TORONTO – They aren’t aging gracefully, the old Brat Pack of American hockey players, some of whom were around when someone tore up Nagano. Six years later, fatherhood upon many, they still resent being accurately called the eldest team in the World Cup. They aren’t quite ready to go quietly into retirement.

Their age will be called into question again tomorrow when they play a World Cup semifinal in St. Paul, Minn., against Finland (27.7 years on average).

For one night, however, Team USA (31.6 years) could claim it has gotten better, not just older, beating second-youngest (27.0 years) Russia 5-3 in Tuesday’s quarterfinal in St. Paul.

“We hope we put that to rest,” said 42-year-old captain Chris Chelios. “Those guys who scored aren’t old. They just have a lot of experience.”

Keith Tkachuk, at 32, would be considering aging on most squads. With the Americans, he’s of moderate years. Still, he found enough energy to score four goals and assist on the other to eliminate Russia. He became only the second player to score four in the Canada/World Cup, joining Viktor Zhluktov of the 1976 Soviet squad vs. Finland.

Then Tkachuk slipped and revealed his secret for his magic evening. The Gen-Xer took a nap.

“It’ll be interesting to see if he deliberately tries to sleep in for the next game,” coach Ron Wilson said.

Still, there have been bratty episodes with this team that has the legacy of Nagano to live down. Brett Hull, who has sat out the last two after playing ineffectively in two losses, has been tight-lipped with the press. His rare utterances did little to endear himself to anyone, saying “I don’t give a [hoot] about the fans any more,” when asked to tell the public what’s going on.

Then there’s the stereo. Islander goalie Rick DiPietro, 23, didn’t like it when a Canadian scribe took him to task for blasting obscene rap in the locker room during interviews.

Perhaps in sympathy with Hull, perhaps for some other reason, the assembled media Tuesday was left alone in the locker room to hear loud rap to the tune of “[excrement].” If intentional, it was a signal that someone isn’t big enough yet to represent his nation, a lesson everyone hoped was learned in Nagano. Ron Wilson, coach of the 1996 World Cup winners and those 1998 Nagano embarrassments, should be careful.

Now the Americans have won two straight after changing their style and lineup from the opening two losses.

They call it experience. They mind if you call it age.