United States HC Confident as 4 Nations Face-Off Nears

As the 4 Nations Face-Off nears, the head coach of the United States is confident in his team.

Jacob Punturi | 13 Hours Ago

Nov 7, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan comes off the ice after a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / James Guillory-Imagn Images

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Each of the countries participating in the 4 Nations Face-Off is preparing to announce their official rosters. The United States team enters the tournament as a heavy favorite, looking to capture their first international gold medal (outside of the IIHF World Championship) since the 1996 World Cup.

But United States Head Coach Mike Sullivan believes in his group. Speaking to NHL.com ahead of the official roster reveal, the Pittsburgh Penguins' coach espoused confidence in the the U.S. team, calling it one of the deepest group of players to ever be at the United States' disposal.

"When you look at the prospect pool, the players that were available to potentially play on this team, it might be one of the deepest group of players that the U.S. has ever had," Sullivan said. "And I think that's a tribute to development of the sport of hockey in the United States. There's going to be players on that roster from all over the United States, not just what we would consider the hockey hotbeds of the U.S., where hockey is deeply rooted."

The trick for the front office of the U.S. squad is balancing the loaded talent with the right defensive assets. As Sullivan put it, it's not just about selecting the 23 best American-born players, it's about making the best team.

"As far as the type of team that you'll see, it'll be very talented," Sullivan said. "It will be a talented group that I think can compete against any team in any environment. There's speed. There's skill. There's size. There's abrasiveness. There's defensive conscience. There's dynamically offensive players. But as I've said all along, every team is going to have talent. Talent alone isn't going to win the tournament, we don't think, and so I think our challenge is to become a team"

So far, the first six players of the United States team are confirmed. Forwards Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, and Matthew Tkachuk headline the group, while Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, and reigning James Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks achor the blue line. The rest of the team has been submitted and it's clearly giving their head coach all the confidence he needs heading into the tournament.

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Published 13 Hours Ago

JACOB PUNTURI