Olympics-U.S. ice hockey team content as underdogs for Vancouver

TORONTO Jan 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. men's ice hockey team is comfortable going into next month's Vancouver Olympics as an underdog as it seeks to win its first gold medal in 30 years, Team USA general manager Brian Burke said on Monday.

Burke has drawn some criticism for assembling a roster that has left out a number of older players who were once pillars of the international team.

Still, he feels his team has a great mix of youth and speed that could help it surprise traditional hockey powerhouses like Russia and Canada.

"If you go to Vegas the week before this tournament there isn't going to be a penny be on us," Burke said on a conference call with media. "We are not manufacturing underdog status, that's what we are."

Team USA announced its squad at Boston's Fenway Park after the National Hockey League's Winter Classic on Jan. 1 with a roster that had only three players with Olympic experience.

"We are going to be the youngest and maybe the smallest team in the field and that's fine with us," said Burke. "We don't mind going in under the radar."

Goaltending, which could carry a team to a gold medal given the short duration of the Olympic tournament, is expected to be one of Team USA's strengths.

Battling for the starting position will be Buffalo's Ryan Miller, who leads most goaltending statistical categories this season, and Boston's Tim Thomas, last season's Vezina trophy winner as the NHL's top netminder.

At the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Sweden beat Finland for the gold medal and Czech Republic won bronze. The U.S. reached the quarter-finals. (To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)