Getting To Know Your 2010 U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team: Paul Stastny

Our final forward submission of the series matriculated at the University of Denver, where he helped the club earn a national title as a rookie. He also, whether he admits it or not, likes to give Canada the finger.

Paul Stastny was born in Canadia. No, that's not a typo. This cat turns 25 this year, and he came out of his mother's womb in Quebec City. Like his brother, however, Stastny has taken the path of most resistance, the path away from the dark side, and opted, via dual-citizenship status, to play for the United States in international hockey competitions. The Avalanche drafted Stastny in the second round of the 2005 NHL Draft, and in his rookie (2006-07) season, he played in all 82 games, amassing 78 points for Colorado. In three-plus seasons, he's logged over 5000 minutes of ice time, 236 points, and 124 PIMs. The left-handed-shooting center was allegedly mentored by Joe Sakic, who was mentored by Stastny's father Peter in Quebec. He holds the Avalanche franchise record for points by a rookie, as well as the team's longest individual-player game-scoring streak, a record previously held by his father. Hell, even this little rag reports on him.