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PARK CITY, Utah -- The United States men's hockey team has enjoyed a lot of success on North American ice.

The Americans won gold at the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley, Calif., and, as you might recall, upset the Soviets en route to the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. The team won silver in 2002 (Salt Lake City) and 2010 (Vancouver), losing to Canada each time.

Playing elsewhere has been the problem. The U.S. has never won gold outside its own country and has medaled outside of North America only once since 1956. Even with NHL players, the U.S. team was, shall we say it, underwhelming at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano and the 2006 Olympics in Torino, finishing sixth and eighth.

Which does not exactly bode well for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

St. Louis Blues right winger David Backes, who was on the 2010 team, said Monday that the U.S. recently talked about this pattern and how to change it. He said playing on Europe's larger rinks and playing somewhere outside their comfort zone are the major issues. (All teams played on an NHL-sized rink in the Vancouver Games.)

"Collectively, they're the biggest challenges," he said at the Olympic media summit. "I know that's a politician's answer to the question, but I think that they're the difference between success on North American soil and not a lot of success on European soil. Those two things combine for a little bit of adversity before you've even dropped the puck.

"On top of that, the other guys are swinging the other way. [In Salt Lake and Vancouver], they were going from living in their comfort zone to coming over to North America and not being comfortable with our culture, our society, our food, whatever," Backes added. "Now they're back on European soil and are as comfortable as can be. That tilts the table a little, but preparing for that and being aware that it's going to happen and taking it in stride will be a big factor in whether we have the success we hope to have or whether we don't."

"We have to come to grips with that," said Nashville Predators GM David Poile, who is also serving as the general manager of the 2014 U.S. men's team. "People were very comfortable in Salt Lake and Vancouver. They had their families there. Socially, they were comfortable because they could go out after a game or on an off-day and go out to a restaurant. Sochi will have a totally different dynamic. Sochi is not really close to anything -- the city is 35-40 minutes away. It's going to be a different experience for all the athletes."

Adapting to the ice and a less physical game is also important, Poile said.

"There has to be some adjustments," he said. "Whether it's angles for goalies or what a defensemen does in going back and getting a puck or what position a forward plays, there have to be some changes. Maybe it just seems obvious, but it needs to be pointed out to the players and put into the strategy of the game."

A day after photos of Jonathan Toews wearing what is thought to be the previously unseen Team Canada jersey spread across the Internet, players were photographed wearing the Canadian flag over their shoulder at the NHL's player media tour.

Getty posted a photo on Thursday of Toews wearing a Canadian sweater during a photo shoot. The jersey had the Nike logo and had similar features to the jersey's Nike designed for the United States and Russia.

The photo was later removed from Getty's website.

Team Canada released a statement on Friday saying they would unveil their jersey for the 2014 Sochi Olympics on Oct. 8.

Updated: 3:06 p.m. ET

Hockey Canada released a statement on Friday afternoon:

Hockey Canada will unveil and launch the jerseys that it's men's, women's and sledge hockey teams will wear at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi on October 8.

We look forward to telling the story and innovation behind the jerseys at that time.

---

The wait to see Team Canada's men's hockey jersey for Sochi might be over.

While the United States and Russia already unveiled their new sweaters, Canada had not yet announced a date for the reveal. But at the NHL's Player Tour event on Thursday, Jonathan Toews was photographed wearing what could be Canada's jersey for the Olympics.

The jersey is all red with a large white stripe across the chest and the left arm, and there is a large red maple leaf in the center of the white stripe. "Canada" is printed in smaller letters below the stripe.

Designed by Nike, which also designed the U.S. and Russian jerseys, Canada's sweater has the same zig-zag pattern under the collar as the U.S. and Russia.

Getty Images has since removed the photograph from its website.

Jack Johnson is excited to be back with Team USA and looks to push the Americans one step farther to win the gold medal in Sochi.

CALGARY, Alberta -- Team Canada wrapped up its three-day Olympic camp with more "walk-through" practices Tuesday, and, while it has been unusual to see the players in ball-hockey mode on the covered ice, the innovative approach was a winner with the players.

Despite not skating for real, there was a sense of accomplishment at the end of it all.

“Being on the ice, going over video, getting to know some of the guys, I think we made the best of every situation," Sidney Crosby said after camp wrapped up Tuesday.

“A lot of information, details on the way we want to play. Just trying to grasp all that is important, because there isn’t a ton of time over there, so you make the most of having the time here together.”

Some people may snicker at a camp without actual on-ice practices, but Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman felt it was worth it, no question.

"The feedback from coaches and players is they think it’s been worthwhile,” Yzerman said. "They’ve spent a lot of time, even if they’re going on the floor, in meetings and video sessions. It just takes that one step further and they can walk through their positioning. Some guys learn different than others. Some guys tune out in video and meetings and whatnot. If we do this in a practical manner, it kind of drives the point home a little bit."

Head coach Mike Babcock spent a lot of time organizing the event and had specific goals he wanted to reach here.

