Higher priority

For some reason, I thought that this Hockey USA team jersey would be nothing more than an afterthought throughout the 2008-09 NHL hounding campaign. You know, something that would be remembered occasionally, rather than regularly. A plugger, if you will, for American-born stars from visiting teams.

One day, while doing some hounding homework, I realized that each team, especially the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche, had quite of few Team USA alums. Big names, too. Mike Modano. Bill Guerin. Ryan Miller. Doug Weight. They join Phil Kessel, whose tiny scribble started it all during the 2007-08 campaign.

All told, we added 20 signatures this past season. It looks like we have room for a few more, too, during the 2009-10 campaign.