BROSSARD, Quebec — (AP) — The last time Jon Cooper coached an international tournament featuring the NHL’s best players, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey came with a training camp and a slate of exhibition games to get ready.
The 4 Nations Face-Off has none of that. Cooper’s Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland took the ice Monday for each team’s first practice knowing there’s no time to spare. Canada and Sweden get just two practices and a game-day morning skate before playing each other, and the lack of a ramp-up period puts an emphasis on developing chemistry right away.
“This one we have to jump right in,” Cooper said. “Being in these situations, it’s not always the best players that win. It’s the best team that wins. And I think the team that jells the quickest and kind of plays for each other, especially in such a short tournament, will have the …