Music: {allcanada} HITCHCOCK REFLECTS ON 2010 CANADIAN GOLD

Sunday, January 5, 2014

{allcanada} HITCHCOCK REFLECTS ON 2010 CANADIAN GOLD

Worthwhile insights via The Globe and Mail from St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock. He's an assistant coach for Team Canada and he reflected on his lessons from past Olympics, while also looking ahead to Sochi.

On the 2010 gold medal success: "For me, things went right in Vancouver because of the preparation. The buy-in from the players was immediate and it was made easy because some of the older players willingly took support roles at the start and then became prime-time players at the end, when the games were on the line. The second part that made it really smooth was, the camp in the summer [in Calgary] gave us the teaching mechanisms we were able to put in place and kept us organized early on. The whole time, everything felt really organized and really efficient and the buy-in.

"What the young players brought was an attitude and energy that really helped us early in the tournament. They were really excited to be there and it rubbed off on everybody. They were so open to learn, it felt really comfortable. But I really believe one of the major things, those older players, they took a back seat early, but they didn't fight anything. You look at the minutes played by Pronger and Niedermayer and [Dan] Boyle early – not a lot – then look at it late. Holy smokes! Their attitude towards being a part of the team had a major impact on everybody. Everything off the ice, every part was run by Pronger or Niedermayer, every function, every off-ice workout. I know the gold-medal game went to overtime, but I never felt more comfortable with a team that could adjust, any time, any place – between periods, between games. I felt like this team would have no trouble adjusting."

On what he expects in Sochi next month: "I think it's going to be some of the best hockey we've ever seen."

Criminal Minds, Season 9