December 11, 2024 • 21 mins
USA Hockey assistant executive director of hockey operations and general manager for the 2025 World Junior Championship team John Vanbiesbrouck joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to preview the upcoming IIHF 2025 World Junior Championship in Ottawa.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Usccho dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to US Echo Spotlight for Wednesday, December eleventh, twenty
twenty four. I met Trapsker alongside Jim Connolly and Jim.
When the calendar turns the semester break, our eyes turned
to the World Junior Championship.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
And special guest this week on US Echo Spotlight as
we prepare for the twenty twenty five World Junior Championship,
the general manager of Team USA and legendary NHL goaltender
John Van Biesbrook. John, we were just talking off the air,
but this every year, I think is probably tough. It
(00:48):
feels like it gets tougher every single year to put
together this lineup because there's so much unbelievable talent out
there for the US, you know all there's challenges each position,
you all your depths, but we're fortunate, we're grateful.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
We have a lot of death.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
So some guys are excuse me, really raising their hands
this year and it's making our decisions time. I always
think of returning players being high impact players and obviously
coming off a win last year in this tournament, you know,
so I'm just going to go down Trey Augustine Drew
(01:27):
fourd Escu Ryan Leonard Kerry Terrence, Oliver Moore, Aaron Minettian,
Danny Nelson, Zeeve Bulliam, Sam Hillenbrandt, Gabe Parrot.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
When you think about building.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
A core of a team that that's a pretty big
core that you can put in place that has gone
through this tournament and has such big game experience, what
does that do just to kind of set a foundation.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Yeah, experience means a lot in the tournament.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
You know, in Gold Trey Augustine gives us three years
worth and I think we've only had three b goalies
over the course of the tournament that ever played three
years and so that's you know, experience matters at the position,
especially on D Having returning defenseman.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Is very important to know.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
The speed level the international game is a little bit different.
So just experience in our forward position. We do have
some great returning forwards as you mentioned, and we're fortunate
to be in a position where we can really challenge because.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Of it in some of the new positions.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
I look at Cole Hudson, he's a young player that's
coming through Teddy Steger.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
I've seen him play a lot this year.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Hensler Logan Hensler, who plays out of Wisconsin.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
He's been pretty fantastic.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Who are some of the younger players on this lineup
that have impressed you as you try to establish this team.
First it would be James Hagens, you know, playing at
DC his first year in college hockey and you know,
potentially the first overall pick in the draft. I mean,
we're very fortunate to have that level of talent, especially
(03:18):
in the middle. You can have her have too much
talent in the middle, but James is a very special player,
and you know, beating a late first, it's really helping
him that he's able to go to college hockey and
then come to this team. He pushed hard last year
to make this team and but we had we were
(03:39):
really good up the middle, and he was a younger player.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
So I would say James woudid a number one and two.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
You just mentioned Logan Hensler getting a late first slated
for the first round, but a real quick defenseman, great
skating ability, right shot, plays on Wisconsin's power play in
finally killing, so he's getting a great opportunity. So the
young players get that opportunity at college and to have
(04:08):
impact on their teams, it's going to bode well from them.
Into the tournament, So those would be two. I would
point to John.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
We talked about players going back, You're bringing a coaching
staff back to led by David Carl. What do David
and this staff bring to the World Juniors team?
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Well, Number one, I think they bring a real great approach.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
And a winning mentality.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
I think, you know, David's won a lot lately, so
that's good. And whenever you can have that, it gets contagious,
you know. I mean, one of the secret sauces in
sports is just to have that contagious winning mentality.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
It's not an easy thing to do.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
He seems to be making the right calls at the
right time and pressing the right buttons.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
But most of all, I would think the whole staff.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
I mean, they're very quick to adjust, they understand the schemes,
and they're very well prepared. So we're very fortunate to have,
you know, I mean, Brett Larson doing a great job,
and on and on.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
We just have a great depth of coaching as well
as players.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Over the past few years, USA Hockey has become a
perennial force in the World Juniors. Are we seeing some
things that USA Hockey has done? For example, the development model.
Is that made a difference in the player pool coming forward.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
I believe so.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
I think you know, we're we're having everybody pitch in,
which is probably the best way to go about it.
