Team USA Brass On Why Zucker Was Selected

From: United States Of Hockey Blog

Coach Dean Blais on Jason Zucker:

Jason Zucker doesn’t have a real weakness to his game. He’s a leader at Denver.

When he was up in Saskatoon, he was just a role player, didn’t get much ice time, but he gave us whatever he could.

Obviously he’s stepped up, he’s gotten better every year, on the power-play, penalty kill, he’s fast, he’s tough, he finishes his checks, he blocks shots. I think he’s a future NHL player just in the things I’ve seen him improve on.

The biggest thing for him is he’s a leader and I think he’s going to rub off in a real positive way on the team.

GM Jim Johannson on Jason Zucker:

We put a video together for our players two years ago, this is what USA Hockey is, this is how we want to play in the several aspects of speed, transition, blocking shots. I think I could have put Jason Zucker in every single clip because he does all of those things well.

I think, in his case, he’s learned that he has to do all those things well to be a top-end player. He’s a guy with great experience, but also a guy that has learned about his game coming through all this and when he has success and I know he’s going to be ready for the championship.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I tend to put more stock in Coach Blais' assessment of JayZ than MagnessMan's.

dggoddard said...

The article speaks about the importance of speed which may explain why Nick Shore wasn't selected.

You have to think that Team Canada was on the selectors' minds and that they hope to beat Canada with the transition game.

achsdu17 said...

While I'm happy Zucker made it in, I kind of thought Nick Shore was more deserving this year. Still I hope when all is said and done Zucker comes back to DU with a new attitude and is able to take his game to another level. Since lately... his finishing has been less then impressive.

That seems to be the case when players come back from the World Juniors.

du78 said...

They did say they had a really tough time narrowing down the 17 forwards for the camp. I am sure theyw anted to get ablanced team that not only had speed but could be physical. The pool of high quality US hockey players for event like this seems to be growing.

Interesting stat is that the top 10 scorers in the AHL today are all former college hockey players.

Anonymous said...

3:04 (aka, hOE), your comment is getting old.

Anonymous said...

aschdu17: I appreciate Nick Shore's contributions, too. But why would you think that he's more deserving than Zucker? Besides just point production and a big difference in speed, Zucker is a far more dynamic player than Nick Shore presently is. (Zucker is a far more dynamic player than 99% of ALL college players.) Plus, Zucker brings a lot of World Junior experience to the table. I'm not being critical of Nick, but I think it's a big stretch to say Nick is more deserving than Zucker.

Anonymous said...

Shore is a good WCHA/college player - Zucker is a top 10 college player.

Huge difference.

Anonymous said...

JayZ will lead the USA to a strong WJ showing I am sure of that. I hope that when he returns to DU he still has a lot of stamina and endurance to pumped hard and dive deep for 60 minutes. We need his presence.

He will be missed for the couple games after christmas. Go JayZ go! Lock in pio's

Anonymous said...

achsdu17 must be drinking the koolaid at MagnessMan’s house. The comment is so idiotic that there is no other way to respond than to say - you’re an idiot.

Anonymous said...

No 5:34, the proper way to respond would be like 5:03. With questions, facts and substantiated opinions.

Anonymous said...

I could tell just from the media coverage during the UNO series .... that Blais is in LOVE with Zucker. I guarantee you, he is thinking, "Goddamnit..... why didn't we recruit this lad" Coulda, woulda, shoulda eh, Coach?
Hopefully it comes back to bite the Mavs in the ass come March....

Anonymous said...

5:34 adds nothing, because he knows nothing. Stale jokes, and absolutely no insight into anything of any value. Sounds like that fool Big Boss Man on USCHO...or could they be one and the same? Big Boss Man on USCHO...let's call him Little Peon Girl here. LPG.

Nick's got a great future. I don't know how old he is, but if he's not too old I think he'll have a good shot to make the USA roster next year.

Anonymous said...

Big Boss Man could sum it all up for you in two words.

Anonymous said...

DU up at the half by 11, and if my eyes do not deceive me, Alanna Rizzo is looking hot. Pretty decent crowd here, maybe 4500 to 5000.

Anonymous said...

Rizzo is jammin. She always looks good.

Anonymous said...

And so classic big article in the denver Post about jaden Schwartz then he is left off the WJC roster too damn funny. Blaise did not recruit Zucker because he was not coaching college hockey at the time

Anonymous said...

11:24, at least start putting you name on your posts so I can call you by name every time you make that idiotic post about Schwartz.