How U.S. Winter Olympic athletes are selected

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Hockey
USA Hockey has announced its rosters for Turin. The men's team of 23 players was set on Dec. 19, while the women’s roster of 20 players was released on Dec. 27.

Both the men’s and women’s teams will be strong contenders for gold.

The men’s team will be led by head coach Peter Laviolette of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.

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Many newcomers will represent the U.S., but they'll be joined by four-time Olympians Chris Chelios and Keith Tkachuk. Also on the team are Mike Modano, Bill Guerin and Dough Weight, all members of both the 1998 and ’02 Olympic teams.

Tkachuk and Chelios would be the first four-time Olympians in U.S. hockey history. Once he plays, 43-year-old Chelios — the captain of the 2002 squad — will be the third-oldest player in the history of Olympic hockey.

Rick DiPietro is likely to receive the bulk of the time in goal. Robert Esche has battled inconsistency and injury this season, and is currently sidelined by a groin injury. John Grahame is the third goaltender.

Head coach Ben Smith will be back behind the bench for the women’s team. The first full-time coach for the women’s team, Smith returns for his third Olympics.

The women's team has medaled in both of its Olympic appearances to date. The team won the first gold medal ever awarded in Olympic women's ice hockey in 1998 and finished with the silver in 2002.

The squad will include Olympic veterans Jenny Potter, Katie King, Tricia Dunn-Luomam and Angela Ruggiero. The four players will be competing in their third Olympics.

Krissy Wendell, a silver medalist in 2002, will captain the squad.

Seventeen of the 20 players on the roster were on the gold medalist U.S. team at the 2005 women’s world championship in April.

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