"[The players] came here for three simple things. No. 1 was to get to know everybody better from players to coaches to management to trainers, to get to know them and have a comfort level," Babcock said.

"No. 2 is to understand the details of how we're going to play -- terminology, where to stand, how to play in your own zone, how to play on the power play, penalty kill. We've gone over and over that. The walk-throughs made it slow enough to really spend some time on it.

"The third thing I think was critical for them is the evaluation process. How do you get to Sochi? We've tried to explain it to each and every guy so when they leave here they've got three months to do their part. They're in control of whether they go."

Just how much the players remember in terms of their system teaching come four months from now remains to be seen.

“I’m sure guys will need to refresh a little bit, but as far as just getting an idea for a foundation, it’s great we’re able to do it here,” Crosby said. "Kind of an unconventional way of doing it, but I think nonetheless we were able to benefit from it.”

Countries have until Dec. 31 to name their 25-man rosters, Yzerman indicating Canada would name its team sometime between mid- to late December.

"At the start of the season, we’ll start with this group of 47 -- we’ll keep an eye on everybody -- but focus on particular teams, particular games, particular players that we’re deciding on,” Yzerman said of narrowing down the choices. "There was a few guys we don’t feel the need to watch. But we know what they can do and they’re going to be on this team, assuming they’re healthy. We’ll arrange our schedule over the next week or so to get ready for the start of the regular season. We’ll get together as a group early November to narrow things down a little bit and talk about what we’re seeing and make sure we’re all in constant communication and get organized from November to mid-December and make our final decisions at that point."

In 2010, Canada was criticized for some its selections despite winning gold. Only in hockey-mad Canada is winning gold not quite good enough to satisfy everyone.

Yzerman knows the Team Canada brain trust won’t please everyone with its decisions this time, either.

"In 2010, we won, could you have put six or seven different guys on that team and still have won? Probably, maybe?” Yzerman said. "But we’ll beat it to death and talk about it and try and put the best team together. There will be logic behind our decisions whether it looks like it or not."

Canada's captain

The naming of a team captain will wait for now.

“It will probably be similar to Vancouver. I think it would be wise to wait until the team is named before we announce a captain,” said Yzerman, who named Scott Niedermayer captain last time around. "We’ll talk to the coaching staff about it and collectively reach a decision on that."

Hard to think Sidney Crosby won’t get the "C," although there will be a number of great candidates given that most of these guys are captains on their respective NHL teams.

“It’d be an honor for sure,” Crosby said of whether he’d be named captain. "But it’s not something that’s on my mind a whole lot. We all want to be on this team and lead by example when we need to, but it’s an honor to be a captain on any team.”

Regardless, Crosby will have a bigger leadership role than he had in 2010 when he was a 22-year-old first-time Olympian.

“I think if I look back at last time, I was probably more in awe and trying to learn from those guys [more] than anything,” Crosby said. "I don’t think it's a conscious decision you make, I think its just a natural progression when you’ve played on a team before, you understand things a bit better. It’s a comfort level. It’s a difference between going to your first Olympic camp and your second one. It’s a mindset.

“I think it’s kind of a natural progression for all the guys who were in Vancouver to come here and be a lot more comfortable, but with the number of guys we have here who are captains or leaders on their team, I think you’ll see a lot of guys who are comfortable.”

Yzerman said it’s logical that some of the young stars from 2010 will step up in the leadership department this time around.

"Sidney, Shea Weber, those types of guys that played very well and are elite NHL players,” Yzerman said. "Four more years later, a lot has happened in their careers. They’ve learned a lot. They’ve matured a lot. The Scott Neidermayers, the Chris Prongers aren’t here. It’s up to those players to take a step forward. So, yes, I expect some of these younger players to take a step forward. Jonathan [Toews] or Sidney, for example, they’ve won gold medals, won Stanley Cups. They’ve accomplished a lot. They’re still young guys. But they’re leaders on their own clubs and we expect them to be here.”

Sharp's ready this time

Four years ago, Patrick Sharp arrived at the Canadian Olympic camp a little wide-eyed. But it’s a different feeling this time around for the Chicago Blackhawks star.

"Going back then, I think I was a different player,” Sharp said Tuesday. "I was 26 or 27. I don’t want to say I was star-struck, but I was excited to be here. But I don’t know if I really believed then that I belonged. I know that’s a bad thing to say as a player. This time around, I’m much more confident, I’ve played in a some pretty serious games. Since 2009 we’ve gone deep in the playoffs three times and won the Stanley Cup twice. So a lot has changed for my game since then, and hopefully, I can play well this year and show the coaches and Hockey Canada that I belong."

What does Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman say about Sharp’s opportunity to make the team?

"A very good chance," Yzerman said. "One, he can play all of the three forward positions, which is a great asset. He plays in all situations, power play, penalty killing. He has been on teams that have won Stanley Cups and been an important player. Teams that win, certain traits they have, their players play a certain way and can play in big games and play under pressure and know how to win. He’s got all those things going for him."

Sharp’s ability to play all three forward positions is an obvious asset.

