Guerin was super ‘stressed’ during gold medal game
Guerin played 1,263 games in the NHL, racking up 856 points (429 goals, 427 assists) for the New Jersey Devils, Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins from 1991-2010. He won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 1995 and Pittsburgh in 2009.
He helped the Americans win the World Cup of Hockey in 1996, when they defeated Canada in the final — their last best-on-best tournament triumph before the Olympics in Milan. He also played in the Olympics in 1998, 2002 and 2006, winning the silver medal in 2002, when the U.S. lost to Canada in the gold medal game at Salt Lake.
As a player, he could do something on the ice to affect the outcome of a game.
As a GM, by the time the puck drops, his work is done. All he can do is watch.
“You have no control,” he said. “Over 82 games in the NHL season, I’m pretty relaxed. ‘Well, there’s 82 games, and there’s nothing I can do.’ It’s different in the playoffs, and it’s different in the Olympics — single-game elimination and all that stuff. It’s high stakes, so I get pretty ramped up.”
The Wild have a shot at the Stanley Cup. They’re third in the Central Division, behind the Colorado Avalanche and Stars, but also tied for third in points in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes (two games in hand) and Buffalo Sabres (one game in hand). They host the Chicago Blackhawks at Grand Casino Arena on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+).
Now that he’s trying to win another ring, can he learn anything from his Oura ring to help him take care of himself in the playoffs?
“Honestly, that’s why I have it, so that I can make sure that I’m sleeping, make sure that my heart rate’s good and I don’t put more stress on myself,” Guerin said. “Those are the biggest things for me.”
