

“Hugh Jessiman was a highly regarded prospect,” said Dave Taylor, who in 2003 was the Los Angeles Kings general manager. “He was a giant who could skate and handle the puck. Hindsight is pretty difficult.”

Heading into this Sunday’s draft, there is bound to be a Jessiman or two lurking in the first round. But in a year in which scouts are salivating at not only the top-end players but the depth of talent available, there could also be a haul similar to that of 2003.

Nathan MacKinnon, Seth Jones and Jonathan Drouin have received most of the attention so far, but scouts believe the next five — Elias Lindholm, Aleksander Barkov, Valeri Nichushkin, Sean Monahan and Darnell Nurse — are right there with them. And unlike last year, in which several prospects had missed significant time with injuries or virtually came out of nowhere, the cream of this year’s crop have been impact players on their team for not just one but two seasons.

I think this is just like 2003. I think they’re all going to be excellent NHL players

As one scout said, you know this draft has the potential to be special when Anthony Mantha, a 6-foot-4 winger who was one of only three players in the CHL to score 50 goals last year, is considered a late first-round pick.

“I think this is just like 2003,” said TSN analyst and scout Craig Button, who was general manager of the Calgary Flames in 2002-03. “I think they’re all going to be excellent NHL players. If you want to sit here and say I think MacKinnon is better than Drouin, it doesn’t matter. It’s a fine line. I can’t sit here and say you’re wrong.

“I think they’re all equally elite prospects. If you’re looking for that defenceman, it’s Jones. If you’re looking for a hard-driving, scoring centreman, it’s MacKinnon. If you’re looking for a brilliant playmaking winger, it’s Drouin.”

The same logic went into 2003, when Pittsburgh took the best goalie (Marc-Andre Fleury) at No. 1, Carolina took the best centre (Eric Staal) at No. 2 and Florida took the best winger (Nathan Horton) at No. 3. And that didn’t even scratch the surface.

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

The first round included franchise players such as Thomas Vanek, Ryan Suter, Dion Phaneuf, Jeff Carter and Brent Seabrook. But players such as Eriksson, Bergeron, Shea Weber, Corey Crawford, David Backes and Jimmy Howard selected in the second round. The real finds, of course, came much later when Joe Pavelski went in the seventh round, Dustin Byfuglien and Matt Moulson both went in the eighth and goaltenders Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott, now teammates in St. Louis, went in the ninth.

“We felt like we were going to get a player,” said then-Boston Bruins GM Mike O’Connell, who selected defenceman Mark Stuart in the first round and Bergeron in the second. “There were enough in this draft where you had to.”

Los Angeles had three picks in the first round. After taking Brown, their future captain, at No. 13, they made a safe selection with Brian Boyle at No. 26, but chose Jeff Tambellini one spot ahead of Perry at No. 27.

Drafting is one part of it. But even more so is the development that the players get after that

“The reason Corey Perry goes 28th isn’t because everybody was stupid, it’s because he wasn’t a very good skater at that time,” said Tampa Bay Lightning director of amateur scouting Al Murray, who was then working for the Kings. “The reason Bergeron goes in the second round instead of the first round is because there were concerns about his skating too.

“Drafting is one part of it. But even more so is the development that the players get after that. What you had in that case were some guys who had some limitations [who] obviously worked hard at it.”

Because the NHL had yet to crackdown on obstruction, New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said many teams placed an emphasis on size back then. It is why Jessiman went as high as he did and why the 5-foot-11 Parise fell to 17th.

“We never felt that Parise would be available when he was,” said Lamoriello, who added that the 2004-05 lockout was also helpful in allowing this crop of players to spend a year developing in the American Hockey League. “Despite having the quality and quantity, they all were allowed to grow.”

So will this year’s draft class grow into franchise players? Will there be another Staal, Parise, Weber, Getzlaf and Perry? Will there be another Jessiman?

Time will tell.

“I don’t think you can do a comparable and say this year’s draft will have as many top players as the 2003 draft,” Murray said. “Anyone who is saying that is pulling stuff out of their butt. You can say it has the same features as the 2003 draft, in that there’s a high-end group of elite players who have been elite for two years and there’s a lot of depth. But to say it’s at that same level is premature.”

“We won’t know until 10 years down the road.”

National Post LOADED: 06.30.2013

683047 NHL

Now and then: A closer look at the 2003 NHL draft

Michael Traikos | 13/06/29 | Last Updated: 13/06/28 10:52 PM ET

Marc-Andre Fleury was the first pick of the NHL draft, while Ryan Getzlaf was No. 19.