"I hope so,” said Sharp, a native of Thunder Bay, Ontario. "I know it’s tough putting these kinds of teams together and moving guys around in different positions. That’s something I’ve done my whole career in Chicago. If that helps my chances, that’s great."

You sense in Sharp’s voice how much it would mean to him to make this team. He was asked if making Team Canada would mean as much or even more than winning the Stanley Cup.

"That’s tough to answer,” Sharp said. "That’s like saying, 'Who do you like better, my wife or my daughter?' It’s two things that would be incredible accomplishments. And I’m jealous of Seabs and Duncs and Johnny who were able to win the Cup and the gold in the same year. I certainly want to be part of that and will do anything I can to make the team this year."

Marc Staal's recovery

Rangers blueliner Marc Staal says he’s ready to go after suffering a scary eye injury last season.

"It's good. Really good. I had a really good summer of training and I feel really good," Staal said Tuesday. "When I'm on the ice, I don't really notice it at all. I'm excited and anxious just to start the season up and get it going."

Staal said he has adjusted well.

"It was more of just adapting to the depth perception and things like that when I was coming back,” Staal explained. "It just wasn't clicking when I was trying to come back in the playoffs there. But with the time off and the training now, everything's back to normal and I'm feeling really good."

Many people believe Staal could make Team Canada as long as there are no signs he’s limited by what happened to his eye.

"I have no limitations at all. It's been a great summer of training,” Staal said. "Physically from the time I was cleared to start working out, there wasn't anything I couldn't do as far as physically getting ready. So that part of it has been really good this summer, just getting into shape, getting stronger and getting ready for the season."

Weber's game

Early in Canada’s trouncing of Russia in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Shea Weber threw his body around and it set the tempo for the victory.

But that was on NHL ice. He has given some thought to how he’s going to have to adjust his game on the bigger ice in Sochi.

"Yeah definitely," Weber said. "I had the chance to play in the world championships in Russia and Switzerland, so I’m a little familiar with it. You can get caught out of position a lot easier. It’s wider and there’s more time and space for those guys to make passes through you. So you have to be conscious. You still want to play physical but you don’t want to take chances."

Weber is a lock to make this team again, but he certainly hasn’t tried to sit down and figure out the 25-man roster.

"No, that’s why I’m the player, there’s too many tough decisions,” said the Nashville Predators captain. "You go down the list and everybody deserves the chance. That’s why they’re here. There’s even guys that aren’t here that probably will get a good look during the season. We’re very fortunate in Canada to have a big selection, but definitely some tough choices."

Lucic is in shape

A lot was said last season about what kind of shape Milan Lucic was in. The topic reared its ugly head late in the regular season when he was a healthy scratch because of his ineffective play. He picked it up big time in the playoffs and was once again the player people in Boston were used to watching.

Good news, Bruins fans. One look at Lucic this week at the Olympic camp and you know he’s in excellent shape.

"I'm in a lot better shape than I was going into [last] year,” Lucic said. "I didn't take much time off; I maybe took a week off after we lost to Chicago just because I was feeling really good, how I ended off on a personal note and I kind of wanted to keep that going. I went back to how I used to always train. I had some things that were kind of bothering me that weren't allowing my body to train as hard as I used to and I rectified a couple of those problems and it's starting to feel better in the gym."

Iggy talk

Bruins center Patrice Bergeron is eager to see Jarome Iginla on the Bruins this season.

"For sure, it's going to be great,” Bergeron said. "I've had a chance to play with him and to meet him in Vancouver and he's an amazing guy and also player, very professional and a great leader as well. Very excited to have him with us and looking forward to getting to know him even more."

USA Hockey unveiled its jerseys for the men's, women's and paralympic national teams will wear for the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. Here are some photos from Tuesday's announcement at the men's U.S. Olympic orientation camp in Arlington, Va.:

Do you like the new Olympic jerseys? Cast your vote here!

Kevin Shattenkirk is ready to do his part for Team USA, including putting up with his coach in St. Louis who will be behind the Canadian bench in Sochi.

After watching Team USA come so close in the 2010 Olympics, Trevor Lewis is ready to do his part and get the United States one step farther in Sochi.

After being a part of the team in 2010 that lost in overtime against Canada, Bobby Ryan is hungry to get to Russia for one more chance to win gold.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- If you received a dime for every time you heard either Canadian or American Olympic officials talk about the importance of adjusting to the big ice surface in Sochi, you would end up a wealthy person.

But U.S. GM David Poile made it clear Tuesday that he’s not going to tolerate using the bigger sheet as an excuse for not having success at the 2014 Olympics.

"The fact that we have won the silver medal two times in a row over in North America [in 2002 and 2010] and got nothing over in Europe [in 1998 and 2006], I can’t accept that," Poile said. "These are good players. These are smart players. They’re skilled players. It’s different, yes, so let’s figure it out. I do not at the end of the [tournament] want to say, 'If this was in North America, we would have won; in Europe, we played and we lost.' That doesn’t make any sense to me.

"Ice surface is not something that should come up as a reason why we didn’t do well."

