Bob Motzko, Justen Close and Luke Mittelstadt talk World Juniors coming to the Twin Cities.
That that’s a good nice touch how the boys doing 0 z0 but how are they playing it’s been the filling each other out been up and down when was the last team you coached World Juniors 18 so that was before because a lot of the guys from this us team were on the
U8 team that played Sweden two years ago right yeah they put graphic of it’s like a dozen guys well usually that’s the turn this is a group that 18 1920 there’s there’s only handful of 20-y olds that are in the NHL you know would have been
On it and not there were you in 18 18 was in Buffalo 17 of Toronto Montreal well pretty cool it’s been announced to get come back here right6 what great news it’s just awesome one it’s one of the greatest tournaments in the world uh uh hockey tournaments outside the
Olympics I think it’s the best um and it’s best on best and what’s so great especially for our country USA hockey’s come so far um you know there a lot a lot of people didn’t know about this tournament 20 years ago and and that was our first
Gold medal was 20 years ago and how far we’ve come and then the history we have in Minnesota just doing a phenomenal job with tournaments in Super Bowl and in events and froz uh Frozen Four final four uh um this might be a perfect match at the right
Time what does it mean for the cities here I I think uh we can showcase you know this is a state of hockey and we’ve got more NHL players in any state in the country um this is a world I mean it’s going to bring thousands of of of
Canadians and Europeans to our city we’re going to fill all the hotels and it is the you know you name an NHL great Superstar they played in this tournament uh from all over the world so it’s it’s going to be a it’s a worldclass event and the great thing with the United
States now we are a contender every year for a medal in this and um our state will do a great job showcasing uh uh what we’re about and and we’ll be great we’ll be hospitable uh tell we play Canada and uh it’ll be fabulous it’s it’s still
Two years away basically but have you thought logistically about what this will mean for your team like will you give up your locker room or anything like that or what what’s already done really yeah is there anything else about this tournament that’s changed since I
Mean I’m sure a lot but just in terms of the hockey in this scale and the the way it works with the young players now and how quickly you’ve seen some of them transition I the the change has been how we now perceive it in the United States the tournament has
Been uh and and I think how we perceive it as a hockey nation now where before we were just we just if we could just get a medal for you know for decades that would that was the hope and now where it’s expected and and and we are
Up you know we are one of the big boys now in this tournament that’s been the change and um and it needs to be showcased you know I I know we had it was an Anchorage I know Buffalo which is you know partly Canadian uh on on the border and and it
Was in Boston one year but how this tournament is growing I think it’s the right time to come to Minnesota and and I I know we’re a border state uh but it oh something good just happened Miss uh our country needs to show off right now not just in with hockey
Players but our fans and that’s why I think it’s a it’s a perfect time for because we because I I don’t think us would get it again for seven more years so if you didn’t get it now you know seven years a long time so it’s a it’s it’s an incredible opportunity for
Your team I mean uh as soon as this game ends in Sweden do you start watching flights and seeing when guys are going to be back 10:30 tomorrow night okay already what should Minnesota hockey fans be prepared for uh you you will see the best players
In the world uh minus just a couple just a a very few Handful in the world and and then how competitive it is uh and you know you have you have countries don’t like each other and I mean it is a it is a battle um and the great thing
You know the if just so I know you’re all going to learn about it but uh the the everyone will start moving in in mid December uh there’ll be games uh played throughout the state of Minnesota I mean I would imagine I know none of that set
Yet duth and and bigi and Rochester and and um you know they they’ll they’ll fill the buildings for the exhibition games Everybody Plays two exhibition games and then everybody will move in to the Twin Cities uh to the two venues and there’s two brackets and and the game
Start on the 26th of December and and it is the best players in the world at that at that age and the in NHL superstars in the making that that you’ll see for your team specifically I me you mentioned that they come back 10:30 tomorrow night uh when do you expect
That those players that are at the world juniors are going to be back on the ice playing for you guys oh we’re we’re hoping that they play Sunday night you know I’ll have to talk with them and most most of the players come back and play
Um we had three players that went from Beijing China to Penn State and that was a 30 hours and now what uh Matthew was a little banged up but two guys got off the plane and it took him a half period to wake up and then fa and and Myers put
Out a show and there I’m not worried about them this weekend I’m worried about the next weekend because then they do run out of gas and we’re going to have to give them some rest but uh uh um if they’re ready to go we’re going to