We have seen, you know, I think the volunteer base
that we have is really committed to, you know, following
the America development model. And you know, even though we
have branch to is that want to do different things
and whatnot. And it's not a battle anymore between like
(06:06):
prosts ice and full ice. It's just an understanding that
we need to have these development principles in place to
learn how or play the game before one player just
carries the fuck through the group and goes in and scores,
which kind of limits our depths. So just you know,
not the point to our World Junior team, but are
recently named for Nation team, and you know we have
(06:27):
players from sixteen different states on that team, and that
in the past, if you look past our last World
Cup and things that we played at internationally, you know,
players came from six states primarily, and so they have
ten more states involved and to grow the game, and
you know what the NHL has done in different areas
(06:48):
like Florida and Texas and California.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
We're seeing the benefit more with Team USA GM John
Van Beesbrook in a moment, we're back with John Van Bisbrook.
In this current era, players have a lot more options
(07:14):
for development. There are a lot fewer college players coming
through now. Players have the US college route. They can
go major junior and then go to the college route.
How do you see that affecting things going forward with
USA talent?
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Well, I think first of all, you know, when when
you start looking at the shifts and different things that
are happening, one thing that's going to stay the same
as the commitment that we have. You know, in the
USA Hockey process, we have one of the best processes
for men and women and sled for you know, because
of our camp structure that you know we do in
(07:51):
the summertime, and even though it may take a little
away from other sports, it is a very good structure
and how we carry forward the principles from one year
to the next and in order to assess talent. And
so I just think that what we're doing from a body,
everybody able to play a role, you know, Like I said,
(08:13):
we see it a major growth of girls and women's
hockey because I think everybody feels like they have a chance.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Now you mentioned slid in women's hockey.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Really you have a broader role than just these world juniors,
and maybe you could describe for us a little bit
what your year round role is with USA Hockey.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Yeah it is.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
I'm spread a little thin, so but I have such
a good time interacting with our women's national team, and
we have a great person and great director and Katie Million,
who is no stranger to our nineteen eighty men's team
and to college hockey, and you know, since coming over,
you know, she's really put in.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
A very professional approach.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
But with that comes, you know, how we're doing and
professionalizing our game inside what we do at our women's
national team. But that's one of my responsibilities, put you know,
people's staff and and coaches in place and let them
do the selection process. Same on the sled side, Danny
Brennan heads up our select are our sled team, and
(09:18):
he's a director, and our sled team, you know, has
a bunch of their commit committed to players really becoming
national names now like Declan Farmer, who is also on
our board, and so I just you know, I love
interacting with these folks and giving them some direction. And I'm,
(09:39):
you know, on the international front, I'm I'm I'm the
lead voice, so you know, when it comes to hockey
and what we do in our country internationally and and
all throughout the country.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
That's that's kind of my gig.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
John, and I want to ask you a little bit
about the process from here forward. Obviously, the tournament starts
right after Christmas, so December twenty sixth, but you'll have
a camp, you'll go through more cuts, you'll play some
exhibition games and all of that sort of stuff. Can
you take a listener through what the process is here
(10:14):
from December eleventh to when the tournament actually starts. From
making sure that the team that is in camp is
the final team.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Yeah, sure.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
I mean briefly, we gather just December fifteenth at USA Arena.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
We'll have twenty nine players.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
We added an extra forward and Max plant he was injured.
But maybe news to your listeners is that we're adding
Max to make it fit sixteen forward, So sixteen forwards,
ten defensemen and three goalies will come to USA Arena.
We'll have three skates and you know, we'll assess the
(10:54):
talent and see if we're going to.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
Carry everybody in.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
I believe we will carry all twenty nine players into
to Kingston, Ontario on December eighteenth. We'll practice when we
get in, and then we play our first exhibition on
the twenty first, which is going to be a big
indicator for how we select the next or I would
(11:18):
say the bottom forwards and bottom defenseman meaning players you
know twelve, thirteen and fourteen s forwards and players seven
and eight is defense.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
So we have a good idea going in.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
But you know, if players get these opportunities to play
well on the defensive side of the fuck primarily, then
they'll get the next opportunity. So it's all based on
the next opportunity. And as we open this show, we
have a lot of turners. Kind of hard to beat
guys out for those execution spots when you're talking power
(11:55):
play and top line, because those things are set.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
What are the actual numbers that you'll have to cut.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
I assume, just sounding like what you just talked about,
maybe two or its two defenseman goaltenders will stay. All
three goaltenders probably stay correct. We can carry twenty five
man roster and every player can play of the twenty
five which is different than the last couple of years
where we had the last two players being replacement players.
