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Yandle excited by Team USA’s influx of youth

Keith Yandle

Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle plays during an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, April 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

AP

When you take a look over Team USA’s orientation camp roster, the one thing that stands out is how young a lot of the guys are.

That fact wasn’t lost on Phoenix defenseman Keith Yandle and he tells Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic he’s excited to see a lot of new blood get a shot at the 2014 Olympic team.

“If you talk about the youth and how USA Hockey is developing guys, it’s amazing,” Yandle said. “It’s not like they’re just inviting young guys to invite them. The guys that they’re inviting they’re all special players.”

Among that group of young guys are a couple of players who will look to take a job away from Yandle. Jets 2012 first-rounder Jacob Trouba and Predators 2013 first-round pick Seth Jones are very new and Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk has more than caught the eye of Team USA GM David Poile.

As it is, Team USA’s roster is very young with only four players being older than 30. Hockey is kind of a young man’s game already but the Olympic invites show that the future is now.

Follow @JoeYerdonPHT