Throw them in but we’ll we’ll make we’ll have to see their eyeballs on Sunday morning uh or maybe Sunday afternoon what does this competition do for players like Jimmy snugger what kind of competition what does this do the competition you do well one a lot of these guys are used to
This competition because they they’ve many of the guys played in the US development program they’ve played in the they they lost to Sweden for the gold medal in the in the in the world 18 tournament and so this is a little revenge for them uh to get back at this
And uh they take great pride in playing for their country uh and for and for some players it it’s you know they’ll come back and just have terrific second halfs um it kind of jump starts because there’s a lot of nerves early in the year these guys want to make this team
And they’re being evaluated uh now they come back and they played on it they can turn it loose what’ you think yesterday when you saw Jimmy wind up and rip that one seen it before I mean it it is incredible he can shoot a hockey puck and that goalie
Lucky it went in didn’t hit him he would have left a mark for your team you know Health was a big issue in the first half of the Year all all the problems of 2023 behind you are you coming back feeling better right now yes right now and and you can even
Feel little spirit in that room and some of the guys that had some nagging things you know had three weeks to to to to turn a page on that and and you even saw we got Nathan Ary in there that game and and who got cleared right
Before the the Ohio State the week of the Ohio State Series so we are we’re in a good spot right now we just get our four guys back from World Juniors and um get you know get everybody back up to speed and and we’re in a we’re in a real
Good spot I know you’re kind of focused on yourself but we talked when Chris May was hired you know a young coach getting his opportunity he done some pretty good things with that carado college program absolutely I mean he’s one of the great young coaches he was on on both my
Staffs in 17 and 18 World Juniors um he did a terrific job at Providence and he was at Michigan a short bit then um we got the new building Colorado College is is retooling itself back to you know they had when Don was there they had such great success and um they’re on
Their way back what style will they bring they’re going to want to play the right way I mean this this kid played and you know where where Matt is coached uh those programs know how to play so they’re in the in that process of recruiting and building their rosters back
Up now that Nathan has played do you have any have you formulated any plans to rotate the two goalies not yet how was your holiday think good for you to get some time off as well uh glad when’s over like you know glad one’s there glad when’s over and you you
Get to to recharge and and it’s always fun coming back and seeing your players and and we had we’ve had great spirit uh you can you can hear them next door right now you know uh I don’t know if our two Canadians are in there right now
But uh the rest of our guys are in there Justin has said that’s that’s the only time when his his real Canadian comes out Juni yeah says something about the tournament doesn’t yeah you know it to the hockey you know the hockey people follow this tournament I mean you’re you’re into it
Um is it a uh is it a recruiting boost maybe to have you know some of the best players from all over the world coming into your building and playing games here showing them all that education most of them are already in college at 20 he know there would be a few underage
Guys but um I don’t know your brain can go there um if there’s a way to make it an advantage we’ll make it one um I was saying in the in the first half maybe seemed like consistency was a bit of an issue you guys haven’t uh strung together a series like both
Consecutive wins since St Thomas how do you go about improving that in the second half and being able to make sure that you can come out of a weekend series with two wins in a row see I think that means we were pretty consistent the first half so so we we
Don’t want to be consistent we want actually want to turn it a notch and uh the best thing we have to do is is is uh you know from us and I I’ll break it down as we kind of looked at everything over break I I liked how we played I
Mean we had like in sports we had to deal with some of the things that that that just you can’t control uh we ran out of gas a few third periods and that was and partly maybe because of the the bodies we because there were six
Games where we had leads in the third period or tied that we five of them we lost games or got in overtime where we could had more points that means we were right there so it wasn’t really good one night and bad the next we we need to
Toughen up and and a lot of it was uh um our Saturday night and maybe a lot of too A lot of it is we have a lot of players playing heavy roles that they didn’t play a year ago you know we have this number seven playing in St Paul who
Played a lot of those minutes okay and and we have five NHL players who played a lot of these heavy minutes that we are now handing to young players or new players and one night of the week they’ve been great and the next night there’s a strong Push by by the other