(12:25):
But yes, it'll be fourteen forward, so we will have
to I call it not select two players, and we
will not select two defensemen. So four players will leave us,
likely on December twenty always a tough decision. Before I
let you go, John, I wanted to just ask you
about Obviously the US success in this tournament has increased
(12:48):
in the last i'm gonna say twenty years, but also
the interest in this event has really significantly increased. I'm
sure the NHL network has a lot to do with
bad people down here watching it. And I know I'll
see buddies in a bar when it's in Europe and
I'll see them I'm having Launch and they're they're betting
on games a year. But yeah, you know what is
(13:09):
what has the exposure been like for the this country
in terms of building this the profile of this tournament.
Because I know, growing up myself as a mid fifties guy,
I'm used to Canada owning this tournament. This is something
now that it's almost become as big of an event
in the United States. Yeah, and you know, one notice
(13:32):
that we do host next year and in Minnesota, and
I believe a quick plug is tickets will be on
sale reals, so get your tickets for Minnesota. But I
you know, it's credibility. I think that we've built the
credibility that each year we will challenge. It's a hard
(13:53):
tournament to win, and no no matter where we are
or you know, what part of the world we're in.
I think because we have we're on the NHL network,
like you said, and we're very grateful for that. But
I think the interest level in some of our great
young players is there and the names just carry right
(14:13):
into the NHL and they're like, you know, it's it's
this tournament's the barometer of the next superstars. So I
mean when you watch the speed and the skill and
the finesse in the games that it's it's a really
really fast, fun game to watch, and you know, there's
really not a lot of silly stuff in it. It's
pure hockey. So if you like hockey and you're a purist,
(14:34):
you love this tournament. And I think that we have
a lot of hardcore, real hockey people in our country.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
They're really loving this.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
This game, in this tournament and it's it's great when
I hear from them. You know, last year when we
won in Sweden, I think I got three hundred instantaneous
texts say congratulations. So it's certainly an honor to represent
US on the stage. Well, it is a great I
know that I personally tune into every single game.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
I don't miss much in this tournament.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
It has been so enjoyable watching the US's growth in
this tournament, certainly between you and Jim Johansson and the
work that has been done in the last twenty years,
very commendable. So as a US fan, I will say
I appreciate your effort. Certainly, we appreciate your time today
as well.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
Thank you, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
It's our conversation with USA Hockey GM John van Biesbrook.
He seems like the right guy to have in that position,
experienced as a player in the US Hockey Hall of Fame,
time as a coach, playing in the World Juniors when
he was a player, and as a general manager at
different levels, and it seems like a job he really
(15:52):
loves it does.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
It seems like he embraces it really well and obviously
very knowledgeable about every player on this roster. You'd expect that,
so I guess maybe no surprises, But I do think
spoken understands his role and under since John Van Beeesbrook
has been there, this has been a very highly successful
US program in different events, different levels, obviously men's women's sled.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
He seems to be embracing at all.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
But this is is he highlighted the end.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
There is a little pressure on the US. Now.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
This was an event that no would be paid attention
to for decades, and I think about my time in
college in the nineties, and I believe that it was
the ninety four to ninety five event somewhere around there
was held in Boston, and I didn't even know what
the tournament was, and there were some Canadian players on
(16:51):
the team I was working with a UMass loll that
I understood what it was. Tried to explain it to
me and said, okay, whatever, and I said, how's the
US doing it?
Speaker 4 (17:00):
Not good? Okay, that's all you had to tell me.
Now it's different.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
And I think that the television exposure of this event
and NHL Network and the fact that they do produce
the US Games and it's the US crew that's calling it.
I think that all of those little things matter to fans.
I think that this has become one of the top
(17:24):
five events in hockey every year. Let's go Stanley Cup Finals,
Frozen four, Winter Classic. Maybe it's somewhere even in the
top three when you throw those in there.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
This has just become such an unreal event.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
I know when the US is in the finals, it
is must watch.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
TV for me.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
The excitement level that I feel, and getting to watch
last year's championship game one that felt back and forth
for a while and then the US dominated late.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
I had a lot of pride.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
I love the national pride I feel after any US
win gold or winn't a medal for that matter.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
This is a difficult tournament. Gold, silver, bronze, all.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Three of those medals have to feel good around your neck.
