Jackets' Todd Richards at the helm for Team USA at IIHF World Championships
When you're asked to serve as head coach of Team USA at the IIHF World Hockey Championships, you're challenged to find a way to lead 22 players who come from 11 NHL teams, two AHL teams, two KHL teams and five colleges to tournament success. And that's a challenge that Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards is taking on right now.
Coaching at the international level is not new for Richards - he served as an assistant coach to Dan Bylsma during the 2014 Sochi Olympics and was also an assistant at the 2010 World Championships.
"I think all of coaching helps prepare you for this moment," Richards said. "And there's really good people around you so when you have moments like this and there's not a lot of time to prepare and you're taking a lot of guys from different areas it's good to have a lot of good people around you â a lot of good staff, management and all the people in USA hockey."
As Richards prepared to head to the Czech Republic, where this year's tournament is being held, he was focused on bringing Team USA together efficiently. According to Richards, many of the other countries' teams have been playing together on national level for a few games, or sometimes a few years.
The first step for Richards will be managing the players' and coaches' transition mentally and physically to a new time zone and location. After that, it's about getting to work through practice and Richards plans to rely on existing relationships to accelerate effective communication and on-ice production.
There are a few players Richards already knows on the team: current Blue Jacket Jeremy Morin is on the team as is former Jacket, and current Arizona Coyotes defenseman, John Moore. Edmonton's Matt Hendricks is another player Richards has coached before.
Other team members have relationships with the team's staff or Bylsma or assistant coach Greg Carvel, who joins the team after his third season as head coach for St. Lawrence University.
"Relationships are really important when you're going into tournaments like this," Richards said. "It can be the little things that can be hard to adjust to for players. Sometimes it's how a coach talks, it's the terms that he uses. Every coach talks a little differently. We talk about the same things but it might be in your messaging and how it's delivered to the players - having those prior relationships helps get everyone on the same page."
Richards looks forward to working with the players, and he is equally excited to spend time with his colleagues behind the bench. While Richards and Bylsma have swapped the head and assistant coach roles since their time together in Sochi, Richards said nothing changes in their relationship.
"You like to sit down with good hockey minds," Richards said. "To listen to what they have to say when they offer their advice and opinions. (Bylsma and Carvel) both will make me better whether it's at this tournament or in the future."
For Richards, coaching Team USA is an honor and a privilege, but one that will likely become more significant to him after the tournament is done. As he prepared to leave for Europe, his mind was solely focused on preparing for the team's success.
"Right now it's just trying to make sure I have everything," Richards said.
What are the most important things for Richards to have packed? Well, after he named his passport priority number one with a laugh, it's all about the tools of coaching.
"You're making sure you have your computer, you're wondering if the system and the software we have here is it going to work over there," Richards said. "You're also trying to think from a practice standpoint what are you going to need and coordinate that with the trainers â just to make sure they have all the right stuff down to the pucks, jerseys, and white boards."
Team USA, ranked fifth in the 2015 IIHF pre-championship report, scheduled four practices and would have one exhibition game prior to the tournament's official start, Richards said. The exhibition game was held Tuesday in Vienna against Austria and USA won the game handily 4-1. Both Morin, and Blue Jacket prospect Mike Reilly scored goals in the game.
Next up for team USA is their first preliminary-round game against Finland Friday, May 1. Puck drops at 10:15 a.m.
