COLUMBUS, Ohio — The booming Boston accent officially emerged at 1:30 p.m. Monday inside an empty Nationwide Arena.
Halfway through Team USA’s first practice in preparation for the World Cup of Hockey, head coach John Tortorella stepped back, and Penguins coach Mike Sullivan took charge. Wearing a blue track suit and hat and chomping bubble gum, Sullivan grabbed two Gatorade bottles, positioned them inside one of the blue lines and shouted instructions for a four-on-four drill in close quarters.
Taking the baton from Tortorella is something Sullivan has done countless times during their time together in Tampa Bay, New York and Vancouver, but this was different.