Bill Guerin of the Minnesota Wild, left, and Mike Grier of the San Jose Sharks (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin hopes to help orchestrate another major upset for USA Hockey this February in Montreal at the first-ever 4 Nations Faceoff.
The former NHLer and Wilbraham, Massachusetts native is the general manager of USA Hockey for that tournament (Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston) and for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
The last time a USA Hockey team comprised of all NHLers won a gold medal or championship in Montreal was September 14, 1996. That’s when Guerin, who was a 25-year-old New Jersey Devils forward at the time, helped the 1996 USA Hockey World Cup team beat Canada at the Molson Centre (now the Bell Centre) in Montreal to take home the World Cup trophy. Guerin and the Americans had dropped the first game in Philadelphia of the best-of-three series but came storming back to take the final two games in Montreal.
Since then, USA Hockey has taken huge strides in terms of the number of not just American NHLers, but elite star Americans. The 1996 squad is often looked at as one of the best American squads ever assembled, as a catapult for the USA Hockey program, and as an increased interest in hockey in the United States.
Playing and winning for his country and on a star-studded roster with the likes of Brian Leetch (captain), Chris Chelios, Mike Modano, Tony Amonte, Brett Hull, Pat LaFontaine, Keith Tkachuk, Doug Weight, and so many more star players, will always be one of Guerin’s greatest honors and memories.
“It means a lot, and honestly, we couldn’t have had a better group of guys in that era,” Guerin replied when asked what that win meant to him in a one-on-one interview with RG. “We were skilled, talented, tough, and, most of all, cared. They cared about hockey in the United States; they cared about winning and trying to be the best, and that was our group. We had an edge to us, and it was just a really fun group to be around for so many years and so many tournaments. It was a big honor, just like this will be in February and then at the Olympics in 2026. Anytime you can do stuff like this, it’s an honor.
So when that ‘96 team is mentioned like that, it means a lot to us. We’re all older now and look back with great memories but a lot of pride in that.”
That’s why Guerin went right to work after getting the nod as GM of USA Hockey for the two tournaments back in February. Despite also juggling his duties as the Wild GM and with the NHL Trade Deadline in March, Guerin was able to construct a hockey braintrust he is really excited about working with. In April, Guerin brought in New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury (Trumbull, Conn.), New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald (Melrose, Mass.), and Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito (Milwaukee, Wis.) as assistant general managers and Chris Kelleher (Belmont, Mass./Minnesota Wild) as director of player personnel for Team USA in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off and also for the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.
This past June, at the 2024 NHL Draft weekend in Las Vegas, Guerin and USA Hockey named forwards Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass./Vegas Golden Knights), Auston Matthews (Scottsdale, Ariz./Toronto Maple Leafs) and Matthew Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo./Florida Panthers), along with defensemen Adam Fox (Jericho, N.Y./New York Rangers), Quinn Hughes (Orlando, Fla./Vancouver Canucks) and Charlie McAvoy (Long Beach, N.Y./Boston Bruins) as the first six players of the U.S. Men’s National Team that will compete in next February’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
“It’s fantastic!” Guerin replied when asked how the USA hockey operations staff is gelling and close to naming the rest of the roster.
“I get a lot of help. We have a great group of people working on this. The hockey IQ is very high, and so is the comedic value. We have a ton of fun and a lot of laughs together, and I think that’s important. The players that we named and the few others we’ve talked to are really excited for this. It’s been a while since everybody’s put the USA colors on, so everybody is just really, really excited, and it’s been a great process so far.”
During a recent get-together for the 4 Nations Faceoff and Olympic hockey operations staff, just as it has in recent years, the growth of USA Hockey since the 1996 World Cup win came up. That’s a gold medal contending first six players, but the USA roster will be much deeper in skill.
The talent that is out there now from our country is amazing, and it’s a credit to USA Hockey and how they structured it and built it, and then the players and the work that they put into it.”
Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins has been named as head coach of the U.S. men’s national team.
“We’re excited to have Mike guiding our teams,” Guerin said to USA Hockey in May. “He is one of the very best coaches in the game and his background, including with international hockey, is well-suited to help put our team in the best position to win.”
James Murphy
