In the 10+ years I've lived in the DFW metroplex, I've been in an odd position hockey-wise. I came in as a Pittsburgh Penguins fan largely because of a childhood affliation and an admiration for their typically offensive minded play. Needless to say, the Dallas Stars' often trap-happy style of play never did much to tempt me to jump ship.

That being said, the team certainly has its admirable qualities and - if nothing else - I've become a proponent for Mike Modano's legacy as one of the best American hockey players ever. Really, Mike Mo is the red-white-and-blue's answer to Steve Yzerman. Despite being offensively gifted, Modano eventually listened to Ken Hitchcock and became a suitable two-way player. He stuck with the same team for ages and won a Cup. In a more hockey-mad market, he'd receive more than his fair share of Stevie Y comparisons.

Anyway, this is a long winded way of saying that, in the grand scheme of things, I'm a fan of Modano ... but that doesn't change the fact that Brian Burke made the right choice in leaving him off of Team USA's roster. Allow me to attempt to systematically deconstruct why Modano is better off spending February boinking Willa Ford* than representing his country in Vancouver.

* - Just in case you start to feel sorry for Mike Modano, remember that he's lived just about the most spectacularly awesome life possible.

1. Being old doesn't automatically make you a great leader (and leadership is somewhere between being a myth and overrated, anyway)

As I grow older and more cynical, I cannot help but feel like "veteran leadership" is just another lazy crutch for lazy sports journalists. Some say that Bill Guerin's tomfoolery loosened up the Pittsburgh Penguins locker room and helped them win a Cup, but I point to Guerin's superior right handed shot and solid grit as bigger assets than his salt and pepper beard. Sure, the last Detroit Red Wings Cup-winning team was full of veterans, but they won because they're ridiculously skilled. Not because of "experience."

But even if you can convince me that leadership DOES matter, I'm not convinced that Modano is the right fit for the American locker room.

The first sign is how things ended in the last Olympics. Modano was so ineffective that he was benched in the final period of the last game and responded by criticizing USA hockey and the coaching staff. Let's also remember that Modano is one of the rare NHL captains to be stripped of the "C", a gesture that says everything (although Willa had plenty to say about it too).

2. He's lost his scoring touch

Still, all that leadership talk would be easy to ignore if Modano was still a prolific point producer but that phase of his career is clearly over.

As much as Stars fans and media representatives would like to think he still has it, Modano's post-Turin peak was a mediocre 57 points.

3. Want the "little things"? Look elsewhere

This isn't saying that points are all that matters. Simply study the career of Manny Malhotra and you'll realize that there are many ways to skin that hockey cat. But aside from still-impressive skating ability, you're hard pressed to find an area in which Modano gives his team a great advantage.

He's the definition of average in the faceoff circle (50.6 percent), he's registered a paltry 10 hits this season and registered under four minutes of PK time this season.

***

Let's face it, it's clear that Modano is still in the NHL because of his name and all of the things he's done for the Dallas Stars. That's great. But Modano is one of those classic David Robinson type athletes. He looks the same as he gets older so it makes people think that he's still an effective player. Modano urged Team USA to inject some new blood and they certainly did by getting rid of players like him.

Again, this isn't meant to beat up on the no-doubt Hall of Fame center. Hell, the guy even understands the move. This is merely a statement of approval for a wise move by Brian Burke.

Now if Burke could just get past the media's goofy love affair with Chris Drury ...