The average age on Team USA men’s hockey roster is 26 1/2 . Defenseman Brian Rafalski, the lone Red Wing on the team, is 36.

There’s nothing he can do about that, but one thing is certain: “I don’t want to be here just because I’m the old guy with experience,” he said. “Obviously, I know I can contribute.”

Rafalski is one of three players with Olympic experience on a team that will play its first game of the Winter Games this afternoon against Switzerland.

Rafalski, an alternate captain for Team USA, also was a member of the 2002 Salt Lake team that lost to Canada in the gold medal game and the 2006 Torino team that lost to Finland in the quarterfinals.

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Forward Tomas Holmstrom left Detroit Red Wings practice early today and is questionable to play Thursday, when the Wings host the San Jose Sharks. Defenseman Niklas Kronwall is definitely out, coach Mike Babcock said.

Holmstrom has been bothered by a bruised left knee suffered Saturday at Los Angeles and missed Tuesday’s 4-3 shoot-out loss at St. Louis.

“I felt pretty good to start with,” Holmstrom said. “But then I got a pain in my knee, and when I started doing drills and going hard, I got really sore and was in pain. But there is big difference from yesterday to today. And I still was out there for 40 minutes (in practice), but I didn’t go that hard. I hope I play tomorrow, but we need to see if the sharp pain is going away.”

The injury is serious enough that Holmstrom, who missed a month with a broken foot in January, is questioning his readiness for the Olympics, which begin next week. He’s part of Team Sweden.

“I’ve started to worry about the Olympics, a little bit,” Holmstrom said. “I need some games. I’ve been out before this, too. So, yeah. But all you can do is just see, day-to-day.”

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Detroit Red Wings defenseman Andreas Lilja has been assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins on long-term injured-reserve conditioning loan, general manager Ken Holland said this evening.

Lilja went to Grand Rapids today.

“He’ll practice tomorrow, and then play Wednesday, Friday and Saturday,” Holland said. “We’ll probably decide by Saturday whether we appeal for two more games, but it certainly appears that way.”

Lilja has not played since suffering a concussion while fighting Nashville’s Shea Weber last Feb. 28. Lilja is attempting to return to the Wings’ lineup, and the team determined that it’s best if that begins with a stint in the American Hockey League.

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