Stafford, the Buffalo Sabres' number-one draft choice in the 2004 NHL draft, led Team USA in scoring with five goals and four assists in seven games. Among all tournament participants, he tied for third in goals and was eighth in total points, tied with Canada's Sydney Crosby.
"I went out there and played as hard as I could and tried to contribute as much as I could," Stafford said. "I did all right for myself, but I obviously wish that we, as a team, could have been more successful. You can do all you want personally, but if you're not winning as a team, it's not as good."
The day after the tournament ended, ESPN.com posted an article by E.J. Hradek titled "Team USA breakdowns start at the top." It was highly critical of USA Hockey, the organization's structure, the process it used to select players and the team's coaching staff.
Reading the article, Stafford shook his head. He agreed with some of the criticism, but he felt most of it was unfair and off target.
"I'm surprised they (ESPN) noticed," Stafford scoffed. "When we won the gold medal last year, they gave us about five seconds on SportsCenter."
