Modano skips out on final U.S. hockey meeting

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The Americans’ goaltending — thought to be their biggest weakness— mostly held up.

Miller, injured when the team was picked in December, was kept home as an injury reserve, even though he played the best in the weeks leading up to the Olympics.

John Grahame started the opening 3-3 tie with Latvia. Rick DiPietro then went 1-2 in the next three games despite allowing only five goals. After a one-game break in which Robert Esche lost to Russia in a meaningless contest, DiPietro returned but didn’t show the same fine form in the final defeat.

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DiPietro, who is 24, should battle it out with Miller, 25, for the top goaltending spot in 2010.

NHL players have produced disappointing results
After three Olympics featuring NHL players, the U.S. has only one silver medal and two controversial departures to show for it.

In the 1998 Nagano Games, an also-ran finish led to the trashing of rooms by U.S. players. Now USA Hockey is dealing with Modano’s cranky exit interview.

“It’s very disappointing,” Waddell said. “Sometimes players in the emotion of the game don’t realize everything that goes on behind the scenes.

“As a player, I don’t expect them to know that. Players are here for one purpose and that is to play hockey and win games and let us worry about the issues that arise from it.”

An ankle injury kept Waddell off the 1980 “Miracle On Ice” team, but a successful career as an executive with the NHL and USA Hockey landed him a second chance at these Olympics.

Coming up short definitely hurt, and Waddell choked back tears as he tried to explain how much.

“Well, it’s disappointing for sure,” he said, “but we’ll learn from it and find a way to move forward.”

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