Latest Crop of Teenagers Raising the Bar for USA Hockey

So far, they are just early signs. But the signs suggest a new golden age of American hockey might be on its way.

The United States appears positioned to win another World Junior Hockey Championship. Bob MacKenzie of TSN.ca, who has covered the junior tournament for years, says Team USA is a "heavy favorite" to win the 2006 gold medal. In a tournament tradtionally dominated by Canada and Russia, that would be America's second title in three years.

Though it attracts little notice outside Canada, the World Junior Championship is one of the gems of the international game, bringing together the best under-20 players in the world (aside from a few already in the NHL). It's impact can be over-rated - it's just one short tournament, and many 18 or 19-year-old prospects will fall by the wayside in the years to come. But a consistently good showing at the World Juniors is never a bad sign for a country's hockey future.

This year's tournament begins Boxing Day in Vancouver. The American roster will be stacked with young college stars like defensemen Jack Johnson of the University of Michigan and Brian Lee of the University of North Dakota, as well as Minnesota's Phil Kessel, the likely top pick in next year's NHL draft. Rob Schremp and Bobby Ryan, currently starring for junior clubs in Canada, will join Kessel at forward.