So I look at this event and what it has
been built to in the United States. It has taken
great strides and USA Hockey to deserve so much credit
for that.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Another thing USA Hockey deserves credit for we touched on
briefly is the American development model. The long term athlete
development program started in two thousand and nine, so the
players that are playing in the World Juniors now the
college hockey players you see now probably were brought up
from their first organized hockey all the way through with
(18:43):
that model, and I think it really has paid off
in developing hockey in the US, plus giving some structure
to youth hockey all over the US. And as John mentioned,
sixteen represented in the Four Nations Tournament, sixteen states.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
I think that's really critical too.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
At it's not just moving hockey into states that weren't
traditional hockey states, and they've done a very good job
of that.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
USA Hockey has, but.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Also teaching coaches how to coach and make sure that
you understand where you should be when you're six years old,
where you should be when you're eight years old, ten
years old. T Well, my own daughter plays youth hockey
right now, and I see the teaching and the level
certifications that all of the coaches go through so that
they know how to teach the current game. The other
(19:32):
thing I'll highlight too is the US national team development program.
And I don't know exactly how many years that has
been around. It's more than I think it's more than
two decades right now. And without that, I don't think
that the US had a lot of international success since
that has come along. It started at the lower levels,
the U sixteen U eighteen tournaments and then moved into
(19:56):
major junior and you've seeing the US become a competitive
team every year.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
In this tournament.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
I I remembered years that there was just the US
could make the medal round every year, but there was
almost no way that they could get to.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
The gold medal game.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
There was no way that they were winning the bronze
medal game, and you'd see another tournament pass by without
a medal. That has not been the case in the
last decade and they have been the dominant country in
this tournament. I'm so proud to be a US hockey fan,
to have grown up in the US and around the
(20:33):
hockey game to see where it has come. It has
taken massive strides, and everybody in Colorado springs at USA Hockey,
Pat kellaher as the executive director right on down.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
They've done a fantastic job.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Three tournament games in Kingston and Cornwall on the twenty
first and twenty third December, and then the preliminary round
game against Germany to kick it off on December twenty six.
Will be watching for Jim Connolly. I'm ed Trefsker and
this has been us c h O spotlight
Usccho dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to US Echo Spotlight for Wednesday, December eleventh, twenty
twenty four. I met Trapsker alongside Jim Connolly and Jim.
When the calendar turns the semester break, our eyes turned
to the World Junior Championship.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
And special guest this week on US Echo Spotlight as
we prepare for the twenty twenty five World Junior Championship,
the general manager of Team USA and legendary NHL goaltender
John Van Biesbrook. John, we were just talking off the air,
but this every year, I think is probably tough. It
(00:48):
feels like it gets tougher every single year to put
together this lineup because there's so much unbelievable talent out
there for the US, you know all there's challenges each position,
you all your depths, but we're fortunate, we're grateful.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
We have a lot of death.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
So some guys are excuse me, really raising their hands
this year and it's making our decisions time. I always
think of returning players being high impact players and obviously
coming off a win last year in this tournament, you know,
so I'm just going to go down Trey Augustine Drew
(01:27):
fourd Escu Ryan Leonard Kerry Terrence, Oliver Moore, Aaron Minettian,
Danny Nelson, Zeeve Bulliam, Sam Hillenbrandt, Gabe Parrot.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
When you think about building.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
A core of a team that that's a pretty big
core that you can put in place that has gone
through this tournament and has such big game experience, what
does that do just to kind of set a foundation.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Yeah, experience means a lot in the tournament.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
You know, in Gold Trey Augustine gives us three years
worth and I think we've only had three b goalies
over the course of the tournament that ever played three
years and so that's you know, experience matters at the position,
especially on D Having returning defenseman.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Is very important to know.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
The speed level the international game is a little bit different.
So just experience in our forward position. We do have
some great returning forwards as you mentioned, and we're fortunate
to be in a position where we can really challenge because.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Of it in some of the new positions.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
I look at Cole Hudson, he's a young player that's
coming through Teddy Steger.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
I've seen him play a lot this year.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Hensler Logan Hensler, who plays out of Wisconsin.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
He's been pretty fantastic.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Who are some of the younger players on this lineup
that have impressed you as you try to establish this team.
