TRAINERS AT WORK
The U.S. training staff was hard at work today preparing the team’s lockerroom facility in advance of player arrivals later today and tomorrow. Stan Wong, one of the team’s two athletic trainers, is the dean of the support staff, with the 2018 Games being his 42nd time serving a U.S. national team and 4th Olympic Winter Games. While all other members of the U.S. training staff have been part of U.S. national teams, other than Wong, none have been part of the staff of a U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. Other members of the training staff include equipment managers Scott Aldrich and Bert Godin; athletic trainer Chris Mizer; team doctor Phil Johnson; and massage therapist Peewee Willmann. USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher was also lending a hand.

HEAVY HEARTS
Heavy hearts will be part of the equation of the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team with the loss of general manager Jim Johannson, who unexpectedly passed away in his sleep in the early morning hours of Jan. 21, 2018, at his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Johannson is not being replaced as GM. Pat Kelleher, USA Hockey executive director, arrived here on Monday and will be assisting with team logistics along with team leader Sean Braziel. In addition, Ben Smith, director of player personnel for Team USA, will handle all hockey personnel related matters. As Kelleher said to the media in a teleconference on Jan. 31, “there will only be one GM of this team and that is Jim Johannson.”