Getting To Know Your 2010 U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team: Mike Komisarek Tim Gleason

We made it! We're out of the forwards segment of this feature. We're done talking about guys that light lamps and dish scoring opportunities off to their teammates. That's right: We're on to the defense.



Your first installment is now; the scoop is post-jump.

Tim Gleason hails from Clawson, Michigan, yo. He is not Mike Komisarek. Mike Komisarek is out for the remainder of the NHL season due to a shoulder injury which will require season-ending surgery. Tim Gleason, however, just turned 27. He was drafted in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2001 NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators, with whom he skated for zero seasons, but instead was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in favor of Bryan Smolinski. In two seasons with the Kings, Gleason logged nearly 1400 minutes of ice time, 99 PIMs, and a positive plus-minus rating through 125 games. After the 2005-06 season, he was traded to Carolina, where he has seen increased, playing time, penalties in minutes, and plus-minus. Headed to Vancouver, he looks to patrol the slot, protect the crease, and stifle opponents that enter the attack zone.