men's junior team which won its first IIHF World Junior Championship medal with a bronze in 1986, and a fourth-place finish in 1987. He later served as head coach for the US men's national team at the 1987 Pravda Cup. 1988 Winter Olympics The AHAUS chose Peterson as head coach of the United States men's team for ice hockey at the 1988 Winter Olympics, when it desired a coach who was committed to the players and teaching, instead of furthering his own career. National team general manager Art Berglund stated, "it doesn't matter whether it's high school, college or the pros, [Peterson] knows how to handle young men", and that "he's been part of our developmental program for years". Chicago Tribune journalist Bob Verdi felt that Peterson was expected to be a father figure to the players, who played a schedule of exhibition games with the national team during the 1987–88 season. Peterson opted against last-minute additions of National Hockey League (NHL) players to the Olympic roster, as not to be unfair to the players who played the season. Peterson was criticized by media at the 1988 Winter Olympics for his coaching strategy, player selection, and gruff disposition. He defended his team's offensive-style system despite losses early in the Olympic tournament. He had a verbal exchange with Klauss Zaugg, a German-language reporter from Switzerland, who questioned the offensive style and lack of defense. After losing to the West Germany national team and being eliminated from medal contention, Zaugg stated, "What is your system, Coach? You have no system". Peterson called the international media "dishonest, lazy and uninformed", and also stated "I have a tough time believing some of you have ever seen a hockey game". Patrick Reusse wrote in the Star Tribune, that Peterson deliberately took the role of a villain, to alleviate the pressure on the players. Sports Illustrated wrote that United States men's team "massively underachieved" with a seventh-place finish, and noted that twelve of the players were in the NHL within four years of the Olympics. Sports Illustrated also wrote that the exhibition season prior to the Olympics included games against college teams, which were easily defeated while falling into "bad defensive habits". After the 1988 Winter Olympics, Peterson worked as the director of coaching and player development for AHAUS. He conducted coaching clinics across the nation, and wanted to change the perception that a player had