Looking back, it is difficult to find much fault with the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Half of the first round has already played in more than 500 NHL games, nine have won a Stanley Cup and seven have gone on to become the captain of their team.

Deep NHL draft draws comparisons to stellar 2003 haul

Still, if you had to do it again, would Marc-Andre Fleury go first overall? Would Shea Weber fall to the second round? Would Hugh Jessiman even be selected?

Here is what the top 15 would look like today:

1. Pittsburgh

Then Marc-Andre Fleury

Now Shea Weber (49th in 2003)

With Weber and Kris Letang on defence, it might not matter who is in Pittsburgh’s net.

2. Carolina

Then Eric Staal

Now Eric Staal (2)

It’s tough to pass on someone who captained the Hurricanes to their only Stanley Cup.

3. Florida

Then Nathan Horton

Now Corey Perry (28)

No chance Perry, an MVP and Rocket Richard Trophy winner in 2010-11, slips to 28th overall.

4. Columbus

Then Nikolai Zherdev

Now Ryan Getzlaf (19)

A year after selecting Rick Nash with the No. 1 pick, the Blue Jackets missed out on taking a centre for him to play with.

5. Buffalo

Then Thomas Vanek

Now Ryan Suter (7)

With Ryan Miller in net and Suter on the blue line, Buffalo would have been that much tougher to score on.

6. San Jose

Then Milan Michalek

Now Patrice Bergeron (45)

Still think the Sharks would not have won a Cup by now had they had this warrior in the lineup?

7. Nashville

Then Ryan Suter

Now Zach Parise (17)

The Predators have been searching for years for a forward with Parise’s scoring ability.

8. Atlanta

Then Braydon Coburn

Now Mike Richards (24)

The ultra-fierce competitor would have looked good in a Thrashers or Jets jersey.

9. Calgary

Then Dion Phaneuf

Now Ryan Kesler (23)

A forward line with Kesler and Jarome Iginla would have terrorized opposing teams’ defence.

10. Montreal

Then Andrei Kostitsyn

Now Brent Seabrook (14)

Think Seabrook and Keith are a perfect match. How about Seabrook and Subban?

11. Philadelphia

Then Jeff Carter

Now Loui Eriksson (33)

The two-time 40-goal scorer would look good playing alongside Claude Giroux.

12. NY Rangers

Then Hugh Jessiman

Now Thomas Vanek (5)

If the Rangers had taken Ericsson instead of Hugh Jessiman …

13. Los Angeles

Then Dustin Brown

Now Dustin Brown (13)

The Kings captain has been everything the team had hoped he would become.

14. Chicago

Then Brent Seabrook

Now Corey Crawford (52)

The Blackhawks would probably lose out on Seabrook, but they get their starting goalie one round earlier.

15. NY Islanders

Then Robert Nilsson

Now David Backes (62)

The St. Louis Blues captain would be the perfect defensive complement to John Tavares.

National Post LOADED: 06.30.2013

683048 Ottawa Senators

Senators players to Murray: Feel free to go on a shopping spree

In many respects, Ottawa Senators players are just like the team’s fans.

by Ken Warren

on June 29, 2013

NEW YORK – In many respects, Ottawa Senators players are just like the team’s fans.

With general manager Bryan Murray, the team’s coaching staff and scouts all hanging out together in Times Square this weekend, the players can’t help but wonder what – or shall we say, who? — is on Murray’s shopping list.

Buoyed by the return of captain Daniel Alfredsson, they wonder whether Murray can sway owner Eugene Melnyk to open his wallet a little bit wider to improve the roster.

It’s generally assumed the Senators internal player budget is in the $50 million range, well below the NHL’s 2013-14 salary cap of $63 million.

“Well, I already did my part to get Alfie back,” joked defenceman Chris Phillips, when asked if he provided Murray with a gift list before he left Ottawa. “I really have no part in that, but it’s always an interesting time of year to see what happens.”

Adding to the drama is the fact that teams with salary cap problems could be forced to trade quality players who have big money remaining on their existing deals.

Defenceman Marc Methot, who never strays far from social media updates, is well aware that countless marquee names will become available as unrestricted free agents on July 5.

“Anything that makes our team deeper, I’m all for it…as long as it doesn’t include me going somewhere else,” he said, with a laugh.

The players who could be be on the move are frequently changing, considering that top draft picks – perhaps even early first round picks Sunday – could be in play. As Saturday morning gave way to Saturday afternoon and talks picked up in the suites of Manhattan hotels, more options were presented. There will be even more on the table on Sunday, leading up to the start of the 3 pm draft.

