Mike Sullivan won't be the only Penguins coach heading to Beijing this winter for the 2022 Olympics.
Penguins assistant coach Todd Reirden was named an assistant coach for the United States men's Olympic hockey ream on Friday, along with Predators head coach John Hynes, former Rangers head coach David Quinn, and former NHL goaltender and current Blues assistant general manager Ryan Miller.
This will be Reirden's first coaching role at the international level.
"It's obviously an extremely exciting day for myself and my family," Reirden said Friday in a video call with reporters. "I just feel so, so honored to be given this opportunity, any chance you have to represent your country is one that you don't take lightly and is a very special moment."
Reirden said that he had known that he had been selected for the role for a little over a month now, and that from then on it was just a matter of waiting for the NHL to officially agree to send its players (and coaches) to the Olympics next season. The NHL and NHLPA on Friday came to a tentative agreement to allow its players and staff to participate, and the details on that can be found here.
The U.S. coaching staff has a strong Wilkes-Barre/Scranton presence, with Sullivan, Reirden and Hynes all previously holding the Wilkes-Barre head coach position.
"It's a major credit to what's going on, you know, over the last number of years. And it all starts here with the management group in Pittsburgh and the upper management people that are making the decisions. From from top to bottom, they've done a phenomenal job of bringing in different types of people, people that they knew could help lead and teach the culture that we expect to have here in Pittsburgh"
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel, Kasperi Kapanen, and Teddy Blueger are among the players who are expected to be named to their respective teams. Reirden is especially looking forward to the challenge of coaching against the likes of Crosby and Malkin.
"It always takes on something special when you're going against guys that you're actually coaching for the majority of the time, especially during the year, as a part of your job," he said. "But it goes to a whole 'nother level when you start talking about representing your country. And again, I couldn't be any prouder than I am to have that opportunity. I know it's going to be a challenge coaching against those guys. We're so fortunate to have them here in Pittsburgh, and I didn't like it in the past, when I had to coach against them. And I won't like it in Beijing either. But I'm just so fortunate to be given that opportunity."
Reirden will focus on the U.S. team's defense in his role, and he said that he thinks the U.S. depth at defense is "as good as it's ever been."
"It's really exciting to go up and down the list of guys that have had experience in some international competition, some young guys as well that are up and coming," he said. "It's an exciting time for me and a great opportunity to work with the best players in the league, and it'll be a difficult challenge in trying to pick that group, because it's extremely competitive."
Andy Saucier, who has served as the Penguins' video coach since 2012 (and also worked in Wilkes-Barre for two seasons before joining Pittsburgh's staff) will also work as the video coach for the U.S. team.
