By Justin Felisko, 02/10/26, 8:45AM EST
MILAN – Mike Sullivan’s eyes slightly started to tear up during the 2025 USA Hockey Long Drink Level 5 Coaches Symposium as he reflected upon the upcoming 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
To say Sullivan is grateful to be the head coach of the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team in Milan, Italy, is an understatement.
Sullivan’s path to becoming a hockey player—and now a two-time Stanley Cup winning head coach in the NHL—is tied to the Olympics. The Marshfield, Massachusetts, native remembers being a 12-year-old kid when the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team won the gold medal at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York.
“When I was a kid, the 1980 experience, that inspired my generation,” Sullivan said.
The current head coach of the New York Rangers knows how important, and impactful, the Olympics are, and he is not taking for granted the opportunity to lead the red, white and blue this February. The 56-year-old was named head coach of the 2022 Olympic squad but ultimately the NHL did not participate in the Games due to COVID.
“I get emotional thinking about it,” Sullivan said. “It’s the honor of a lifetime. I’ve thought about it a lot. What an incredible honor to coach the United States in these international events, whether it be the 4 Nations or the Olympics. It’s essentially the pinnacle of our game.
“It’s our best American-born players of this generation. And I have the opportunity to coach them.”
Sullivan and the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team arrived in Milan on Sunday before practicing later in the evening at Milano Santagiulia Arena. The team gathered on the ice again Monday before taking off from on-ice activities on Tuesday.
“It is inspiring to watch these guys,” Sullivan said after practice. “Their ability to play at such a high space and some of the things they do with the puck at such a high tempo. A lot of times we are in awe of some of the things they are doing. It’s easy to watch them and you feel like we have the best seat in the house.
"We have an idea of what we want to start with and that will start to unfold here over the next couple of days. One of the things we love about our roster is the versatility. We have a lot of center ice men that can play the wing. We can move guys around the lineup depending on how we think lines are performing or players are performing.”
The U.S. begins preliminary play Thursday against Latvia at 3:10 p.m. ET (USA Network | Peacock).
There is a responsibility that comes with playing for the United States. It is something that Sullivan, who has been involved with USA Hockey as a player and coach for five decades, spoke with his players about during last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off and during the Men’s Olympic Orientation Camp this August in Plymouth, Michigan.
“The 4 Nations has already started to inspire the next generation,” Sullivan said. “The Olympics is the next step. I without a doubt have thought about that a lot. I know our players have also because I’ve talked to them about it.
“It’s a responsibility that we have, but it’s an unbelievable privilege all at the same time.”
Yes, there are golden expectations for the team, especially with NHL players participating in their first Olympics since 2014, but there is something else that Sullivan expects from his players.
It is something he hopes youth players and coaches can also embody in their own organizations.
“You’re going to see some great hockey because these guys can play, but, for me, it’s more than that. And it is for the players too,” Sullivan said. “We’re going to represent the American way. What it means to be American—work ethic, commitment, care for your teammates. What do we value as Americans? We want to be emblematic of that as a team.
“We want to win with humility and be fierce competitors.”
A version of this story originally appeared in the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games USA Hockey Magazine preview issue
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