At the recent Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, Team Canada and Team USA played seasoned veterans who were very likely playing their last Olympics. Team Russia, on the other hand, sent young blood.

Initial predictions for medalists in men’s hockey overwhelmingly favored Canada as the winner. These predictions did not include Russia, not even by a longshot. Who knew that this unlikely group of young, virtual unknowns would eliminate Canada from medal contention?

The win mirrored a similar lineup which achieved unlikely success. A couple of decades ago, a team of college all-stars from the USA won the gold medal at Lake Placid. Cast aside as non-medal contenders by fans and critics alike, they took the world by surprise when they beat the USSR 4-3. A win over Finland two days later earned them the gold.

Sometimes youth and vigor has its advantages. But so does experience.

Team Canada’s 2002 win over the USA was based on the expertise of Mario Lemieux, Brendan Shanahan and Joe Sakic. Just about every name on that roster was that of an NHL player who had been in the league for more than a few years. Unlike 2006, seasoned veterans on an NHL All-Star team made the difference.

What is the answer? Younger players shouldn’t be excluded from Olympic teams so veterans have that one last shot for gold. The reverse is also true. Why pass up experienced players that would proudly play for their respective countries?

So, why not showcase both? Send the young guns to the Olympics and the vets to the World Cup. That way, each country is sending its best crop, young and not-so-young, to represent itself against the world in its respective tournament.

Picture the Olympic team as an exciting glimpse into the NHL’s future -- college and minor-league standouts, along with a few guys who have played in the NHL for five years or less. For the players, an outstanding performance in the Olympics might mean the difference between being an NHL player and an NHL household name. It’s an enormous opportunity for a rookie seeking recognition.

Send the guys who have been there and done that to the World Cup. Their recognition as NHL stars should be part of the criteria for sending them there. For hockey fans, watching big-name players from across the league face off for their respective countries is a fun and rare event. It’s part of the appeal of such contests. That is why, in recent years, the Olympic teams have gravitated toward such a trend and why the NHL’s All-Star game set up North America vs. the rest of the world from 1998-2002.

From a fan standpoint, sending the young guys to the Olympics and the experienced ones to the World Cup creates excitement for both events. A roster of fresh, possibly unknown faces on an Olympic team would be an ideal getting-to-know-you situation for fans. It would be a strong reference point on who to watch for in the years ahead. For the World Cup, an ultimate showdown between the "who's who" in the NHL offers a fun way to watch familiar faces in a slightly different context.

For the players, this segregation would be a rite of passage. Being selected to the Olympic or World Cup roster is an honor for any player. Being selected to the World Cup roster a few years after making the Olympic roster, however, would add a new, even more honorable dynamic to the sport. It would be a way of acknowledging a successful NHL player who has only improved with age.

The NHL should definitely stay involved with Olympic hockey, but it must make changes. Set a maximum limit of five NHL years for the Olympic team. Though age limits are usually set as a minimum requirement in the Olympics, what would be wrong with setting a maximum? In the same way that figure skating prohibits skaters from competing under age sixteen, the NHL would not allow NHLers with more than five years of play under their belt.

Another change that should take place is in scheduling. If the NHL is going to schedule an Olympic break, provide not just ample time for arrival and play, but for the winning team’s celebration. This hockey fan is completely understanding of the medaling teams’ desire to celebrate their victories at home for a short while. If necessary, start the NHL season a couple of days earlier or end it just a little later on an Olympic year. But, by all means, let the teams enjoy their successes.

The NHL is by far the most intimately involved franchise in the Olympics. It is the only franchise that creates a break in its schedule so that its players can participate without missing two weeks' worth of regular-season games. With a little bending, both the NHL and the Olympic teams could benefit even more from their symbiotic relationship. It's been a beneficial relationship that looks destined to become even stronger in the future, and that is a positive thing for both.

With such close involvement, the NHL is setting an example for other sport franchises. It’s on the right track. The details just need refining.