Alright, class, gather round for today’s lesson in the good ol’ game of hockey, and listen up, for we have quite the tale of Team USA’s grand plans for the upcoming 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. So, who’s at the helm of this ship? None other than the Flyers’ head honcho, John “Torts” Tortorella and Pittsburg’s sidekick, David Quinn, stepping up as the wingmen for head coach Mike Sullivan.
USA Hockey dropped this juicy tidbit on a Wednesday, not your average hump day news. You’d think they could’ve spiced up a Monday with it, but nope. Anyway, these two dudes are joining the Minnesota Wild’s main man, John Hynes, as Sullivan’s trusty lieutenants.
Now, Bill Guerin, the big boss over at Team USA general management, was all praise and no shade. He said, and I quote, “We’ve got a highly accomplished coaching staff leading our team, and we couldn’t be more excited about the group.” Yeah, like we get it, Bill – it’s like the Avengers, but for hockey.
Let me lay down some stats for you: Tortorella, who’s been around the block for 22 seasons, has notched up an impressive 742 wins, slip-sliding into ninth place among NHL coaches. The man’s been USA’s head coach for the World Cup of Hockey back in 2016, and even snagged a silver with the Olympic team in 2010. Currently, he’s doing his thing with Philadelphia, probably while yelling a lot.
Quinn’s backstory? Well, after the San Jose Sharks gave him the boot, the Penguins scooped him up for a bit of bench warming. He’s had a stint coaching Team USA at the 2022 Olympics and some world championship shenanigans.
Now for the juicy date to circle on your calendars – between February 12-20, USA will throw down against Canada, Finland, and Sweden. Alright Boston and Montreal, hope you’re ready to play host to this icy showdown.
Oh, and just for a little sprinkle of name-dropping, the initial USA roster’s got some heavy hitters – we’re talking forwards like Auston Matthews, the sublime Matthew Tkachuk, and ya boy Jack Eichel. On defense, they’re packing heat with Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, and the one and only Charlie McAvoy.
So, keep your sticks on the ice, sports fans, ’cause Team USA is coming in hot for that championship – and Guerin’s promise it’s gonna be big.