PLYMOUTH, Michigan – Team USA, with the expectation of presenting the best men’s ice hockey team in history when NHL players return to the Olympics this February, does not shy away from the magnitude of what is at stake.
The expectation is to go to Milan and win the gold medal. Anything less would be disappointing.
Jack Eichel, Vegas star
The United States hasn’t won an Olympic gold medal in men’s ice hockey since the historic 1980 team, known as the “Miracle on Ice.” However, Team USA is no longer the humble “underdog” team. Hockey has grown immensely in the United States, with participation tripling in the 45 years since 1980. With the return of NHL players to the Olympics for the first time in 12 years, a golden generation of superstars is ready for a shot at gold.
At USA Hockey’s Olympic orientation camp in Plymouth, Michigan, 44 players gathered. The final roster of 25 players, with two more spots than at the 4 Nations Face-Off, will be announced in early January. USA Hockey general manager Bill Guerin was pleased with Team USA’s performance at the 4 Nations last February, but lamented the overtime loss to Canada in the final.The stakes are extremely high; they have never been so high. These events give us the opportunity to say that we feel that the United States is at the top of the sport. We feel that we are as good, if not better, than any country competing in this game. And these events give us the opportunity to prove it.
Coach Mike Sullivan
Guerin’s staff faces difficult decisions, including whether or not to include players who were not selected for the 4 Nations, such as Jason Robertson, Tage Thompson, Cole Caufield, Seth Jones, and two-time Olympian Patrick Kane, who stated that an Olympic gold medal is the only thing missing from his outstanding career. Guerin also talked about establishing a new culture and standard for USA Hockey, starting with an emphasis on the World Championships. The United States won gold at this event in May for the first time in 92 years. Team USA invited several young members of that team, Jackson LaCombe, Frank Nazar, Alex Vlasic, and Shane Pinto, to their orientation camp as a reward for their commitment.That was emotional. It was tough.
Bill Guerin
The United States seeks revenge against a powerful Canadian team, which won the 4 Nations Face-Off with Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Sidney Crosby leading the way.We are doing things differently now, and the world championships are absolutely connected to this. If you say no and don’t have a legitimate excuse, it will hurt you. I’m not afraid to say that we didn’t look at it with the upcoming Olympics. That’s the biggest stage.
Bill Guerin
That tournament was a resounding success, with 9.3 million viewers in the United States, marking the largest audience for a hockey game. Interest soared after Brady and Matthew Tkachuk starred in a series of three fights in nine seconds to start the first match against Canada at the Bell Centre, which Brady Tkachuk said was to show “how united we were as a group, and how we are going to do whatever it takes to win”. A rematch is not likely, as fighting is prohibited in Olympic hockey. Canada has won nine Olympic gold medals, including the last two in which NHL players participated, in 2010 and 2014. Now, the United States feels it has matched Canada’s depth.We can’t just sit here and say, ‘Hey, good job, you know, it was close.’ That’s just not good enough. We have to find a way to overcome the obstacle.
Bill Guerin
Quinn Hughes, Vancouver’s captain, who missed the 4 Nations due to an injury, believes that a gold medal will be the culmination of concerted efforts to grow the game.We always used to say that Canada could put two teams on the ice to compete. Well, now, we can put two teams as well. We can put three teams and compete in these events. So I think that says a lot about the growth of the sport in the United States.
Coach Mike Sullivan
USA Hockey has put a lot of work into its youth development programs, its national team development program, and I feel like they’re starting to see dividends where we have some really, really elite players and the best players in the world. I feel like it’s gold or nothing, personally.
Quinn Hughes
