But the 58-year-old from Boston has always embraced the chance to help USA Hockey, and has taken his role as the Americans’ head coach for the World Cup very seriously.
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Beyond the captaincy trio of Pavelski, Kane and Suter, the USA will also have Bruins center David Backes, Ducks center Ryan Kesler, Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh and Wild winger Zach Parise will part of the team’s leadership group.
USA coach John Tortorella says Kane is “ready for more responsibility now”. “In the end, in addition to our captain and alternate captains, we also selected four other players and those seven guys will form an overall leadership group for our team. Our goal is simple and that’s to win the World Cup”. Pavelski also recorded 23 points in 24 playoff games this season, third-most in the league. His decision to kneel during the anthem before National Football League exhibition games, meant to call attention to racial inequality and police relations in the US, has already inspired other National Football League players and athletes from other sports, such as American women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe, to follow suit.
Suter, the most experienced worldwide player on Team USA with 70 career global games, served as an alternate during the 2014 Olympics.
Team USA’s first pre-tournament game is in Washington on September 13.
Team North America will have both the Canadian and American national anthems played in pre-game ceremonies at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey tournament.
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John Tortorella, coach of Team USA and the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, is no fan of athletes using “The Star-Spangled Banner” to protest a personal cause, as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has done in recent weeks.
