PYEONGCHANG, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- With two days out from the PyeongChang Winter Games men's ice hockey tournament, Tony Granato, head coach of the United States, said on Monday his team does not need a miracle to win the title.
The National Hockey League (NHL) has decided not to send its professional players to compete at these Winter Olympics, which dealt a major blow to the US team, but Granato believes that his team has what it takes to be a champion at PyeongChang.
"We are really happy with the team we have assembled. It has been a fun process to get them all together. We picked 25 players that we believe in, that we are confident in, and who are coming here to play hard and make American people proud," said Granato.
"They will represent the US like every American team does. Every American team competes for medals and that is our intention. To win we do not need a miracle. We need to be our best and play our best for two weeks to win this tournament," the coach added.
Asked about their first opponent Slovenia, Granato said: "It is a team that skates well. They play fast and they will be a challenge right out of the gate."
