USA Hockey on Monday named John Vanbiesbrouck as general manager and David Quinn as coach of the US men’s Olympic ice hockey team, after the NHL announced it would not make its players or personnel available for the Games.
Vanbiesbrouck, a former Olympian who spent two decades in the NHL, and former New York Rangers head coach Quinn face the tough task of building a squad from players outside the league with little time before the Beijing Olympics start on Feb. 4.
“We have to get to work and we have to get to work quickly,” Vanbiesbrouck said. “We have a deep bench all around our country.”
Photo: AP
The NHL last week said it would not send its players to Beijing after COVID-19 forced numerous delays to its schedule. Players in the league represent 11 of the 12 nations competing at the Games.
The league did not send its players to the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, ending a long-standing run of participation, and the US filled out its roster with players from the European leagues, American Hockey League and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
“You look at the 2018 Olympics [and] it was very competitive, there was a lot of parity,” Quinn said. “It’s going to be a very, very competitive tournament.”
Vanbiesbrouck told reporters he was confident that the US, who finished seventh at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, would have little problem with recruitment.
“You’re going to be playing for your country and I believe that everybody’s going to be happy with that, even though players will be lost for a period of time during the NCAA period,” he said. “Stepping up to play for your country in the Olympics is a great opportunity and we believe that they’re going to see it that way.”
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