Team and we were we were close so if there’s a you know if there’s a thing that we’ve got to tighten up it’s how we can you know finish a weekend um keep getting us a lead in the third period on a Saturday night you know let’s take
Care of Friday first and um so I I think we’re close we were close and and we’re healthy we’ve got experience we can now draw on and we got confidence and um we’ll see where this ride takes us you said before that Bryce when he heats up doesn’t cool down you know you
Always wonder what team is going to look like coming out of a break but how how good did that shot he took against the under 18 team make you feel that you know stuff you’ve seen before obviously I I think now you know he got 19 last
Year and and you know I think going into the break where he and pitluk were tied for the lead you big 10 scoring lead so once they start to feel it and they’re there and he he’s got a good look in practice so um um we got a few
More guys that are that are joining that party right now and that’s um you know that’s that’s where we’re at we’re we got this group of guys that are all kind of slowly getting on the same page at a higher level and he’s and he’s been one that’s been there for
Us thanks okay thank you it is one Z Us by the way who scor G per hey one quick question for our coach like he hasn’t been around a game for a month or so well my first two questions got a total of about seven words in answers combined total but you know
Whatever whether they give up already done Milwaukee thing too Air Force was in it anytime you can your territory you don’t miss it they 3 Nothing by Wisconsin he comes in he sits down in the meting room there’s Mak us he says how’s everybody doing no said anything he just the
Correct answer is a hell lot better than you f there is there a better standup comedian in h well he started talking I just you know he go he going talking about the service cies and he said you know they said Dallas Cowboys are America’s team
He said No Air Force is America’s team whatever and so I said as long as we talking about the service Navy coming along and all they’ve talked about hockey in the past anything happening on that front he said they haven’t quite learned how to freeze water in Annapolis once they do that
Lunes or we went to Denver it was just Sid split aing for you know a half hour it’s when when he named this place the wug Justin big question uh who can you root for now now the team with the maple LEF is out yeah well the boys are
Putting in a good first period there I’ve won nothing uh and everybody in our locker room knows it including myself but no I hope uh I hope they’re able to pull it out in the last 40 here what did the break do for you I mean it seems like nobody’s fully
Healthy by by December what what what it having some time off and not facing a lot of pucks do for you for it’s just nice to get home you know it’s nice to get home see your family for a few days and uh stay stay away from the rink and
Kind of reset that way and you know when everybody come back on the 26th or 27th or whatever it is you could see all the smiles and all the energy and everybody’s excited to get back and get going for the second half so I don’t know I think I speak for everybody in
That locker room when I say it just you know it puts a little rejuvenates you a bit Nathan had said when he came in here that he kind of wanted to learn under you for a year and and you know kind of figure out the goalie position and and
All that with the way he played against Team USA were you kind of a a proud teacher or are you like oh boy I got some competition now hey I haven’t I haven’t taught him anything I don’t know that might be a better question for him
Uh or pody I don’t know but no he played very well it was good what’s it like with the team over there right now watching and and getting into this cheering on teammates and and what’s happened across the world well it’s fun you know it’s a tournament that uh
Watched for a lot of years and you know to have people to root for and you know people that uh you know it gets you a little more invested in what’s going on on the TV and um yeah like I said definitely rooting for him and makes
Things a little more exciting for sure coach talked about the first half and you know injuries and all that but one of the things he really focused on was holding leads in the third period there have been a few games that have kind of slipped away because what are your
Thoughts on that as kind of the last line of defense what has to be done kind of D that around I agree yeah I think um there’s a few a few games there where we would like to lock down a little bit more in the third period I think you
Know as long as we play Simple and we play hard and we trust one another uh I think that’s what you need down the stretch not to say that we weren’t doing that but you got to learn those lessons the hard way sometimes and you know as
Long as we can like I said yeah keep things simple get pucks out uh you know trust one another you know I think that stuff pays off big down the stretch in third period especially in bigger games watching yesterday’s game when you see Jimmy take a full wind up like that
And go he doesn’t even flin I mean you seen that in practice and how H how happy are you that he’s wearing the same Jersey as you no I go to the other end when when Jimmy’s power play is working no he’s got a he’s got a remarkable shot
