"Think of Mike Buckley as a kind of double agent. Not the sinister kind, who give away state secrets for money or revenge; Buckley is privy to much lower-level intelligence. But that doesn't mean it's not just as valuable to the people involved. Buckley is the Kings' goaltender coach and his chief pupil is Darcy Kuemper, who will be playing for Team Canada in the Milan Cortina Olympic hockey tournament. Buckley will be in Milan coaching for Team USA."
"So would Buckley give up the goods on his NHL goalie if it meant helping his national team win a gold medal? "I probably have a little bit more insight being with him on a day-to-day basis. But at the end of the day, the players still have to execute," said Buckley, like Kuemper, a first-time Olympian. "So if I tell someone to shoot somewhere at a certain time or a certain spot, they're going to have to be able to execute that.""
A large contingent of NHL players will compete at the Milan Cortina Olympics, creating situations where NHL teammates represent different countries and face one another. Kings staff and players illustrate the split allegiances: the Kings' goaltender coach will work for Team USA while his NHL pupil will play for Team Canada. Coaches may possess intimate knowledge of NHL opponents but ultimate execution remains with the players. The Kings will send multiple skaters and an equipment manager to the Games. Equipment managers and coaches supporting Olympic players receive no medals despite their crucial contributions. Olympic selection produces both pride and complex team dynamics.
Read at Los Angeles Times
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]