1 week ago
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Mike Sullivan is taking two Rangers with him to this year’s Olympics.
While All-Star defenseman Adam Fox didn’t make the cut for Team USA this time around, J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck remain on the roster for the Winter Games in Italy.
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Some have questioned Miller and Trocheck keeping their spots over other stronger candidates, but Sullivan defended the decision to hang on to the two players that he called “glue guys.”
He explained prior to Friday night's Winter Classic in Miami that they both played a huge part in the chemistry USA built throughout the Four Nations Face-off.
“They’re team guys,” he said. “We believe the chemistry that was developed through that tournament with our group was something that was unique, and all of us felt it, and we felt J.T. and Trocheck were a big part of it.
“It’s just the type of people they are, they’re fierce competitors -- there isn’t any aspect of the game that they can't participate in and help us win, they were guys that were strongly considered throughout the entire process.”
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Miller is currently sidelined with an upper-body injury, but is getting close to a return.
The captain skated again on Friday after participating in Thursday’s practice in a non-contact jersey, and the next step will be getting back into a couple of contact practices before being cleared for game action.
Sullivan expects he’ll have plenty of time to get into a groove before the Olympics.
Miller is among the league leaders in faceoff win percentage (55.9), but he's struggled to produce in the scoring-department, putting together just 10 goals and 12 assists through 35 games.
Trocheck has just 22 points as well, scoring nine times and dishing 13 assists.
To Sullivan, though, it’s the other intangibles they bring that make them valuable assets for this USA squad.
English (US) ·