Obviously everybody knows it and I think uh I I don’t know if he holds back on me in practice or if he just tries to keep but below 3T but uh I’m very thankful for that just what are your thoughts about Port Junior coming here to the TN City
Yeah I heard that I’m you know I won’t be around to see it you know it’s a too bad the guys are still here and they’re going to have some uh probably be able to sneak in the back door there and watch a few games it’ll be great action
And I think it’s going to be great for the Twin Cities obviously Minneapolis St Paul entire state of Minnesota it’s a great hockey State and um you know I expect the crowds to be and I think you know the buzz around here and around uh
It’s at the a as well right yeah I think it’s going to be great you give anything cool for Christmas socks under that’s all I need all right thanks guys thanks thanks yeah thanks you too tell your uh tell your parent company to get together with Direct TV Haven seen
11 my wife was Senior Living building you can get everything except local news on the only that are really losing right and I mean we have an app on Roku and stuff you can watch the newc but up how we doing good how are you great what’s uh we’ll start off easy what’s
The best thing you got for Christmas um best thing I got for Christmas my girlfriend got me beats the Beats uh Studios or something yeah those are the best so like pregame yeah a little bit traveling uh on the plane they’re nice and so yeah that’s the best thing I got
What’s your uh what’s your pregaming deck um I don’t listen to music whatever whatever is playing in the locker room I’ll listen to if there’s no music playing that’s great I’m not picky so yeah having played in this tournament last year you know what’s it like
Watching now you little bit of fomo or you feel yeah there there is a lot of F that was such a fun tournament but um yeah it was nice to have like a Christmas break this year too and spend it with the family but um yeah it was a
Good experience to have and now you just got to cheer the boys on so you were there last year and experience you know I I think a couple of you played like four games in five days I want to say or something like that I mean after that
Second s cloud game I’ve never seen a guy look as gas as Logan was you know even though he scores the overtime winner just what is that part of it like knowing these guys are going to get back here tomorrow night and kind of getting back into college life yeah it’s a
Different game I think college is a little more physical um more you know you’re you’re hitting guys you’re getting pucks deep it’s not as open as uh International play is so I think um they’ll do a great job of transitioning I don’t think they’ll have any problem
With that uh just got to you know make sure their legs are fresh and it’s a little bit of a grind but I think they’ll be fine how long did you sleep when you got back last year oh my gosh well we were out probably until 12:00 and
Then we had a flight at like 4:30 so bus was at 2: so 2 hours maybe I don’t know but yeah it was it was fine slept on slept on the plane and then Coach gave us the day off so that was good nice nice uh one one thing coach monco talked
About kind of assessing the first half of the season is a couple of times third period leads Slipped Away you end up going overtime things like that you know as one of the kind of now veterans on the defense what’s your role in kind of fixing that
Yeah I think the biggest thing that we do is we just play not to lose which I don’t know it’s it’s good in certain times but I think you still want to be uh trying to score uh playing offense I think offense is the best defense for
Sure so um you know staying cool staying collected um you know just not changing our game too much I think that was kind of our biggest thing is what I would say you see like yesterday Jimmy wind up and put one on that like that you know
We’ve seen that here too but just kind of get your blood pumping for the second half I mean yeah I get too excited I think if he’s ever if he’s ever over there with his stick raise I think I’ll just pass it to him so um yeah I think
That’s that’s what it got me thinking is maybe a free point or two if I ever see him over there I just talked to John you guys had a nice family reunion Casey back in town uh he’s pushing uh point a game he is yeah what’s what’s the Magic in in his
Gatorade what’s going on with I don’t know I think if you watch him is his confidence is through the roof right now which is which is good to see I think he lacked that a little bit throughout his first years and now um you know he’s
Getting the puck on the wall and he’s instantly looking to make a play um so yeah that’s that’s really cool to see and um he loves it there and I think he wants to stay so we’ll see but um yeah I mean he’s he’s playing so conf right now 25
Right um he is 25 yep 25 I think so I don’t like that he tested me on that I think he’s 25 pretty certain what do you know about carado college what do you expect from him I seriously don’t really know a thing um I think we’re going to
Pre- scout tomorrow and um yeah we’ll see what they got I mean I think they’re coming off that sweep over North Dakota which is pretty cool um they’ll be a good team I think um we just got to see what they’re all about than thank you guys thanks have a good one
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