**Kyle Okposo scored two goals and was named player of the game in Team USA's tune up exhibition game over -- France. yeah, France
**Note: The IBC event last night was wonderful and enlightening as Mike Bossy confirmed that the program will continue for next season. They have taken all suggestions into consideration and it will be back and better. Full information coming within the month. Excellent program if you are a business looking to network here on Long Island.
Islanders head coach Scott Gordon will be heading to Germany for the World Championships this month to represent his country once again. Hearing that John Tavares would be on the Canadian National team seemed almost a given, but when I heard that defenseman Jack Hillen will be joining Kyle Okposo on Team USA, I was surprised and elated. I’ve come to think of Jack as one of the Islanders’ best-cultivated talents.
I have spoken with Garth Snow about the pride and pitfalls that come along with participating in international competition before. I was curious how he felt about having three of his brightest young stars now heading off to Germany. He sensed by my tone I didn’t think he approved.
The reason? Prior to the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, as I was preparing to write about Scott Gordon, I asked the question about the risk factor involved.
"As a player, I never really worried about injuries or thought about things of that nature. But as a General Manager, it is something you worry about a lot more."
“I played in two of them, so I really don’t mind them!” He leaned forward in his chair as he made his point.
An injury can occur in any hockey competition, as it did to prospects Hamonic and de Haan. Travis Hamonic suffered a shoulder injury and Calvin de Haan a concussion at the recent World Juniors tournament. On January 26th, 2010 de Haan, an ex-team mate of John Tavares, suffered a shoulder injury in a game for his junior club, the Oshawa Generals which required surgery. He was scheduled to be sidelined for six months which would bring us to July of this year.
This will be 22 year-old Kyle Okposo's fourth tour of duty representing the US. It will be Jack Hillen's first. John Tavares will be representing Canada for the third time in his young career.
“But you know every situation is different. In the World Championships a year ago, we had a player who, at the time, was having a nagging injury. We weren’t comfortable with him going to represent his country. Now, a situation with Jack or Kyle, where they are healthy, we do endorse the players going to represent their country. At the end of the day, if the situation is a player isn’t 100% healthy and it could have an effect on our season next year, then that’s when I step in because I’m not comfortable with a player going. First and foremost, the obligation of any player is to play for the team that is paying his salary.”
I’m not sure if he noticed my raised eyebrow over the “nagging injury” statement. I wondered if the entire “Josh Bailey wasn’t allowed to play in the 2008 World Juniors for Canada” debate would have been eased had we known Josh wasn’t 100%? Sure, it would have -- had it been Josh he was referring to. It wasn't.
It was actually not one but TWO Islanders -- Sean Bergenheim and Frans Nielsen (both of whom represented their respecitve countries a whopping seven times already.) who were nursing nagging injuries that could have become worse had they been released for competition. (See what happens when you assume something? You get it wrong. As an aside, Mark Streit has represented Switzerland 14 times going as far back as 1995.)
Now John Tavares, in his rookie season, will be playing on the world stage for his home country. Even though Tavares played in all 82 games this season, questions were posed as to his health and whether he was playing hurt. I am guessing that if there was anything questionable about John's health, he wouldn't be going to Germany.
But I have three words for JT:
Don’t.get.hurt. Thank you.
For full (but slowly incoming) coverage of the World Championship, be sure to check out http://www.USAHockey.com regularly. I am hoping that the Islanders' main Web site will also be following those who are competing.
Team USA is slated to play Germany on Friday, May 7th, Denmark on May 10th and Finland on May 12th. Team Canada will play Italy on Saturday, May 8th, Latvia on the 10th and Switzerland on the 12th. The Medal games are scheduled for May 23rd. This is a long tournament and I'm pretty sure every player participating doesn't want to make plans to return home any earlier than May 24th.
And more infor about the World Championship by another Islander blogger
here http://www.islandershockeyblog.com/2010-articles/may/2010-iihf-world-championship-team-usa.html
Up next, contract negotiations and the salary cap. 
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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