Felicia Keller
Ryan Warsofsky didn’t even see Tage Thompson’s World Championships-winning goal.
“I couldn’t really see because our whole bench was standing up, and I’m 5-foot-8, so I was really looking at the jumbotron, so I didn’t really see the goal go in,” the Team USA head coach admitted. “To my right was [assistant coach] Adam Nightingale, and I saw him celebrate, and I knew that was a good sign.”
Following his World Championships gold medal, America’s first stand-alone gold at the tournament since 1933, the San Jose Sharks bench boss spoke to local media about his takeaways and reactions from the historic victory.
Warsofsky talked about what he wants to bring back from USA’s victory to the Sharks, who took Will Smith under their wing at the World Championships, and how Macklin Celebrini and William Eklund are doing after a tough Worlds.
What It Took To Win?
In their only loss in the tournament, Team USA fell 3-0 to Switzerland in the preliminary round, which Warsofsky said they learned from.
“We were the youngest team in the tournament, and our game got better as the tournament went on, and our team got better as it went on, and we went through some adversity with the Norway game, and lost to the Swiss early in the prelims, but even against Finland, we were patient in our game.”
The San Jose Sharks head coach hopes to bring what he learned – patience and not forcing things early – back to his home club.
He added adversity as a second detail the team had to work through.
“You’re going to go through some things. Especially in this tournament where we gave up a lead, maybe we get a call we didn’t want, maybe we had a bad bounce, the first goal against Switzerland in the prelims game was kind of a bad, fluky goal, and we just stuck with it,” Warsofsky said.
Getting punched in the mouth earlier on in the tournament was a contrast to the 8-0 start that USA had through the 2023 Worlds – Warsofsky was an assistant coach on David Quinn’s staff — before that team’s semifinals loss.
The adversity this year prepared the team for big moments later on.
“We took the ‘Us vs. The World’ mentality, and we ran with it,” Warsofsky said. “Our game transitioned from being more of a line rush, perimeter team early in the tournament, in the prelims, to more of an inside, grind it out, put pucks [to] the net, win races inside team. And ultimately, that’s what really helped us win the tournament.”
Warsofsky also added, speaking of what he wants to bring from Team USA to the San Jose Sharks: “The way we wore teams down was something that we want to build here.”
He noted that all the Conference Finals teams have that relentlessness.
What’s Next for Will Smith?
Will Smith recorded seven assists through ten games at the World Championships.
Warsofsky said the San Jose Sharks’ phenom’s best performances came in the final two games of the tournament.
“I thought his last two game against Sweden and [Switzerland] were his two most complete games that I’ve seen him play,” Warsofsky said. “I think he had an assist against Sweden. He wasn’t lighting up the score sheet. He got some good looks. Got some good chances there against Switzerland on a two-on-one. He was playing on his toes. He was playing through people. So that was a big, big positive for me.”
Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland took Smith under his wing for the tournament, in addition to Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers. Warsofsky said that pair helped Smith through the ups and downs of the tournament.
Now for the rest of the summer, Warsofsky wants Smith to work on his body and getting it ready for his sophomore season.
“The big thing is him getting stronger and getting his body prepared to play 82 games,” Warsofsky said.
Proud American
Warsofsky said winning for and representing America gave him goosebumps.
“To represent your country, it’s humbling, and it’s an honor. It’s a special, special country, it’s a special place. I’m so glad I’m American, and the freedoms that we have, I think it’s the greatest place in the world.”
After each win of theirs in the tournament, the American National Anthem played in the arenas.
Team USA focused on that tradition to drive them to that final win.
“We heard that anthem quite a bit,” Warosfsky said. “That’s something we talked about at the end of the gold medal game, is we wanted to hear our anthem. We wanted to hear it in Sweden when there was only about 40 Americans in the building, and that was basically the families and wives and girlfriends.”
Team USA’s Chemistry
The reality of this tournament is that for weeks the team travels together and bonds, Warsofsky said.
“You really bond because you’re with each other, pretty much 24/7 for those two and a half weeks,” Warosfsky said. “You’re trying to, at the same time, build an identity to the hockey team and put the structure in place. So you’re kind of in a little bit of a rat race, but it’s just you and the team.”
Warsofsky said most nights, after the coaching staff returned from dinner, the players would still be playing poker together at 10 or 11 p.m.
“Maybe that’s what helped our group, maybe just the chemistry of them together on a nightly basis,” Warsofsky said. “They had a lot of dinners, just all of them. There was never really cliques, they were always together. And I thought that is what made it very unique and special.”
Warsofsky laughed, noting that he heard that Smith was down in poker at one point.
And that off-the-ice chemistry seemed to translate on the ice too.
“Our second period against Sweden – I’ve never been part of a bench where every guy was saying the right things, every guy had energy, every guy was talking about playing with winning habits, and putting pucks deep, and finishing checks. Every guy was on it,” Warsofsky said. “I mentioned it to the group after the game, of how special it was to witness that.”
Warsofsky credited Clayton Keller, Garland, and Tage Thompson, among others, for taking that lead.
The Historic Moment
This win marks the United States’ first win at this tournament since 1933 – and the team was certainly aware of that history.
“We addressed it on day one [against] Germany. 1933 – it was almost embarrassing that USA Hockey hadn’t won that tournament since then, and I think that’s what drove our group,” Warsofsky said. “It was reminded quite often in the dressing room of 1933 and it’s been a long time, and we wanted to make history, and wanted to be the team to do it.”
Olympics Next?
The Winter Olympics are fast approaching, coming up in Feb. 2026.
Now that he’s won with Team USA, could Warsofsky be a potential assistant for head coach (and best friend) Mike Sullivan’s staff?
“It would be quite the honor. This was special, obviously, but the Olympics is something that would be very humbling and almost bucket list, but we’ll worry about that when it comes,” Warsofsky said. “If that call comes, if not, we just keep working and getting better as San Jose Sharks head coach, and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”
Giving Celebrini a Hard Time
Macklin Celebrini buried three goals with three assists through Team Canada’s eight games at the tournament. But Canada fell short of the medal round in a shocking 2-1 quarterfinals loss to Denmark.
Warsofsky said he ran into both Celebrini and Smith, together in a coffee shop, in Stockholm after Canada’s loss.
“Just actually ran into each other in a coffee shop. He was with Will, which doesn’t surprise us,” Warsofsky laughed.
“I know he had a great experience. I’m sure he learned a lot from [Nathan] MacKinnon and [Sidney Crosby] and some of the players that they had there, Ryan O’Reilly, there’s some really good talent over there, guys that have won and played in this league for a long time,” Warsofsky said. “I thought he had a great tournament in the games that I watched, and I’m sure he learned a lot from those guys, and he’ll hopefully take it here in San Jose.”
Warsofsky joked that he and Smith may have to give Celebrini a hard time about their win and his loss: “Will and I are going to make sure he feels it for a little bit.”
Warsofsky says he also spoke with William Eklund, who suffered a serious wrist injury in a Team Sweden pre-tournament game, in Stockholm: “He was in good spirits. He’s ramping up his rehab, so we’re not too worried about it. I think he’s going to be ready to go [for next season].”