First it would be James Hagens, you know, playing at
DC his first year in college hockey and you know,
potentially the first overall pick in the draft. I mean,
we're very fortunate to have that level of talent, especially
(03:18):
in the middle. You can have her have too much
talent in the middle, but James is a very special player,
and you know, beating a late first, it's really helping
him that he's able to go to college hockey and
then come to this team. He pushed hard last year
to make this team and but we had we were
(03:39):
really good up the middle, and he was a younger player.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
So I would say James woudid a number one and two.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
You just mentioned Logan Hensler getting a late first slated
for the first round, but a real quick defenseman, great
skating ability, right shot, plays on Wisconsin's power play in
finally killing, so he's getting a great opportunity. So the
young players get that opportunity at college and to have
(04:08):
impact on their teams, it's going to bode well from them.
Into the tournament, So those would be two. I would
point to John.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
We talked about players going back, You're bringing a coaching
staff back to led by David Carl. What do David
and this staff bring to the World Juniors team?
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Well, Number one, I think they bring a real great approach.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
And a winning mentality.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
I think, you know, David's won a lot lately, so
that's good. And whenever you can have that, it gets contagious,
you know. I mean, one of the secret sauces in
sports is just to have that contagious winning mentality.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
It's not an easy thing to do.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
He seems to be making the right calls at the
right time and pressing the right buttons.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
But most of all, I would think the whole staff.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
I mean, they're very quick to adjust, they understand the schemes,
and they're very well prepared. So we're very fortunate to have,
you know, I mean, Brett Larson doing a great job,
and on and on.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
We just have a great depth of coaching as well
as players.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Over the past few years, USA Hockey has become a
perennial force in the World Juniors. Are we seeing some
things that USA Hockey has done? For example, the development model.
Is that made a difference in the player pool coming forward.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
I believe so.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
I think you know, we're we're having everybody pitch in,
which is probably the best way to go about it.
We have seen, you know, I think the volunteer base
that we have is really committed to, you know, following
the America development model. And you know, even though we
have branch to is that want to do different things
and whatnot. And it's not a battle anymore between like
(06:06):
prosts ice and full ice. It's just an understanding that
we need to have these development principles in place to
learn how or play the game before one player just
carries the fuck through the group and goes in and scores,
which kind of limits our depths. So just you know,
not the point to our World Junior team, but are
recently named for Nation team, and you know we have
(06:27):
players from sixteen different states on that team, and that
in the past, if you look past our last World
Cup and things that we played at internationally, you know,
players came from six states primarily, and so they have
ten more states involved and to grow the game, and
you know what the NHL has done in different areas
(06:48):
like Florida and Texas and California.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
We're seeing the benefit more with Team USA GM John
Van Beesbrook in a moment, we're back with John Van Bisbrook.
In this current era, players have a lot more options
(07:14):
for development. There are a lot fewer college players coming
through now. Players have the US college route. They can
go major junior and then go to the college route.
How do you see that affecting things going forward with
USA talent?
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Well, I think first of all, you know, when when
you start looking at the shifts and different things that
are happening, one thing that's going to stay the same
as the commitment that we have. You know, in the
USA Hockey process, we have one of the best processes
for men and women and sled for you know, because
of our camp structure that you know we do in
(07:51):
the summertime, and even though it may take a little
away from other sports, it is a very good structure
and how we carry forward the principles from one year
to the next and in order to assess talent. And
so I just think that what we're doing from a body,
everybody able to play a role, you know, Like I said,
(08:13):
we see it a major growth of girls and women's
hockey because I think everybody feels like they have a chance.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Now you mentioned slid in women's hockey.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Really you have a broader role than just these world juniors,
and maybe you could describe for us a little bit
what your year round role is with USA Hockey.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Yeah it is.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
I'm spread a little thin, so but I have such
a good time interacting with our women's national team, and
we have a great person and great director and Katie Million,
who is no stranger to our nineteen eighty men's team
and to college hockey, and you know, since coming over,
you know, she's really put in.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
A very professional approach.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
But with that comes, you know, how we're doing and
professionalizing our game inside what we do at our women's
national team. But that's one of my responsibilities, put you know,
people's staff and and coaches in place and let them
do the selection process. Same on the sled side, Danny
Brennan heads up our select are our sled team, and
(09:18):
he's a director, and our sled team, you know, has
a bunch of their commit committed to players really becoming
national names now like Declan Farmer, who is also on
our board, and so I just you know, I love
interacting with these folks and giving them some direction. And I'm,
(09:39):
you know, on the international front, I'm I'm I'm the
lead voice, so you know, when it comes to hockey
and what we do in our country internationally and and
all throughout the country.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
That's that's kind of my gig.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
John, and I want to ask you a little bit
about the process from here forward. Obviously, the tournament starts
right after Christmas, so December twenty sixth, but you'll have
a camp, you'll go through more cuts, you'll play some
exhibition games and all of that sort of stuff. Can
you take a listener through what the process is here
(10:14):
from December eleventh to when the tournament actually starts. From
making sure that the team that is in camp is
the final team.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Yeah, sure.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
I mean briefly, we gather just December fifteenth at USA Arena.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
We'll have twenty nine players.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
We added an extra forward and Max plant he was injured.