Not having a ball
Much was made on Twitter and in the media about Canada’s ball hockey experiment at orientation camp in Calgary. Neither the Canadian nor the American players worked out on the ice during their camps because of insurance costs, but Canadian coach Mike Babcock had his troops play some ball hockey while explaining various systems the coaching staff hopes to implement in Sochi.

We asked U.S. coach Dan Bylsma how far he felt his team was behind Canada given that the Americans didn’t play any ball hockey.

He laughed. And then he laughed again.

"I think that means we’re marginally ahead," Bylsma said.

Poile laughed as well.

"I’m pretty sure our coaches accomplished every bit as much as Canada did without the visual," Poile said.

Johnson aiming high
One of the pleasant surprises of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics for the Americans was the play of defenseman Erik Johnson. Then with the St. Louis Blues, Johnson, a former first overall draft pick, was traded to Colorado in a blockbuster deal in February 2011. Since then, the Avs and Johnson have struggled.

He acknowledged Tuesday that last season he played poorly.

"I played like s--- last year," the solid 6-foot-4 defenseman said.

But, he added, he feels that working on his consistency will help play him back onto the U.S. Olympic radar.

"I knew I didn’t play very good last year,” Johnson said. "I knew I had a good enough body of work to obviously be here. I know if I play well that I have a good chance of making it. That probably goes with everybody here. Everyone probably thinks if they play well, they’ll have a good chance to make the team, and that’s probably true."

One of the reasons Johnson is optimistic things will turn his way this season is the dramatic changes within the Avalanche organization, including the hiring of Hall of Fame netminder and Avalanche legend Patrick Roy as head coach.

"Just from talking to Patrick a little bit, I think you’ll see that passion behind the bench like he was as a player,” Johnson said. "He’s a fiery guy. He’s intense. I think that’s the jolt our team needed.

"That fresh blood will be good for us."

One thing is for sure: If Johnson does play his way onto the 2014 team, he will try to take time to smell the roses along the way in Russia after the Vancouver tournament seemed to go by in a blur.

"I don’t think you appreciate it as much when you’re playing," he said. "When it wore off and you got back to your NHL team, you realized how cool it was and what an honor it was to be a part of it. I think if I’m lucky enough to do it this time, you really want to soak it up."

Coaching conundrum
Bylsma, as with all NHL coaches who coach at the Olympics, will find himself wearing a number of hats early in the NHL season. Along with making a game plan for his Pittsburgh Penguins, he will also be watching U.S. Olympic hopefuls and, as the Olympics draw closer, thinking about game plans for Team USA, game plans that might include trying to shut down some of his own NHL players, such as captain Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

He was asked what advice he would give Ryan Suter before sending him over the boards against Crosby.

"Why would I tell you that right now?" Bylsma said, joking. "I think you’re talking about a familiarity with the players we have on the Pittsburgh Penguins that I’ve coached maybe for three and four and five years. The first thing I thought of is they probably know me better than I know them."

Bylsma conceded that there might be some advantage to having familiarity with Crosby’s game.

"Yes," he said a bit reluctantly. "The answer to that question is yes."

CALGARY, Alberta -- A little ball hockey, eh?

Team Canada took to the floor-covered ice Monday for "walk-through" practices, which is the coaching staff's unique solution to a tough situation given the inability to actually get on the ice for real practices.

The 45 players were split into two groups and ran around with their sticks in their hands playing out drills from the coaching staff while wearing track shorts, T-shirts and running shoes.

Kudos to head coach Mike Babcock for the clever solution for a tough predicament.

"I thought it was a real good day for us,” Babcock said. "Obviously, I have never done this before. We've put a lot of planning into it. I spent a lot of time talking to people to gather the information -- [head coach] Tom Izzo in particular with Michigan State basketball. He talks about the walk-throughs, and [they are] part of the reason that he believes they've been to six Final Fours in the last 15 years. Todd Downing is a quarterback coach with the Lions. He talked about the plays they walk through each and every day and the muscle memory and the timing and spacing that's going on.

"This is a big sheet, and guys aren't used to it. It's even bigger when you can't move very fast, and you couldn't go very fast today. But I thought it was a good teaching tool. The other thing is when you've got 23 guys on your team, you usually got to teach 23 different ways. Everybody learns different, so when you see it on video, it's one way you see it. In a book, it's another way. You've got a posting on the wall, you walk through it again and then you talk about it. To me, what we're trying to do is get them to understand the way we're going to play, so it meets the comfort for them when they arrive in Sochi."

It’s early, folks, but, for the heck of it, here were the lines:

Chris Kunitz-Sidney Crosby-Patrick Sharp
Eric Staal-Jonathan Toews-Rick Nash
Logan Couture-John Tavares-Steven Stamkos
Andrew Ladd-Ryan Getzlaf-Corey Perry
Jeff Carter-Mike Richards-Martin St. Louis
Milan Lucic-Matt Duchene-James Neal
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Jordan Eberle
Taylor Hall-Jordan Staal

"Don’t read anything into the lines," Babcock cautioned.

