MILAN — You don’t need to remind Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor what happened the last time he was asked to wear the Stars and Stripes.
It was last February in Boston — the highly anticipated gold-medal showdown between the United States and Canada to cap off a wildly successful 4 Nations Face-Off — and Connor was relegated to press-box duty as a healthy scratch.
Talk about a gut punch.
Mike Segar / REUTERS
After Team USA’s practice on Monday, Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor said he’s going ‘to make sure the coach knows what I can bring to the table’ after being scratched in the 4 Nations Face-Off final last February.
Fast-forward one year, and Connor has once again been selected to represent his country, this time on an even bigger stage in the form of the Winter Olympics. Might there be a bit of lingering emotional baggage to go with the jet lag after touching down Sunday here in Milan?
“Not at all,” he told the Free Press following his team’s practice on Monday.
“You know, I learned from it. Hopefully grew from it. And I’ve learned about the decisions that were made and everything that was involved. I’m ready to do anything I can to help contribute to this team and hopefully help win the gold.”
“I learned from it. Hopefully grew from it… I’m ready to do anything I can to help contribute to this team and hopefully help win the gold.”
That type of approach is music to the ears of U.S. head coach Mike Sullivan — the same man who opted to park Connor, one of the league’s best pure scorers, for a game his team went on to lose 3-2 in overtime. It was a decision that was frequently, and loudly, second-guessed.
“These roster decisions are difficult. There’s an argument to have every player that we have here in the lineup. You could say the same for the 4 Nations experience,” said Sullivan.
“Kyle handled it like a true pro and he’s a great person. He made these teams for a reason — he’s one of our nation’s very best.”
It would appear Sullivan isn’t eager to repeat history. Connor is skating on a line with Detroit Red Wings centre Dylan Larkin and powerful Buffalo Sabres winger Tage Thompson, and that trio is likely to get a test run Thursday when the United States opens pool play against Latvia.
“This is a new experience and we’ve got a complement of players here that we’re going to try to put in positions to set them up for success and ultimately the group up for success,” said Sullivan. “And Kyle is one of those guys.”
“Kyle handled it like a true pro and he’s a great person. He made these teams for a reason – he’s one of our nation’s very best.”
That line could do real damage. Connor (25 goals), Larkin (26) and Thompson (30) all rank among the NHL’s top snipers so far this season.
“Super excited. I’m going to make sure the coach knows what I can bring to the table,” said Connor.
“Larks up the middle, plays with a ton of speed, very responsible two-way forward. And obviously Tage we know what kind of player he is, what a shot he has. He’s got a long reach and body that can create space for anybody.
There’s no question Team USA is stacked. Consider the other combinations during Monday’s skate: Jack Eichel between Matthew and Brady Tkachuk; Auston Matthews with Matt Boldy and Jake Guentzel; Brock Nelson between Jack Hughes and J.T. Miller, with Vincent Trocheck and Clayton Keller rotating in.
The blue line may be even deeper, featuring a top projected top six of Quinn Hughes, Charlie McAvoy, Jaccob Slavin, Brock Faber, Noah Hanifin and Zach Werenski.
And Connor is quick to point out goaltending may be the team’s biggest strength, with Jets teammate Connor Hellebuyck joined by Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman.
“It gives you more confidence as a player and as a team knowing that they’re back there,” Connor said of the talented trio.
“They don’t over complicate things. Especially Helly, he’s so simple and controls the play. That just gives the whole team peace of mind.”
Carolyn Kaster / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
In Team USA’s practice on Monday, all signs pointed to Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (centre) getting the start in net Thursday against Latvia over Dallas Stars’ netminder Jake Oettinger (left) and Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.
There has been plenty of speculation about who Sullivan will tab as his No. 1, and Monday’s practice may have offered a clue. Hellebuyck took the lion’s share of the work, occupying one net for the entire session while Swayman and Oettinger split time at the other end.
Should anything be read into that?
“Well that’s for you guys to decide,” Sullivan told the Free Press with a smirk. “You know, we’re just going to go about our business the way we do it.”
As for how the decision will ultimately be made?
“There’s lots of things that weigh into it. I’m not going to sit here and share the internal conversations we have and how we make lineup decisions,” said Sullivan.
“What I will tell you is that we feel regardless of which guy we put in, we have three elite goaltenders, all of which will give us an opportunity to win. That we know. We’ll do our best to make the best decisions for the team. That’s a discussion we have with our goaltenders, and that’s how we’ll go about it.”
Team USA will take Tuesday off before holding one final practice ahead of game action. They’ll also face Germany and Denmark in pool play. Connor would only run into Jets teammates Josh Morrissey (Canada) or Nino Niederreiter (Switzerland) in the playoff round, as both teams play in pool Group A.
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Connor will soon be joined in Milan by his wife, mother, stepdad and several friends from back home in Michigan. He’s rooming with Clayton Keller in the athletes’ village and soaking in what could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Just walking around with the other athletes and watching them, it’s honestly a different feel than at the 4 Nations. We knew how big that was, but this is a whole other level in terms of the magnitude. The support of other countries and athletes all striving for the same thing. It adds that extra element. It’s surreal,” said Connor.
“There’s a lot of things in this tournament experience that you’ll look back on years down the road. I don’t take that for granted. Obviously we’re here with the goal to win the gold medal but there’s other elements to being in the Olympics. You gotta be able to take it all in, have new experiences and conversations, make new friends.”
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Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.
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