But maybe news to your listeners is that we're adding
Max to make it fit sixteen forward, So sixteen forwards,
ten defensemen and three goalies will come to USA Arena.
We'll have three skates and you know, we'll assess the
(10:54):
talent and see if we're going to.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
Carry everybody in.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
I believe we will carry all twenty nine players into
to Kingston, Ontario on December eighteenth. We'll practice when we
get in, and then we play our first exhibition on
the twenty first, which is going to be a big
indicator for how we select the next or I would
(11:18):
say the bottom forwards and bottom defenseman meaning players you
know twelve, thirteen and fourteen s forwards and players seven
and eight is defense.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
So we have a good idea going in.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
But you know, if players get these opportunities to play
well on the defensive side of the fuck primarily, then
they'll get the next opportunity. So it's all based on
the next opportunity. And as we open this show, we
have a lot of turners. Kind of hard to beat
guys out for those execution spots when you're talking power
(11:55):
play and top line, because those things are set.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
What are the actual numbers that you'll have to cut.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
I assume, just sounding like what you just talked about,
maybe two or its two defenseman goaltenders will stay. All
three goaltenders probably stay correct. We can carry twenty five
man roster and every player can play of the twenty
five which is different than the last couple of years
where we had the last two players being replacement players.
(12:25):
But yes, it'll be fourteen forward, so we will have
to I call it not select two players, and we
will not select two defensemen. So four players will leave us,
likely on December twenty always a tough decision. Before I
let you go, John, I wanted to just ask you
about Obviously the US success in this tournament has increased
(12:48):
in the last i'm gonna say twenty years, but also
the interest in this event has really significantly increased. I'm
sure the NHL network has a lot to do with
bad people down here watching it. And I know I'll
see buddies in a bar when it's in Europe and
I'll see them I'm having Launch and they're they're betting
on games a year. But yeah, you know what is
(13:09):
what has the exposure been like for the this country
in terms of building this the profile of this tournament.
Because I know, growing up myself as a mid fifties guy,
I'm used to Canada owning this tournament. This is something
now that it's almost become as big of an event
in the United States. Yeah, and you know, one notice
(13:32):
that we do host next year and in Minnesota, and
I believe a quick plug is tickets will be on
sale reals, so get your tickets for Minnesota. But I
you know, it's credibility. I think that we've built the
credibility that each year we will challenge. It's a hard
(13:53):
tournament to win, and no no matter where we are
or you know, what part of the world we're in.
I think because we have we're on the NHL network,
like you said, and we're very grateful for that. But
I think the interest level in some of our great
young players is there and the names just carry right
(14:13):
into the NHL and they're like, you know, it's it's
this tournament's the barometer of the next superstars. So I
mean when you watch the speed and the skill and
the finesse in the games that it's it's a really
really fast, fun game to watch, and you know, there's
really not a lot of silly stuff in it. It's
pure hockey. So if you like hockey and you're a purist,
(14:34):
you love this tournament. And I think that we have
a lot of hardcore, real hockey people in our country.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
They're really loving this.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
This game, in this tournament and it's it's great when
I hear from them. You know, last year when we
won in Sweden, I think I got three hundred instantaneous
texts say congratulations. So it's certainly an honor to represent
US on the stage. Well, it is a great I
know that I personally tune into every single game.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
I don't miss much in this tournament.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
It has been so enjoyable watching the US's growth in
this tournament, certainly between you and Jim Johansson and the
work that has been done in the last twenty years,
very commendable. So as a US fan, I will say
I appreciate your effort. Certainly, we appreciate your time today
as well.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
Thank you, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
It's our conversation with USA Hockey GM John van Biesbrook.
