PITTSBURGH — Mike Sullivan worried the opportunity might've passed.

When it was announced on Dec. 22, 2021, that NHL players would no longer participate in the 2022 Beijing Games, the result of COVID-19 complicating the league's regular-season schedule, it also meant Sullivan would lose out on a lifelong dream to coach for his country at the highest level of competition.

"It's an incredible, incredible honor to represent your nation," Sullivan told me in his office this offseason.

With the 4 Nations Face-Off starting this week — the first best-on-best competition since the World Cup of Hockey in 2016 — I couldn't help but think about Sullivan and that chat.

And while a four-team tournament involving the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland isn't quite the Olympics, I'm also happy for Sullivan that he'll get a chance to represent our country for the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.

"I have so much respect for the coaching fraternity," Sullivan continued. "There are a lot of really good, American-born coaches who could have been chosen to lead these teams.

"[Team USA general manager and former Penguin] Billy Guerin ultimately asked me to be the coach. That's a humbling conversation to have. I'm incredibly excited about it. It's an unbelievable opportunity that we have in front of us."

It has obviously been a difficult season — OK, seasons — for Sullivan in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins probably won't make the postseason for a third consecutive year, while there has been no shortage of questions about his job status or coaching style.

I wrote earlier this season how Fenway Sports Group's handling of Sullivan makes little sense, but it has nothing to do with Sullivan's ability as a coach. Those in his position are hired to be fired. The Penguins have also fallen short of FSG's previously stated Stanley Cup goals.

Said another way: Sullivan is a terrific and hugely respected coach who deserves to be at this level — guiding the best players in the country and trying to win an Olympic medal for the first time since Team USA brought home silver at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

The first path on that journey started/starts this past week, with games against Finland and Canada before the tournament wraps up in a familiar spot: TD Garden in Sullivan's native Boston. How cool would that be for someone who grew up a Bruins fan, who later played and coached for the organization, to lead the Americans to a 4 Nations title there?

It's not crazy.

Team USA has ample depth down the middle in Toronto's Auston Matthews and Vegas' Jack Eichel, along with Upper St. Clair native Vincent Trocheck. Fellow New York Ranger J.T. Miller (Coraopolis), Tampa's Jake Guentzel, New Jersey's Jack Hughes, Brady (Ottawa) and Matthew Tkachuk (Florida) and Kyle Connor (Winnipeg) give Team USA ample talent on the wings.

The Americans must replace reigning Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes (Vancouver) on the back end, but they have capable defensemen in Columbus' Zach Werenski, Adam Fox (2020-21 Norris winner with the Rangers) and Sullivan's son-in-law, Charlie McAvoy of Boston.

What should separate Sullivan's team, however, is goaltending. Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck is the runaway Vezina Trophy winner at this point and leads the NHL in wins (34), shutouts (six), save percentage (.925) and (2.06).

There's also Dallas' Jake Oettinger, who's second in wins (26) and still among the elite crowd with a 2.35 goals-against average and .911 save percentage.

"I don't know that there's been a player pool as deep as this American player pool today," Sullivan said. "The amount of American-born players who are playing at such an elite level right now is exciting for us."

Which means, of course, that there was also plenty of conversation surrounding roster selection for this tournament.

A reasonable case can be made for the inclusion of Montreal's Cole Caufield or Buffalo's Tage Thompson, who each entered the two-week break with 26 goals; a mere eight NHL players have more, and only two of them — Guentzel and Connor — are American.

Other snubs included Detroit's Patrick Kane, Utah's Clayton Keller and Vancouver's Brock Boeser, the same for Washington's John Carlson on the back end. Ottawa's Jake Sanderson, a previous snub, wound up replacing Quinn Hughes.

But all of those problems are welcomed, Sullivan said. Especially when you consider the context.

A few years ago, Sullivan said, "We were well down the road" building for the Beijing Games. There were Zoom calls every other week to discuss the roster. The coaching staff met and formulated a plan for how they wanted the team to play.

Then, whoosh.

"I felt like we did a lot of legwork building up to that, then the rug got pulled out from under us," Sullivan said. "It was an incredibly disappointing feeling when that went down the way it did.

"So, to get the call this time, again, to have an opportunity to represent the United States again, with this incredible group of people ... it's special."

This obviously isn't the first time on an international stage for Sullivan, who was announced as Team USA's coach for the 4 Nations and Olympics on May 18, 2024.

As a player, Sullivan participated in the 1988 IIHF World Junior Championship and then the Men's Worlds in 1997. He assisted Peter Laviolette at the 2006 Turin Games before becoming head coach of Team USA at the Men's Worlds the next year and serving as an assistant there in 2008.

During the World Cup of Hockey, I remember driving to Columbus to chat with Sullivan outside the Blue Jackets' dressing room as he helped John Tortorella prepare the Americans for the event. This time, the roles are flipped, with Torts helping Sullivan.

When we chatted, the excitement in Sullivan's voice was evident. The same for the respect and admiration for the talented players he'll get to coach.

"It's a credit to people across the country in developing the sport," Sullivan said, speaking passionately about USA Hockey down to volunteers at the grassroots level.

That doesn't mean this will be easy.

Sullivan also discussed the challenges these events would present: building a team like you would an NHL team, marrying skill sets and gameplay, plus trying to build and cultivate an identity. And, of course, doing that at warp speed, mostly in the middle of another season.

But after losing this once, Sullivan will never complain. He's loving every minute of a dream and journey that has reappeared once more.

As mad as any of us have been about the Penguins — and I get it — I can't help but feel happy for Sullivan. He's a genuine, salt-of-the-Earth type of person, has given everything he has to our city and this sport, and he deserves this.

"Every team has great talent and game-breakers. It's the best of the best," Sullivan said. "It's gonna come down to which team can truly become a team in the quickest and most effective way because that's going to give them a competitive advantage.

"It's a challenge. But it's also really exciting."

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