Joe Thornton’s absence from the camp (family illness) left Hall and Jordan Staal lined up with a University of Calgary player, Dylan Walchuk.

Talk about a thrill for the college player.

"I know. It's pretty sweet. Maybe I'll see myself on TV tonight if I get lucky," Walchuk said.

So much is going to play out over the next few months before Team Canada picks the team. It’s hard to tell a whole lot from these lines when you consider that most of the line combinations at the camp four years ago didn’t hold water come the Olympics in Vancouver four months later.

Still, there were some interesting looks Monday, such as Nash back on a line with Toews. That duo was Canada’s most effective forward combo by the end of that gold-medal tournament in 2010, with Toews being named the tournament’s top forward. So it’s natural for the coaching staff to want to see those guys back together.

Crosby had his trusted Pittsburgh Penguins linemate Kunitz on his left side Monday, an obvious fit. I still think Kunitz is in tough to make the team, but if he lights it up in the fall like he did last season, he’s got a shot, especially when you consider how difficult it was for the coaching staff in Vancouver to find players who could mesh with the world’s top player.

"This is the best of the best," Kunitz said. "It's awesome. I've never been to an All-Star Game or one of these things. This is a great thing to be a part of, but if I want a chance to go to that team, I have to play my game and have as much success as I did last year moving on and have to earn my way on the team."

Sharp’s inclusion on the line is also intriguing. He’s a long shot for most people to make the team, although I would put him on the team if it were up to me. Sharp is a versatile player who can play all three forward positions, and, on a team that’s going to have a lot of centers playing out of position on the wing, I think he’d be a valuable addition.

Whether or not Sharp was on the Crosby line for no other reason than Claude Giroux not being here in camp, who knows. But I like Sharp on that line.

But easily the most intriguing line Tuesday for me was Tavares between Couture and Stamkos. Wowsers. That’s a young and talented combination, and Couture brings in a bit of defensive protection with his two-way game. That’s a line I could certainly live with.

But again, so much will change between now and February.

To me, the locks on defense are Alex Pietrangelo, Duncan Keith, Shea Weber and Drew Doughty -- and perhaps Jay Bouwmeester. Then, the final three jobs are up for grabs among P.K. Subban, Dan Boyle, Kris Letang, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Marc Methot and Dan Hamhuis.

Canada-Russia rivalry

Crosby is an avid hockey history student. It’s not lost on him the chance at hand next February with the Olympic tournament staged in Russia, Canada’s historical hockey rival.

Not since the famous 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the former Soviet Union has there been a more meaningful game played in Russia between the two rivals played than if the two countries tangle next February.

"I can remember being 15 in Shattuck [Minn.], and J.P. Parise was there, and I remember some of the stories he would tell,” Crosby said. "I was always kind of wondering if I’d even have a chance to play in Russia and, up to this point, I haven’t. To have that opportunity and knowing the history is there to be part of that would be definitely very special. It’s something we’re all well aware of and want to make happen."

Wayne Gretzky has often said that one of his regrets in his career was not having a chance to play an important international game in Russia. The Great One was part of those great Canada Cup games against the former Soviet Union, but those games were always held in Canada.

"That’s a pretty special opportunity for those Canadian players if they get to play Russia in Sochi," Gretzky told ESPN.com Sunday.

Old man Boyle

The gray speckles on Boyle's beard reveal the veteran defenseman’s experience in this camp. At 37, the San Jose Sharks blueliner is the second-oldest player here in camp behind only St. Louis.

"I’ve got a lot of D-men telling me that I was their favorite D-man growing up,’’ Boyle chuckled Monday. "I’m sure I’ll be asked about my age from here on in. It bothers me, but what can you do? I play with guys who are 25 who are icing their backs. It’s not always about age. Look at Marty."

Don’t be fooled, though. Boyle can still play at this level, and he’ll be an interesting decision for Team Canada. He’s an asset on the big ice, and his experience is important, too. But the Canadian management staff will watch him carefully in the opening months of the NHL season to make sure they don’t see any signs of slowing down.

"I know the experts haven’t picked me to make the team," Boyle laughed, using his fingers to show quotation marks around the word experts. "I don’t put too much thought into that. I’ve been doing this my whole career, being counted out forever. I’m probably not expected [to make it], but, obviously, I’d love to be part of it. I know what I can bring to this team."

Team Canada will have some new faces on its roster, and having some experience in the room will be important.

"I think so, too," Boyle said. "Oddly enough, the gold-medal game in Vancouver was the calmest I was in the whole tournament. I was more nervous in the preliminary games. I watched the gold-medal game again a few months ago, and I was happy [with his performance]. I think you need that. I think that’s where experience comes in."

Smith cuts hair

Barely recognizable Monday was goalie Mike Smith. Gone was his long hair.

What’s up with that?

"I’m 31 years old with two kids. Time to grow up," he chuckled.

