TURIN, Italy (AP) – When Cammi Granato was unceremoniously dumped last summer, the United States women’s hockey team suddenly was without its stalwart captain, the nation’s leading career scorer and the sport’s only player most Americans could name.

Yet where some see a void, coach Ben Smith sees a blank canvas.

He knows the Americans now lack a high-profile face at the Turin Olympics, but he has spent the past several months patiently imploring fans, USA Hockey officials and even his own players to pay attention to the developing talents emerging from the background.

“The young players coming up in our team are really remarkable,” Smith said. “That’s one thing I hope people will remember about this year for this team: That we gave several young players a chance to take ownership and assert their place for the United States. … I realize everybody has an opinion, and a lot of those opinions favored Cammi. But that’s part of my job.”

Smith argued that the 34-year-old veteran was dropped because other players were better, but some suggested there must have be an ulterior motive for axing a proven scorer from a team that had trouble scoring against Canada last year. Both coach and player play down talk of a power struggle between Smith and Granato, who someday might be interested in a coaching career.

Although fans and former teammates miss her, Granato’s forced departure for the NBC broadcast booth created opportunities that were being exploited all around the Esposizioni rink during Thursday’s practice.

Sarah Parsons, the 18-year-old who might turn out to be the best player of her generation, raced across the ice with speed that seems to increase weekly. Seattle native Kelly Stephens showed off passing skills boosted by several months of practice with the U.S. veterans, while other forwards displayed improvements from months of heavy competition.

In the locker room, new captain Krissy Wendell, three-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero and Julie Chu are growing more comfortable with leadership roles. Though Granato still is close to several veteran U.S. players, corresponding daily by phone and text-message, the next generation already is forming its own network of friendship and confidence.

“I think you’ll be amazed by the spark that our young talent is going to bring,” said Chu, one of just nine players returning from the squad that won silver medals in Salt Lake City. “We’ve got a group with great veteran leadership, but the new players have energized everybody. We’re getting better every week we play together.”

The United States opens the preliminary round Saturday against Switzerland. Canada, the gold-medal favorite, faces Italy.

Parsons, the team’s youngest member, is a strong candidate to be the Americans’ next big star. A gifted all-around athlete who also excelled at lacrosse and soccer in high school, Parsons’ place on the U.S. top lines was cemented after Granato’s banishment.

Defenseman Courtney Kennedy coaches a Massachusetts high school team, and she spent the 2004-05 season designing unsuccessful schemes to stop Parsons, who’s headed to Dartmouth next fall after recording 222 goals and 184 assists in five prep seasons.

“She can do it all,” Kennedy said. “Sometimes, she was just at such a higher level than everybody else that I just didn’t have much to say. When she gets to where she can be with the national team, there isn’t anything she can’t do.”

Smith will field a team with an average age nearly four years younger than Canada, with just nine Olympic veterans.

While Smith still argues that the Americans can win gold, he’s also looking ahead to a day when a young U.S. player will take Granato’s place on a Wheaties box.

“We made the decision, and we still think it’s the best decision,” Smith said. “So many things have transpired since then. We’ve got an Olympics coming up, and it’s time to talk about the players who will be on that ice.”

AP-ES-02-09-06 1518EST