When Brian Gionta last played in the Olympics in 2006, his final NHL game before the break allowed him three days to fly to Italy and get acclimated before suiting up for Team USA.
This time around, the semi-retired U.S. captain and his Olympic teammates will get four whole practice days before opening the tournament against Slovenia on Feb. 14.
"With the NHL setup, you fly over there, you have a small window to practice in and then you're right into the games," Gionta said. "We've had the added benefit of being able to go over to the Deutschland Cup and be together for that week.