Sullivan Honored, Humbled to Coach Team USA at the 2022 Olympics
"It's really difficult to articulate into words what it means... I couldn't be more excited about this opportunity."
"It's a distinct honor, and it's really difficult to articulate into words what it means," Sullivan said. "I couldn't be more excited about this opportunity. I'm really looking forward to the next steps here and getting ready for the Olympic games in Beijing, and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity I've been given and entrusted with."
Team USA's general manager Stan Bowman called Sullivan, the first American-born head coach to capture two Stanley Cups, a proven winner who knows what it takes to get a team ready in a short tournament.
"We could not be happier to have him as our head coach as we look to bring home gold," Bowman said.
Sullivan lauded the work that USA Hockey has done over the past 20 years - particularly at the grassroots level - to grow the game to a point where the Americans are in a position to do just that. And he is now the third U.S. Olympic head coach in that time span with Penguins connections.
Herb Brooks was a Penguins scout in 2002 when he guided the Americans to a silver medal in Salt Lake City, while Dan Bylsma was Pittsburgh's head coach when he was the U.S. Olympic team's bench boss in 2014.
"The Penguins have had a lot of really, really good American coaches come through their organization," Sullivan said. "Just to be part of that fraternity, it's humbling from my standpoint. Those guys are all such great coaches, they've built such great legacies for themselves in the game. And so certainly, it is a proud moment for me to be part of that."
Sullivan speaks with the media
Balancing his duties as Penguins head coach with the responsibilities of preparing for this tournament will certainly be a challenge for Sullivan, but one that he is embracing.
"It's really exciting to have the NHL players and coaches being involved in the Olympic initiative," Sullivan said. "It's such an exciting opportunity for all of us, and I will lean on the people around me to help with some of the logistical challenges. The great thing is that we've got some really bright people on both sides."
NHL participation in the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing has not technically been finalized. However, there is a pause in the schedule from Feb. 7-22 if the league reaches an agreement with the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for NHL players to take part.
"We're just entrusting that the powers that be are going to work out an agreement," Sullivan said. "Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later. We'll go through a process like all of the Olympic teams in trying to put together a coaching staff, and then identifying the player pool and talent that we have in trying to build the most competitive team that can win a gold medal."
To win a gold medal is absolutely the expectation for Team USA, with Sullivan saying that the player pool here in America is as deep as it's ever been - highlighted by young superstars like Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel, with current Penguins like Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust also in the conversation.
"And I think that's a bold statement when you consider some of the great American-born players," said Sullivan, listing names like Brian Leach, Chris Chelios, Keith Tkachuk, Bill Guerin, Tony Amonte, Jeremy Roenick and Mike Modano. "I could go on and on. Those players built such a legacy, and I think this new wave of young American-born players right now are every bit as talented."
Sullivan said when it comes to constructing the roster, the goal remains the same: to assemble a team in the truest sense of the word. He's already had some discussions with Bowman and Guerin, who is Team USA's assistant general manager, about the criteria they're looking for - and said there will be very difficult decisions ahead.
"There's going to have to be players throughout the lineup that bring certain aspects to the table that are going to help the group win," Sullivan said. "Whether it be guys that can kill penalties or guys that have a strong defensive conscience or players that bring in some physicality, skill and offensive instincts, there's a lot of things to consider. Then the challenge is going to be to try to come together as a team in short order."
That's one of Sullivan's biggest takeaways from his previous experiences behind the bench with Team USA, particularly when he was an assistant coach on Peter Laviolette's staff at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy.
"I've always been a believer that players are at their best when they act on their instincts and they trust their instincts, and we certainly don't want to paralyze them with too much information," said Sullivan, who was also head coach at the 2007 World Championship and an assistant coach at the '08 World Championship and '16 World Cup.
"So, prioritizing what we do and how we go about it, I think that's going to be a critical aspect. Then you build as you go. That's our hope - is that we get better with each day that we're there, we learn from each experience, and we grow as a group together."
Outside of the on-ice competition itself, Sullivan said that having the ability to live in the Olympic Village with all of the other individuals representing the United States is something he still talks about with his three children to this day.
"Just being able to eat lunch in the cafeteria next to athletes from other sports and sharing each other's experiences, you end up meeting people and rooting for them," Sullivan said. "The camaraderie that's involved with all the other athletes that represent your nation, for me, it's such a great experience on so many levels."
And for Sullivan, there's no better feeling than to be standing along the blue line or behind the bench after a victory on a stage like this, saying that hearing the national anthem while watching the American flag being raised is such a proud moment.
"There's something to be said about becoming part of something that's bigger than yourself," Sullivan said. "For me, that's what the Olympics represent. That's what these national tournaments represent. You're representing your nation, first and foremost, and we have a proud nation. We hold our values dear. So we've got a great opportunity here to kind of build that legacy and carry on that tradition, and I get emotional when I think about it because it means so much to me. So it really is an honor to be part of this."
