When Mike Sullivan put together the United States coaching staff for the 4 Nations Face-Off, he reached out to one of his mentors, John Tortorella.

He had spent years as an assistant under Tortorella and wanted him to bring his unique perspective. He wanted him to display another side of his personality too.

“I said to him, ‘I would like you to take on a different role than you are as a head coach,’” Sullivan said. “‘I don’t want you to be the hammer. I’ll be the hammer. I want you to be the old wise man.’

“‘I want you to reveal yourself to the players and the other coaches. I want you to show the John Tortorella that I know, that my wife knows, that my kids know, that your kids know, that you don’t show the world very often.’

“And I said, ‘If you can bring that to this staff and our t

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