CALGARY – Hockey Canada announced Canada’s 2012 IIHF World Championship coaching staff on Friday. Brent Sutter will be the head coach, with Guy Boucher and Kirk Muller serving as assistant coaches.
Canada’s team for the 2012 IIHF World Championship in Finland and Sweden (May 4-20) is being assembled by a management team led by general manager Kevin Lowe and assistant general managers Peter Chiarelli, Dave Nonis, and Brad Pascall.
“This is a coaching staff that has a great deal of professional and international experience,” said Lowe. “Brent, Guy and Kirk are all looking forward to working with the 17 players we have named and leading this group to success in Helsinki.”
Brent Sutter, 49, has coached Canada in international competition on three previous occasions, leading Canada to gold medals at the 2005 and 2006 IIHF World Junior Championships with perfect 6-0 records on both occasions, and leading Canada to 7-0-1 record at the 2006 Canada-Russia Super Series which featured both countries’ national junior programs.
The native of Viking, Alberta has just completed his third season as head coach of the NHL’s Calgary Flames after which he and the team parted ways. Sutter also represented Canada as a player on four occasions, at the 1986 World Championship and at the 1984, 1987 and 1991 Canada Cups.
Guy Boucher, 40, has just completed his second season as head coach of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. The native of West Island, Quebec was an assistant coach with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship, winning a gold medal and an assistant coach for Canada at the 2008 IIHF World Men’s Under-18 Championship, also winning gold.
He also coached Canada’s National Under-18 Team at the 2006 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka, finishing fourth.
Kirk Muller, 45, has just completed his first season as head coach of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. Muller started the season as head coach of the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, before joining Carolina on November 28, 2011. The native of Kingston, Ontario was an assistant coach for Canada at the 2006 IIHF World Men’s Under-18 Championship, finishing fourth, and an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2005 Lotto Cup, finishing third.
Muller also represented Canada as a player on several occasions, including the Olympics Winter Games in 1984, four IIHF World Championships (1985, 1986, 1987, 1989) and the 1984 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Canada’s National Men’s Team will be holding a pre-competition camp in Zurich from April 27-May 1, playing in two pre-competition games on April 29 vs. Switzerland in Fribourg and May 1 vs. Switzerland in Kloten. The 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship runs from May 4-20, in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden. Canada is based out of Helsinki for the entire event. Canada opens the World Championship against Slovakia on May 4.
- from Hockey Canada |
