US hockey team builds chemistry through group chat
Tony Granato
The US was among the final teams to get on the ice together as a group  save for many playing at the pre-Olympic Deutschland Cup in November. With just five practices to get up to speed with coach Tony Granato and each other  the group chat and a website to study various systems were essential to bonding and developing camaraderie. Hockey Hall of Famer Cammi Granato told her brother such bonding was key in a short international tournament.
Group chats werenât a thing when Granato played at the 1988 Olympics  though he loved the idea to go along with his planning.  Granato  and assistant Ron Rolston tried to get players digitally prepared by giving them some homework to study before getting the whiteboard out for some more hands-on teaching at Gangneung Hockey Centre.
âWeâve been able to post some video and some different things for them to read and kind of get a little head start â  Granato  said. âYou kind of feel even though we havenât been together  we still feel like weâve been able to do a lot of coaching and getting to know the players a lot better over the past month and a half.â
After a few players experienced travel delays  the US will have its first practice with full attendance Saturday ahead of the tournament opener Feb. 14 against Slovenia.  Granato  waited for all  his  players to arrive before convening  his  first meeting to talk about late general manager Jim Johannson  who died unexpectedly last month at 53.  He  will be honored with  his  own locker stall and be thought of during the Olympics.
âWe addressed the fact that weâre all in this room is the person thatâs not here with us â  Granato  said. âWe got through that  and we got through the fact that thereâs plenty of ways that we will honor  him  with how we act  how we play. Weâre going to do everything we can that  he  saw in us to give us this opportunity.â
âThey all realize they have a unique opportunity and theyâre very similar in lots of different ways â  he  said.
The US was among the final teams to get on the ice together as a group  save for many playing at the pre-Olympic Deutschland Cup in November. With just five practices to get up to speed with coach  [TGT]  and each other  the group chat and a website to study various systems were essential to bonding and developing camaraderie. Hockey Hall of Famer Cammi Granato told her brother such bonding was key in a short international tournament.
Group chats werenât a thing when Granato played at the 1988 Olympics  though he loved the idea to go along with his planning.  Granato  and assistant Ron Rolston tried to get players digitally prepared by giving them some homework to study before getting the whiteboard out for some more hands-on teaching at Gangneung Hockey Centre.
âWeâve been able to post some video and some different things for them to read and kind of get a little head start â  Granato  said. âYou kind of feel even though we havenât been together  we still feel like weâve been able to do a lot of coaching and getting to know the players a lot better over the past month and a half.â
After a few players experienced travel delays  the US will have its first practice with full attendance Saturday ahead of the tournament opener Feb. 14 against Slovenia.  Granato  waited for all  his  players to arrive before convening  his  first meeting to talk about late general manager Jim Johannson  who died unexpectedly last month at 53.  He  will be honored with  his  own locker stall and be thought of during the Olympics.
âWe addressed the fact that weâre all in this room is the person thatâs not here with us â  Granato  said. âWe got through that  and we got through the fact that thereâs plenty of ways that we will honor  him  with how we act  how we play. Weâre going to do everything we can that  he  saw in us to give us this opportunity.â
âThey all realize they have a unique opportunity and theyâre very similar in lots of different ways â  he  said.