BEIJING (AP) 鈥� David Quinn hears the music coming from the locker room and stops in his tracks. He needs to walk in to talk to his players but doesn't want to interrupt.
鈥淚鈥檝e got to let this song finish,鈥� Quinn thinks to himself.
Often, it's Maxine Nightingale's 鈥淩ight Back Where We Started From" 鈥� the song from the bar scene in the iconic hockey movie 鈥淪lap Shot.鈥� Other times it's Bryan Adams' 鈥淪ummer of 鈥�69鈥� or Paul Simon's 鈥淢e and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.鈥�
The old-school music has helped the United States, with players ranging in age from 19 to 35, bond quickly off the ice. The camaraderie is showing through on the ice for the only team in the Olympic men's hockey tournament to in regulation, earning the top seed.
鈥淚 think everyone kind of likes the old tunes,鈥� said 19-year-old Matty Beniers, who made the playlist well before the Olympics. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good common ground because a lot of the older guys don鈥檛 like the hard rap and the younger guys usually like the older music, so it鈥檚 good.鈥�
There's "Build Me Up Buttercup" by the Foundations, 鈥淩ich Girl" by Hall and Oates, 鈥淐arry on Wayward Son鈥� by Kansas and 鈥淭hree Little Birds鈥� by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Beniers' favorite is Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's 鈥淎in鈥檛 No Mountain High Enough."
鈥淚t鈥檚 the best playlist I鈥檝e heard in hockey,鈥� said Quinn, who is 55 and enjoying the age-appropriate tunes. 鈥淚 told Matty Beniers, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e a hell of a player, but you鈥檙e a better DJ.鈥�"
That's not a coincidence. Beniers was raised to appreciate music by his mother, Christine, an actress who performed on tour in 鈥淎 Chorus Line鈥� and on Broadway before becoming an attorney. Christine was addicted to show tunes growing up and got her first paying gig at age 12 in a dinner theatre production of 鈥淭he King and I.鈥�
While Christine's fire chief father and office administrator mother were supportive of her interests, she made sure sons Matty and Bobby and daughter Gianna were immersed in music and entertainment growing up.
鈥淢y dad was kind of the sports guy and my mom was the music," Matty Beniers said. "My mom said if we can play all these sports, we鈥檝e got to do all these instruments.鈥�
Beniers and his siblings played the piano, attended camps and watched their mother direct school musicals. He has since given up piano and focused on hockey, but he hasn't lost connection to his musical side.
鈥淚t was just a part of my life growing up," Beniers said. 鈥淚t was pretty cool to have that kind of side, go to plays, see those things.鈥�
Quinn said the Americans have 鈥渞eally become a team in a short period of time.鈥� Winning their first three games certainly helped, but it's also a mix of personalities USA Hockey figured would mesh well together.
鈥淲e were very conscious of the type of the people we were choosing,鈥� Quinn said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e very fortunate that the players we wanted from a talent standpoint certainly checked the boxes from the people standpoint. When you鈥檝e got all that, you鈥檝e got a much better chance to have success.鈥�
The U.S. success has made the music sound better before and after practices and games. Three more victories, starting with the , would give the U.S. its first Olympic gold medal in men's hockey since the 鈥淢iracle on Ice鈥� team in 1980.
None of the players on the youngest roster in the tournament were born then, but they also weren't around when most of the songs on the playlist came out. That doesn't seem to matter.
鈥淚t鈥檚 funny to play different songs in the locker room and see what the older guys remember and hear about what they think about the new music,鈥� Beniers said. 鈥淚t affects everyone in different ways. It dials guys in. It keeps some guys loose.鈥�
As long as the U.S. keeps winning, the music will keep playing.
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Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
