Building up national defense: the golden age of U.S. defensemen is passing, but there is hope for the future—even if that future is a few years away

Brian Leetch and Chris Chelios are American hockey legends, the best two defensemen ever to wear the USA sweater. This World Cup of Hockey likely is their international swan song. Before the tournament began, coach Ron Wilson talked about their legacy, their impact on hockey in the United States and "the gap" in truly elite talent at the blue line between Leetch and Chelios and players just starting their NHL careers.

There isn't a group of American defensemen in their mid- and late 20s ready to take over for the old hands. The success Leetch and Chelios have had in the NHL and internationally--for now--is irreplaceable. But this tournament has given Wilson and American hockey fans a glimpse of what's coming. Jordan Leopold, Paul Martin and John-Michael Liles haven't been instant Norris Trophy contenders in the NHL but are promising young American defensemen who are key to the United States being competitive in future tournaments.

Martin replaced Leopold on the roster after Leopold suffered a concussion in a pretournament game, but not before he proved he belonged. Liles replaced an injured Hal Gill. Though injuries never are good, they have given these young defensemen a chance to show what they can do at this level.

"The three guys who have been here have a good base to maybe take off and be a part of the USA Hockey defense for years to come," says U.S. assistant Peter Laviolette, who is coaching the defense at the World Cup. "They're all skilled defenseman, pretty good defensively, and they're all starting to contribute on their NHL teams now at the start of their careers."

As director of pro scouting for the Islanders, Ken Morrow--a former Stanley Cup champion defenseman and member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team--has seen these young defensemen developing. Morrow calls the Avs' Liles "real smart, highly skilled and a good skater" and says he knew Leopold would be a rising star and develop quickly with the Flames. The Devils' confidence in Martin at such a young age (23) is proof the kid has something--not only offensive ability but a commitment to handling responsibilities in his own end.

They might not be impact NHL players yet, but the potential certainly is there.

"I think on defense it takes awhile to learn the game," says Laviolette. "Twenty-, 21-, 22-year-old kids come in and can't know everything right off the bat. It's a learning process, but they have the skill and the tools that it takes to play at this level now, and I think they're only going to get better."

Though all three are offensively gifted, don't expect flashy play or piles of points immediately. Hockey is a game of systems and team success, so showing off individually is not the norm on defense, where risks and errors quickly turn into goals.

"Less is more," says Liles. "If you try to do too much, you get in trouble."

And if you don't think about what you're doing, all the skills in the world won't matter.

"There are a million great skill players; it takes the complete package to really take that next step to become a great player," says Liles. "You have to work hard on the ice as well as off the ice. The biggest thing is the mental aspect."

Much like goaltenders, defensemen mature slowly. Only the truly special ones burst onto the scene at an elite level. Leetch and Chelios have won five Norris Trophies--Leetch two (1992, '97) and Chelios three ('89, '93, '96). Last season, American Mathieu Schneider, 35, certainly could have been a finalist for the award when he put together a great year for the Red Wings. But Schneider was overlooked, and with this season in doubt, it's no lock he'll be back in Norris contention as he gets older.

So is there a young American out there who will win a Norris or two in the next 10 to 15 years?

"I think it's unfair to throw that on anybody right now," says Laviolette. "You'd like to think (Leopold, Martin and Liles) have the skills to be great defensemen in the National Hockey League. It's hard to say. They're good, young, and with experience, they should become better defensemen. To say it's impossible for that to happen, absolutely not."

Even if it doesn't happen, there could be an American Norris candidate most fans haven't even heard of yet. Morrow was impressed with the talent at this summer's U.S. junior camp.

"When you see the depth of quality players of this age the U.S. can put out there now, you can trace it right back to the development program," says Morrow. "You can see the experience build with the success in international competition. They're doing the right thing. Just look at the U.S. winning the junior championship and how well young players are doing when they reach the NHL. USA Hockey has made tremendous strides, and the pressure is on to keep going upward."

The pressure is on at the blue line more than anywhere else. It's time for a new generation to take on the tough task of trying to equal or exceed the success of the last one.