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Mike Sullivan reveals why he named J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck to Team USA
Photo credit: Edit from Yahoo Sports
Rangers coach Mike Sullivan spoke to the media and revealed the reasons he decided to choose J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck for Team USA.
Mike Sullivan will have two players from the New York Rangers accompany him at the Winter Olympics in Italy later this year.
Though All-Star defenseman Adam Fox failed to make Team USA, forwards J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck are still a part of the Olympic roster.
Controversy has been swirling online regarding these two selections
There has been a bit of controversy surrounding their selection from outside circles in terms of whether they provided less offense on the roster than other selection choices made by Sullivan.
Speaking prior to the Winter Classic match on Friday night in Miami, Sullivan stressed the importance played by Miller and Trocheck in bringing chemistry within the framework of the Four Nations Face-Off.
"We just think they're glue guys. I think they have the ability to impact the game on both sides of the puck. They're good offensive players, but they're hard to play against defensively. They're team guys, they're glue guys, they're hard to play against, and they were a big part of the team chemistry that was developed with that 4 Nations team that we were so proud of. We believe that the chemistry that was developed through that tournament with our respective group was something that was unique. And all of us felt it that were part of it and we felt JT and Trocheck were a big part of it. The type of people they are. They're fierce competitors, first and foremostThere isn't anything that any aspect of the game that they can't participate in and help us win. I think that for all those reasons they were guys that were strongly considered throughout this process."
- Mike Sullivan
- Mike Sullivan
Miller is currently sidelined due to a problem in his upper body, but is on the mend.
Miller skated a second day in a row on Friday. He practiced in a non-contact jersey on Thursday, and the next phase will be his inclusion in contact drills before finally getting the go-ahead for games. He still has plenty of time before the Olympics, says Sullivan.
Why J.T. Miller can help in an area other than scoring
Statistically speaking, Miller is one of the top faceoff winners in the league with a 55.9 percent success rate, but has only 10 goals and 12 assists in 35 games.
Trocheck also has 22 points with nine goals and 13 assists. For Sullivan, however, their worth is found elsewhere.
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Dan Muse clarifies Evgeni Malkin's status after first team skate
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 3 | 110 ANSWERS Mike Sullivan reveals why he named J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck to Team USA Were Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller the right choices for Team USA? | ||
| Yes | 45 | 40.9 % |
| No | 65 | 59.1 % |
| List of polls | ||