Smith has a solid shot of making this team. Of interest is that he was invited here by Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman, whom he played for in Tampa Bay before getting waived and leaving via free agency. Yzerman had hoped to re-sign Smith, but he chose to go to Phoenix.

But as far as Smith is concerned, he left on good terms.

"When I left, there weren’t any hard feelings,” he said. "I hadn’t really deserved the chance to stick around. There were bumps along the road in Tampa, and I never really found my niche. I went to Phoenix and developed more into the guy I thought I could be. But the way it was handled in Tampa was first class. Steve and the whole organization handled it with the most respect they could give me. I’m fortunate for that."

Keith looking for more glory

He’s got two Stanley Cup rings, and now he’s aiming for a second Olympic gold medal.

Star blueliner Keith is far from satisfied with his current haul.

"They’re both very special experiences,” Keith said Monday. "When you win a Stanley Cup, I dreamed about that sort of thing when I was a kid. To be able to do that after a long season and a long grind is definitely rewarding. At the same time, when you play on an Olympic team, you’re representing your country, and it’s a huge honor in itself to have that jersey on. To win an Olympic gold medal, it means you’re the best team in the world at that time. It’s a special feeling.

"They’re both special. They’re both unique feelings. Any time you win a championship, it’s the best feeling in the world. I mean, a win’s a win, right?"

Keith was partnered with Weber in Monday’s walk-through/ball hockey practice.

Bouwmeester's back

Bouwmeester was part of Canada’s Olympic team in 2006 but was passed over for 2010.

Now he wants back in.

“You'd like to be there,” he said Monday. "That's the goal for everyone. I think you learn from that. From that, you learn it's a process, and you can't worry about it. If you're picked and get to go, great. But there are a lot of great players.”

It could be an exciting year for him. His St. Louis Blues were picked by The Hockey News to win the Stanley Cup, to which Bouwmeester responded Monday:

“I guess that's better than being on the bottom. I think the Toronto Blue Jays were picked to win the World Series, weren't they? I wouldn't put a lot of faith into it.”

Ouch, Jays fans.

Still, the Blues are definitely a team that’s knocking at the door.

“We're still fairly young, but everybody's kinda past that learning stage,” Bouwmeester said. "You've got a group that's probably going to be together at least a few years, at least the majority of guys. It seems like a good opportunity.”

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Injuries are always going to play havoc with the selection of Olympic rosters no matter which country is involved, but the U.S. management team will be paying close attention to the health of center Ryan Kesler. When he’s been healthy and at his best, Kesler has proved he’s a dominant player, a difference-maker. But the former Frank J. Selke Trophy winner as the game’s top two-way forward has struggled with a variety of injuries over the past couple of years. He is finally healthy.

“I’m good. Finally. Two years,” he said Monday.

The injuries and the time spent recovering from them took their toll on the Vancouver Canuck.

“Mentally tough. It wasn’t fun, especially this time around when you go through 10 months of rehab and break your foot on your first game back, that was tough to take. But it makes you stronger as a person. I’m healthy now and finally able to enjoy a summer with no rehab,” said Kesler, who played in only 17 regular-season games after the lockout.

Not only is Kesler hoping to parlay good health into Olympic success, he’s also looking forward to getting the Canucks back on a Stanley Cup track after two straight first-round playoff exits.

The Canucks were swept by San Jose this past spring, and it cost Alain Vigneault his job as head coach. He was replaced by John Tortorella, who was an assistant coach with the U.S. Olympic team four years ago.

“We have the same core. Obviously we know what that core can do,” Kesler said. “I think we’re going to have a new identity this year. Obviously a new coach behind the bench. He’s going to coach a little differently than our last coach, and that’s good sometimes. Sometimes you need change and a fresh face to energize your group.”

“I’ve played for Torts a little bit, and we all know what he’s all about.”

Looking for luck

If there is one player attending the U.S. orientation camp who could use a little Olympic karma, it’s Pittsburgh defenseman Paul Martin.

As a young player with the New Jersey Devils, Martin was selected to the so-called taxi squad for the 2006 Olympics in Torino. He, Matt Cullen and Hal Gill were in Italy in case of injury but did not stay in the athletes’ village and were in many ways isolated from the rest of the U.S. team.

Four years later, a virtual lock to make the 2010 team, Martin was struck by a puck early in the season and broke his forearm.

“Bill Guerin missed the net by six feet and hit me with the puck,” Martin said.

Initially the prognosis was that he would be out eight weeks, but that stretched to 10 or 11. Then the doctors worried the arm wasn’t healing properly, so Martin ended up at a specialist who ordered surgery the next day.

Even then, with pins and plates in his arm, Martin was hopeful he would heal in time to make the trip to Vancouver. But slowly it became clear it wasn’t going to happen.

“It was tough," Martin said. "As far as disappointment and frustration as far as an athlete goes, that has been my toughest thing to get over so far in my career. I didn’t have expectations as far as was I going to be on the team. But I think when you realize that that opportunity’s there and you get named but you can’t do it, it was a tough pill to swallow, and I struggled with it for a while.”