“There are a number of players available,” Murray said Saturday, in a press briefing at the club’s hotel. “I have had a couple of managers suggest some names to me…there are a few that look like they might be moving if the right deal is available.”

Some of the questions that are resulting in the most buzz:

–Where will Vinny Lecavalier end up? When Tampa Bay bought out the remainder of Lecavalier’s contract, it immediately led to speculation that Lecavalier could end up going back home to Montreal. But would the NHL’s first overall selection want to face the intense media pressure? It is generally assumed that Lecavalier wants to stay in the Eastern Conference.

Once upon a time, the Senators were on the verge of acquiring Lecavalier – a blockbuster deal which would have sent Radek Bonk to Tampa – but it is difficult to see him coming to Ottawa now. The Senators are solid at centre, with Jason Spezza, Kyle Turris, Zack Smith, Mika Zibanejad, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Jim O’Brien currently at the top of the depth chart, but Murray isn’t discounting anything.

“I think Vincent Lecavalier would be a good fit for most teams in the league at the right dollars,” Murray said. “But I haven’t put any feelers out about him, however.”

–There have been rumblings that the Senators have an interest in Edmonton Oilers winger Alex Hemsky. Hemsky, who turns 30 in August, has one year and $5 million remaining on his contract. On the surface, that would appear to be too high of a price tag for a player who has had long bouts of inconsistency throughout his career. If the Oilers demand is a top four defenceman, the Senators aren’t about to give them one, either.

–While the Senators also continue to look at the possibilities of trading for Anaheim’s Bobby Ryan – it’s generally conceded that the price tag includes an existing NHL player, a top prospect and/or a high draft pick – there are other teams in the mix that are driving up Ryan’s value.

–As far as non-Senators developments are concerned, there’s considerable buzz about what will happen with Pittsburgh defenceman Kris Letang. Letang, scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, has rejected an eight-year, $54 million extension from the Penguins. While Letang’s agent, Kent Hughes, continues to talk to Penguins general manager Ray Shero, there’s a distinct possibility Letang gets traded. A Toronto-based report Saturday suggested the Maple Leafs could be interested.

It’s all making for great noise in the city where it’s all about noise.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 06.30.2013

683049 Ottawa Senators

Pittsburgh Penguins hope to find a way to hold on to Kris Letang

By Bruce Garrioch ,Ottawa Sun

First posted: Saturday, June 29, 2013 10:47 PM EDT | Updated: Sunday, June 30, 2013 12:43 AM EDT

NEW YORK - Sooner or later, push will come to shove for Kris Letang and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

They haven't reached that stage, yet.

Penguins general manager Ray Shero said here Saturday that he has had a couple of teams call to show interest in the club's top blueliner, but Pittsburgh will try to get a contract done with him before deciding what is next for both sides.

Letang stunned the hockey world by turning down an eight-year, $56-million contract extension from the Penguins. The sense is he felt he a took a hometown discount with his present contract, accepting $3.5 million per-season, and won't do it at this time.

Shero said he explained to Letang that the club wants him but this "is a business." Last year, Shero dealt Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes when he turned down a long-term extension. That's why people have their radar up on Letang.

"He's worth waiting on in terms of making the right decisions and having all the information," said Shero. "There's a time to make a deal. To sign a player, there's also time you realize that you can't. That's not apparent to me right now.

"We're going to continue to work on it and see where this goes."

Letang is going into the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2014. The Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens both have interest in Letang, but Shero isn't ready to throw in the towel on talks.

"I know he's happy in Pittsburgh. He's a good young player at 26 years old. We certainly don't want him to go and I won't let emotion play any factor," said Shero. "I like Kris as a kid. I explained to him the other day this is a business.

"I think he wants to stay in Pittsburgh. We're going to try to see if we can make that happen but it has to make sense for both sides."

THE FIRST ROUND

There is talk the Colorado Avalanche may deal their No. 1 selection for immediate help. While they covet Halifax centre Nathan MacKinnon -- and by all accounts he can play immediately -- the belief is newcomers Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy want to wheel and deal. There is interest in the No. 1 pick, but the Avs want a big return with a player who can help right away, a top prospect and a No. 1 pick. Roy and Sakic have suddenly made the festivities interesting. "If they get the right price I think there is a chance," said league executive Saturday. "They want a lot for that pick." ... Centre Nathan Horton has informed the Boston Bruins he wants to test the market after his strong playoff.