John Tortorella talks Team USA winning World Cup in Canada

Tortorella

When it comes to the World Cup of Hockey, trying to determine each team’s driving motivations for an exhibition tournament in September has been fun.

The Swedes want to beat the Finnish, and vice versa. Team North America wants to defeat their elders. Everyone wants to beat the Russian (as usual). And, just like in 2010, the Canadians want to win on their home ice and the Americans want to spoil that party.

John Tortorella, Team USA coach, recently appeared on CBS Sports and laughed when asked If winning the World Cup would be as momentous as winning the Stanley Cup.

Then he focused in on specifics.

“For a U.S. team to go into Toronto, a Canadian city, a fantastic hockey city, to go in there and do our business and do it the right way, at this point in my career it would rank as one of the top things. It’s the U.S. in Canada,” he said. “We’re really looking forward to it.”

Tortorella was also asked about the gap between U.S. and Canadian talent – “It’s hard to quantify as far as closing the gap, or if there is a gap” – and his thoughts on Patrick Kane’s game: “I’ll tell you one thing with Kaner: One of the most dangerous players with the puck, but he doesn’t get enough credit as far as getting himself open [without it].”

As for the greatest challenge for Team USA in the World Cup, Tortorella said it’s getting a bunch of first-liners to buy into playing like third liners.

“It’s incumbent on the coaching staff to relay to the players that it’s a team. And it’s a team full of really star players, but you gotta buy into your role when you’re developing your team for this World Cup,” he said. “There are not going to be guys who play 22 minutes a night as they do with their NHL teams.”

Yeah so, like, know your role Justin Abdelkader.
—

Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.