After a dreadful 2011-12 season, Martin rebounded last season to the kind of form that made him a shoo-in for the Vancouver team. He and defense partner Brooks Orpik were tasked with shutting down opposing teams’ top lines every night and were key penalty-killing specialists, while Martin was also an effective member of the Pens’ power-play unit.

Orpik was a member of the 2010 Olympic team and is also an invitee to the orientation camp.

“I think it definitely helps," Martin said. "I think there is that comfort factor there. Especially after the year last year, I think we found our identity again and especially me. He’s so easy to play with, and obviously he played in the last Olympics and with the coaching staff that we have, I’m very familiar with."

At 32 years old, Martin is a realist. He knows he must take advantage of this opportunity, as it might well be the last chance at playing in an Olympics.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity and the chance to play. Wherever it might be, right side, left side, I just want to play,” the Minneapolis native said.

“I just want to go.”

Where to keep a medal

One member of the Vancouver team who is at the orientation camp has a special place for his silver medal.

“It’s tucked away. I’ve been meaning to put it in a safe, but it’s in this fake stack of books, but it opens up. It’s not really books, it opens up,” forward Zach Parise said.

Does he take it out and look at it sometimes?

“Yeah, I had to bring it out. I don’t just at night grab it and sit on the couch and look at it, but I had to bring it out to New York a couple of weeks ago. I guess that was kind of the first time in a year or two that I’d looked at it. It’s cool to have,” Parise said.

Starting strong

One thing U.S. GM David Poile has made clear is that players who play well at the start of the season will be doing themselves a favor as far as making the final roster. Knowing that they are being scrutinized by the management team that includes NHL GMs Stan Bowman, Dale Tallon, Dean Lombardi, Ray Shero and Paul Holmgren along with former GMs Brian Burke and Don Waddell may be a bit unnerving, especially for the younger players.

“It’s hard to not think about it. The best way to do it is just try not to think about it,” said New York Rangers center Derek Stepan, who is looking to play in his first Olympics.

“It’s definitely not going to be easy at all.”

Building the sport

St. Louis Blues captain David Backes said he still runs into people who talk about the 2010 gold-medal game and how important the game was to them. He said he believes that NHL players being in the Olympics is important for growing interest in the game, not just in the United States but around the world.

“If you watched that gold-medal game and didn’t get turned on to hockey, I don’t know if the game’s for you,” Backes said.

Rising star

One member of the 2010 team who saw his stock rise in recent months is the Colorado Avalanche's Paul Stastny, who was a dynamo for the U.S. at the world championships with 15 points, second among all players as the U.S. won a surprise bronze medal.

After he reached a career-high 79 points in 2009-10, Stastny’s production has declined, but he said he’s hoping to carry over the same style of play that gave his success at the world championships.

“I think I just will try and play the way I did there. Kind of just play at ease again and just have fun,” Stastny said.

Early in a player’s career, he plays with nothing to lose, Stastny noted. “Then sometimes maybe you put a little bit too much pressure on yourself when things aren’t going well,” he said.

With a new coach in former Avalanche star Patrick Roy and new management under former Avs captain Joe Sakic, Stastny said there’s a different buzz around the team, and he’s looking forward to being part of that.

“I think it’s just that sense of urgency, that passion. There was already that feeling going on all summer,” he said.

Updated at 4:28 p.m. ET

CALGARY, Alberta -- Joe Thornton had to cancel his trip to the Canadian Olympic camp because of a family illness.

Thornton’s two-month-old son, River, was in the hospital, and Hockey Canada is obviously fully understanding of the veteran center’s situation.

Two of Thornton's teammates in San Jose expressed their support for Thornton on Tuesday.

"Our wives are best friends. He made the right decision, you got to stay home. Family is the most important thing," Dan Boyle said.

"Obviously, we’re all hoping that his son is OK and it sounds like he’s getting better which is good," Logan Couture said. "We miss not having Joe here. I’ll be headed to San Jose once this camp ends and we’ll get to catch up with him."

The total number of players at camp is down to 45 after Claude Giroux also cancelled his trip to focus on his rehab from surgery on his finger.

Welcome to the dog days of summer. With free agency pretty much done, there's not much else to talk about until ... Olympics orientation camps, which start in less than a month. Really? Jeepers.

Three of the biggest questions heading into those camps:

Who will be Canada's No. 1 goalie?
Corey Crawford, Braden Holtby, Roberto Luongo, Carey Price and Mike Smith (and not Marc-Andre Fleury or Cam Ward, who have each won a Stanley Cup, by the way) have been invited to orientation camp. The problem is that whereas the U.S. is heading into camp stacked in the blue paint -- with Jonathan Quick, Cory Schneider, Ryan Miller, Craig Anderson, Jimmy Howard -- each of Canada's invitees is tainted by a shadow of doubt. You can't argue with Crawford's recent Stanley Cup ring run, but is he truly Canada's best over such a short, intense burst? Holtby is good, but hasn't won much. Luongo is good but ... well, let's not pile on to the poor chap. Price has had his ups and downs while playing in perhaps the most pressure-packed city for a goalie but has battled injuries. That leaves Smith, who has had one great season.