He seems like the right guy to have in that position,
experienced as a player in the US Hockey Hall of Fame,
time as a coach, playing in the World Juniors when
he was a player, and as a general manager at
different levels, and it seems like a job he really
(15:52):
loves it does.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
It seems like he embraces it really well and obviously
very knowledgeable about every player on this roster. You'd expect that,
so I guess maybe no surprises, But I do think
spoken understands his role and under since John Van Beeesbrook
has been there, this has been a very highly successful
US program in different events, different levels, obviously men's women's sled.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
He seems to be embracing at all.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
But this is is he highlighted the end.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
There is a little pressure on the US. Now.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
This was an event that no would be paid attention
to for decades, and I think about my time in
college in the nineties, and I believe that it was
the ninety four to ninety five event somewhere around there
was held in Boston, and I didn't even know what
the tournament was, and there were some Canadian players on
(16:51):
the team I was working with a UMass loll that
I understood what it was. Tried to explain it to
me and said, okay, whatever, and I said, how's the
US doing it?
Speaker 4 (17:00):
Not good? Okay, that's all you had to tell me.
Now it's different.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
And I think that the television exposure of this event
and NHL Network and the fact that they do produce
the US Games and it's the US crew that's calling it.
I think that all of those little things matter to fans.
I think that this has become one of the top
(17:24):
five events in hockey every year. Let's go Stanley Cup Finals,
Frozen four, Winter Classic. Maybe it's somewhere even in the
top three when you throw those in there.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
This has just become such an unreal event.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
I know when the US is in the finals, it
is must watch.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
TV for me.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
The excitement level that I feel, and getting to watch
last year's championship game one that felt back and forth
for a while and then the US dominated late.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
I had a lot of pride.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
I love the national pride I feel after any US
win gold or winn't a medal for that matter.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
This is a difficult tournament. Gold, silver, bronze, all.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Three of those medals have to feel good around your neck.
So I look at this event and what it has
been built to in the United States. It has taken
great strides and USA Hockey to deserve so much credit
for that.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Another thing USA Hockey deserves credit for we touched on
briefly is the American development model. The long term athlete
development program started in two thousand and nine, so the
players that are playing in the World Juniors now the
college hockey players you see now probably were brought up
from their first organized hockey all the way through with
(18:43):
that model, and I think it really has paid off
in developing hockey in the US, plus giving some structure
to youth hockey all over the US. And as John mentioned,
sixteen represented in the Four Nations Tournament, sixteen states.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
I think that's really critical too.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
At it's not just moving hockey into states that weren't
traditional hockey states, and they've done a very good job
of that.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
USA Hockey has, but.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Also teaching coaches how to coach and make sure that
you understand where you should be when you're six years old,
where you should be when you're eight years old, ten
years old. T Well, my own daughter plays youth hockey
right now, and I see the teaching and the level
certifications that all of the coaches go through so that
they know how to teach the current game. The other
(19:32):
thing I'll highlight too is the US national team development program.
And I don't know exactly how many years that has
been around. It's more than I think it's more than
two decades right now. And without that, I don't think
that the US had a lot of international success since
that has come along. It started at the lower levels,
the U sixteen U eighteen tournaments and then moved into
(19:56):
major junior and you've seeing the US become a competitive
team every year.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
In this tournament.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
I I remembered years that there was just the US
could make the medal round every year, but there was
almost no way that they could get to.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
The gold medal game.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
There was no way that they were winning the bronze
medal game, and you'd see another tournament pass by without
a medal. That has not been the case in the
last decade and they have been the dominant country in
this tournament. I'm so proud to be a US hockey fan,
to have grown up in the US and around the
(20:33):
hockey game to see where it has come. It has
taken massive strides, and everybody in Colorado springs at USA Hockey,
Pat kellaher as the executive director right on down.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
They've done a fantastic job.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Three tournament games in Kingston and Cornwall on the twenty
first and twenty third December, and then the preliminary round
game against Germany to kick it off on December twenty six.
Will be watching for Jim Connolly. I'm ed Trefsker and
this has been us c h O spotlight
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