Canada's Colliton thrust into Olympic spotlight: 'You don't roadmap these things'

BEIJING — Jeremy Colliton brought his players together toward the tail end of practice.

"Let's have that urgency," Canada's Olympic men's hockey coach calmly told the group. "Let's have that desperation."

It was instruction — and a job title on the other side of the world — he never would have envisioned three short months ago.

"You don't roadmap these things," the 37-year-old told a group of North American reporters about 30 minutes later. "You just do the best you can and prepare for your opportunities."

Colliton certainly has a big one under the bright lights of the Beijing Games.

With head coach Claude Julien unable to travel after breaking his ribs at training camp during what Hockey Canada described as a "team-building activity," the Chicago Blackhawks' former bench boss has been presented an unlikely opportunity — attempt to lead his country to gold in the top job.

"Claude, his track record speaks for itself," Colliton said. "I was really excited to work with him, under him, and just be around him."

After getting fired by the bumbling, scandal-tinged Blackhawks in early November following a 1-9-2 start, the product of Blackie, Alta., found himself in reflection mode.

"You've got to look at yourself and look at the situation that happened," Colliton said at Beijing's National Indoor Stadium. "And start preparing for wherever you're going to go next."

What came next initially was an assistant role with Canada when the NHL pulled the plug on its Olympic participation — Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning had been originally tabbed to coach the team — because of COVID-19 concerns.

Colliton jumped at the opportunity. What young coach, especially one looking to reassert himself, wouldn't want to learn from Julien?

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