Canada has traditionally had a vague sense of who will be its No. 1; doubts surrounded Luongo heading into the Vancouver Games because the Olympics were in his home market, where he wasn't exactly beloved in those days. The previous time Canada won gold, in 2002, Pat Quinn's decision to start Curtis Joseph was seen as NHL-team favoritism and was met with further derision after an opening-game loss to Sweden. Quinn went to golden boy Martin Brodeur, as we all now know, but if that hadn't worked out, Quinn was left with Ed Belfour, who was on the decline.

This time, it's doubtful there will be a Brodeur bedrock to fall back upon. The positive here for Canada is that it's in the weakest division, playing in the same group as Finland, Norway and Austria, so it should have time to figure things out. The negative: Without being able to play on the big sheet ahead of time, the goalies won't have long to figure out the angles. One bad-angle goal could be the difference in the early going ... So actually, on second thought, scratch that positive bit about having time to figure it out. Which brings us to ...

Can the U.S. or Canada win gold on the big surface?
Geez, good question. Neither team has been able to win gold outside of North America since the NHL's players returned to the Games in 1998. So, it's debatable. (The 2002 Salt Lake Games, where Canada won gold, were held on the bigger surface, however.) If Canada can get solid goaltending, it will have to be considered the favorite. But that's a massive if. The U.S. is expected to be stone-cold steady in net, but it has questions elsewhere (Such as: Who is the team's most mobile, experienced defenseman for the big ice?). Weighing just the current factors -- and not including those that might develop between now and February, such as injuries to frequently injured superstars ('ello Sidney Crosby!) -- the North American teams will find it tough to bring home gold. Which brings us to ...

So, who will win it all, smart guy?
You can't discount the awesome talent-laden lineups of Canada and the United States -- OK, I guess I just did -- but Sweden, host Russia and maybe the Czech Republic have to be considered all up in there as well. If the Finns settle on the right superstar netminder to start -- they've got Tuukka Rask, Pekka Rinne, Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen playing the pipes -- and he gets hot, they could very well skate away with this thing in a huge upset.

The odds favor Russia, and there's no debating the awesome firepower the team has up front, but I've got to think the hosts will figure out a way to screw it up. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ilya Bryzgalov (and/or Evgeni Nabokov and/or Anton Khudobin) and an entire defense corp, consider yourself challenged!

NEW YORK -- Dan Bylsma figures there have been a couple of times in his life that he would describe as surreal.

The moment he found out he would coach the U.S. hockey team at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, ranks as one of them.

“When I was first told, there was about a 15-minute period of a lot flashing before your eyes,” Bylsma told ESPN.com on Saturday after he and the rest of the U.S. management team were formally announced.

There were memories of other Olympics, the 1980 Miracle on Ice gold-medal team, his own hockey experiences growing up and a long-held desire to get this kind of opportunity.

“A lot of things that pass in front of you,” said the Pittsburgh Penguins coach.

But if there was one overriding impression upon learning he had the gig, it was that the road to the medal podium in Sochi begins now.

“Daily, the honor this represents gets bigger,” Bylsma said.

There were a number of qualities USA Hockey and the management committee, charged with creating a team that can build on 2010’s dramatic silver medal, were looking for in a head coach.

Ron Wilson was the man behind the bench in Vancouver, but he has not worked in the NHL since being fired by longtime friend and then-Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke in January 2012. The committee, under GM David Poile, was looking for an NHL coach who had won, who exuded passion for the game and who could handle star players.

The fact Bylsma had little in the way of international coaching experience wasn’t a deterrent for Poile and the committee members. Er, scratch that -- not little, none.

“I don’t have any experience, so ‘very little’s’ wrong,” Bylsma said with a smile.

He is the fastest coach to 200 wins in NHL history, has won a Stanley Cup and has handled some of the game’s biggest stars, including Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Bylsma recalled watching the gold-medal game between Canada and the United States in an arena after his son’s youth hockey game. As he saw Crosby gain possession of the puck deep in the U.S. zone in overtime, Bylsma got out of his seat.

“I had a pretty good idea he was going to put that home,” he said.

Bylsma will have some input into who rounds out the coaching staff, and although it’s possible that Tony Granato, one of his assistants in Pittsburgh, may find his way onto the staff, it’ll be hard to ignore new Vancouver Canucks coach John Tortorella, who was an assistant to Wilson in 2010, and Scott Gordon, an assistant in Toronto to Randy Carlyle who was also on Wilson’s Olympic staff and has significant international coaching experience.

Among the many hurdles to clear in forming a contender in a short period of time, Bylsma said, is the challenge of flying halfway across the world and playing meaningful tournament games in the space of two days. If there is a goal, he has said it will be in introducing an atmosphere to which the team can build on a day-to-day basis, reaching for its best when it matters most.

After all, he said, the team that’s the best at the end of the tournament is going to win.

“That’s a great challenge,” Bylsma said. “That will be part of our message and part of our approach.”