Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 09, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B4 B4 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015 winnipegfreepress. com NHL REPORT L AKE PLACID, N. Y. - When newly named Team USA World Cup general manager Dean Lombardi accepts a challenge, he drills deeper than most to find inspiration. His reputation as one of the NHL's deep thinkers was only enhanced Thursday by a memorable, entertaining acceptance speech that suggested the Roman general Cincinnatus, George Washington and 1980 Olympic legend Mike Eruzione could all be role models for the players he selects to play in 2016. " It's safe to say that Washington in fact was this country's first great teammate," Lombardi said. " If our players can learn a small percentage of his definition of the word ' team,' then we cannot help but be successful." Lombardi called his USA Hockey appointment " one of the highest honours" of a career that includes two Stanley Cups won as general manager of the Los Angeles Kings. Philadelphia Flyers president Paul Holmgren will serve as Lombardi's assistant GM and Brian Burke will be his senior advisor. USA Hockey's Jim Johannson will serve as Lombardi's director of hockey operations. "( There will) be a complete emphasis on team," Lombardi said. " Team will be defined as burying your ego and its nefarious agents, power, fame and fortune. The team will also be defined by accepting your role and it will be defined by pursuing a higher cause." That's when Lombardi pointed out Washington and Cincinnatus were the only two generals who refused to allow themselves to be made a king when given the chance. " George Washington could have easily made himself king and fallen prey to his ego," Lombardi said. " But he said ' no' because he recognized there was a higher cause and accepted a lesser role." Lombardi pointed out the 1980 U. S. Olympic triumph in Lake Placid and the 1996 World Cup triumph in Montreal were both illustrations of a group of players who pushed aside their egos and accepted roles in the name of a larger cause. " You can rest assured in the last five minutes of the ( 1996 deciding) game in a hostile environment," Lombardi said. " When Tony Amonte scored the game- winning goal, somewhere in that building was the spirit of Mike Eruzione." Lombardi's approach to his work has always been that everything worth doing is worth doing to excess. When the Tulane- educated lawyer was a member of the 2014 U. S. Olympic selection committee, he was asked to compare defencemen Jack Johnson, Keith Yandle and Cam Fowler and wrote a brief that fellow committee members compared to reading War and Peace . When Lombardi was asked to present the argument for Yandle making the U. S. team, his passionate presentation was as memorable as any closing argument you have ever heard. Yandle was a long shot before Lombardi spoke, and moved into the top eight after Lombardi was finished. Yandle didn't end up making the U. S. squad, but Lombard's oration had given him a shot. " If I ever get arrested for murder, ( Lombardi is) my lawyer," Burke said afterward. The attention to detail, the passion he has for USA Hockey, and the success he has known with the Kings are the reasons why Lombardi was named the general manager of the U. S. team that will compete in next summer's World Cup. The U. S. coach will be selected at a later date, although Lombardi said he would like to do that sooner rather than later. Lombardi is a proven winner. He is known as a shrewd, cerebral manager who will never be outworked by the opposition. This is a man with a long history of staying in his office until the wee hours of the morning watching videos of teams and players. There were other worthy candidates, including New Jersey's Ray Shero and Chicago's Stan Bowman. But the timing of the Lombardi selection feels right. Lombardi's charge is to win a gold medal, which is not an easy assignment with Canada still the reigning world power in hockey. Lombardi could end up with a team that has more offensive potential than the U. S. team that didn't medal at the 2014 Olympics. Since that competition, Tampa Bay Lightning centre Tyler Johnson has emerged as a likely candidate to make the team, maybe as the team's No. 1 centre. New York Rangers centre Derek Stepan is more established now, and Columbus Blue Jackets leftwinger Nick Foligno has emerged as a 31- goal scorer. Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop is now firmly in the goaltending mix, although Lombardi's Kings goalie Jonathan Quick is the incumbent. It's too early to talk about who may or may not make the team, but he said there will be changes from the 2014 U. S. Olympic team. Games will be played at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, meaning the tournament will probably be more physical than an Olympic tournament. Lombardi said he was giving everyone a hint of what kind of style he wants his team to play when he named Holmgren and Burke to his staff. Both of those executives are known to favour physical teams. " We all sing from the same hymnal," Lombardi said. The Americans' potential roster will be hurt by the new World Cup format, which dictates players 23 and under play for a North American Young Stars team that will compete in the tournament. Columbus winger Brandon Saad, Nashville defenceman Seth Jones, Winnipeg defenceman Jacob Trouba and even Buffalo centre Jack Eichel would have been likely candidates to play for the Lombardi team. " We are going to do everything in our power to make our country proud," Lombardi said. - USA Today BUFFALO, N. Y. - Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane has hired an attorney and called off a public display of the Stanley Cup on Saturday because he is under police investigation over something that may have happened at his home last weekend. Without providing details, lawyer Paul Cambria confirmed in a text message to The Associated Press he has been hired to represent Kane. Cambria represented Kane in 2009, when he pleaded guilty to a non- criminal charge of disorderly conduct after being accused of assaulting a Buffalo cab driver over 20 cents. Cambria is a high- profile attorney who specializes in First Amendment issues. He has represented Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and music artists Marilyn Manson and DMX. The developments come a day after Hamburg police confirmed Kane is under investigation for an " incident that allegedly occurred" at the player's off- season home in suburban Buffalo. Hamburg Police Chief Gregory Wickett did not discuss the nature of the investigation. He said police are gathering information and awaiting forensic tests. In the meantime, Blackhawks spokesman Brandon Faber said Kane will skip the Stanley Cup celebration for Chicago's third title in six years. Kane had paraded the trophy around Buffalo after the previous two championships. Now, with the investigation in place, that has changed. Tentative plans had called for Kane to bring the Cup to Buffalo Women's and Children's Hospital for what was supposed to be a private visit. There also was to have been a celebration at a downtown bar. Though Kane is spending the day with his family, people were still hoping he might pop up with the Cup at some of his familiar spots. A handful of youngsters in Blackhawks shirts and hats camped out in front of Kane's favourite pizza place in his old neighbourhood of south Buffalo. There are autographed Kane jerseys on the walls and a Blackhawks flag outside. Three off- duty Buffalo police officers were patrolling the parking lot before leaving early in the afternoon. In Hamburg, several cars slowed or stopped to peek into the front yard of Kane's home overlooking Lake Erie. A police officer was parked in a black and white SUV across the street. Kane, who wears No. 88, picked Saturday to host the Cup because it is the eighth day of the eighth month. Also Saturday, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville attended Blackhawks Day at Arlington Park, but was not made available to the media. Quenneville signed autographs for about an hour. - The Associated Press Kane hires lawyer, cancels Cup appearance By John Wawrow Cops investigating alleged incident Quick look at a potential Team USA WITH roughly a year to go before the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, USA Hockey named Los Angeles Kings general manager Dean Lombardi to serve as the team's general manager. A coach will be named at a later date. Here's USA TODAY hockey columnist Kevin Allen's projection of what the USA roster could look like next summer: Centres Tyler Johnson ( Tampa Bay) Derek Stepan ( New York Rangers) Ryan Kesler ( Anaheim) Brandon Dubinsky ( Columbus) Left- wingers Max Pacioretty ( Montreal), Zach Parise ( Minnesota) Nick Foligno ( Columbus) David Backes ( St. Louis) Right- wingers Patrick Kane ( Chicago) Phil Kessel ( Pittsburgh) Joe Pavelski ( San Jose) Ryan Callahan ( Tampa Bay) 13th forward: Blake Wheeler ( Winnipeg) Others prominently in the mix): Kyle Okposo ( New York Islanders) , Nick Bjugstad ( Florida), Justin Abdelkader ( Detroit), Paul Stastny ( St. Louis), Chris Kreider ( New York Rangers) Defencemen Ryan Suter ( Minnesota); John Carlson ( Washington) Ryan McDonagh ( New York Rangers); Justin Faulk ( Carolina) Brooks Orpik ( Washington); Erik Johnson ( Colorado) Kevin Shattenkirk ( St. Louis) Others prominently in the mix: Dustin Byfuglien ( Winnipeg), Cam Fowler ( Anaheim), Alec Martinez ( Los Angeles), Danny DeKeyser ( Detroit) Goaltenders Jonathan Quick ( Los Angeles) Ben Bishop ( Tampa Bay) Ryan Miller ( Vancouver) Others prominently in the mix: Jimmy Howard ( Detroit) - USA Today Lombardi to lead Team USA ' Deep thinker' is honoured to be named World Cup GM By Kevin Allen CHRIS O'MEARA / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Tampa Bay Lightning centre Tyler Johnson is a likely candidate for Team USA in 2016. Patrick Kane Dean Lombardi B_ 04_ Aug- 09- 15_ FP_ 01. indd B4 8/ 8/ 15 6: 14: 48 PM ;