Post by Smyth94 on Oct 14, 2010 5:54:34 GMT -5
CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced Friday that Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier will serve as head coach of Canada’s national men’s teams at the 2010 Deutschland Cup and 2010 Spengler Cup.
Rick Chernomaz will be an assistant coach at the Deutschland Cup and Doug Shedden will be an assistant coach at the Spengler Cup.
A roster for the Deutschland Cup, including additional staff, will be announced in the next two weeks, while the final roster for the Spengler Cup will be announced in December. Team Canada’s rosters for both events will be mostly made up of Canadian players playing professionally in Europe.
Mark Messier has extensive experience representing Canada at the international level as a player, including the 1984, 1987 and 1991 Canada Cups, the 1989 IIHF World Championship and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. The St. Albert, Alta. native totalled nine goals and 23 assists for 32 points in 38 games playing for Canada.
This will be Messier’s second appearance with Team Canada off the ice, as he served as Canada’s general manager at the 2010 IIHF World Championship.
“I am excited for this opportunity to coach Canada on the world stage,” said Messier. “I have always taken pride in representing Canada at an international level as a player, and look forward to the challenges in front of us at the Deutschland Cup and Spengler Cup.”
Messier, 49, is a legendary figure in hockey. He is a six-time Stanley Cup champion, a two-time Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP and played in 15 NHL All-Star Games in his 25-year career, during which he racked up 1,887 points in 1,756 games. Messier currently works as a special assistant to general manager Glen Sather with the New York Rangers.
“Hockey Canada is thrilled that Mark Messier has agreed to step behind the bench,” said Brad Pascall, vice-president of hockey operations/national teams for Hockey Canada. “With his tremendous hockey background and his leadership skills, we feel that Mark will be a great coach as we strive to continue Canada’s winning tradition.”
Rich Chernomaz (Port Alberni, B.C.) returns for his second-consecutive appearance behind the Team Canada bench at the Deutschland Cup, having guided Canada to the gold medal as head coach in 2008. He has also represented his country on one occasion as a player, recording three points in eight games at the 1995 IIHF World Championship and winning a bronze medal. He has spent the last 13 years in Germany, the first four years as a player for the Schwenningen Wild Wings and the last nine as a head coach for Schwenningen, the Cologne Sharks and Frankfurt Lions, where he has spent the last six seasons. Chernomaz, 37, has 16 years of professional playing experience, including 51 NHL games with New Jersey and Calgary.
Doug Shedden (Wallaceburg, Ont.) has previous international coaching experience, guiding Finland to a bronze medal at the 2008 IIHF World Championship. Shedden, 49, is currently the head coach of EV Zug in the Swiss A League. He has NHL playing experience, totaling 325 points over 416 games with Pittsburgh, Detroit and Toronto. Shedden has previously coached in the Finnish Elite League, the AHL, CHL, UHL and ECHL.
2010 Deutschland Cup
The Deutschland Cup will be held in Munich, Germany from November 12-14. Canada has participated in the event since 1992 but now sends a team only every two years. In its 14 appearances, Canada has four gold medals, three silver and three bronze. Canada won the tournament in its last appearance in 2008.
2010 Spengler Cup
The 2010 Spengler Cup will be held in Davos, Switzerland from December 26-31. Canada will be joined at the event by the host team HC Davos (Swiss National League), SKA St. Petersburg (KHL), Spartak Moscow (KHL), Sparta Prague (Czech Elite League) and Servette Geneva (Swiss National League). The Spengler Cup, held annually since 1923, is the oldest professional international hockey tournament in the world.
Canada has appeared in eight of the last 10 championship games, winning the Spengler Cup in 2002, 2003 and 2007. Overall, Canada’s National Men’s Team has won the Spengler Cup 11 times (1984, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007), since first taking part in the tournament in 1984.
Rick Chernomaz will be an assistant coach at the Deutschland Cup and Doug Shedden will be an assistant coach at the Spengler Cup.
A roster for the Deutschland Cup, including additional staff, will be announced in the next two weeks, while the final roster for the Spengler Cup will be announced in December. Team Canada’s rosters for both events will be mostly made up of Canadian players playing professionally in Europe.
Mark Messier has extensive experience representing Canada at the international level as a player, including the 1984, 1987 and 1991 Canada Cups, the 1989 IIHF World Championship and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. The St. Albert, Alta. native totalled nine goals and 23 assists for 32 points in 38 games playing for Canada.
This will be Messier’s second appearance with Team Canada off the ice, as he served as Canada’s general manager at the 2010 IIHF World Championship.
“I am excited for this opportunity to coach Canada on the world stage,” said Messier. “I have always taken pride in representing Canada at an international level as a player, and look forward to the challenges in front of us at the Deutschland Cup and Spengler Cup.”
Messier, 49, is a legendary figure in hockey. He is a six-time Stanley Cup champion, a two-time Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP and played in 15 NHL All-Star Games in his 25-year career, during which he racked up 1,887 points in 1,756 games. Messier currently works as a special assistant to general manager Glen Sather with the New York Rangers.
“Hockey Canada is thrilled that Mark Messier has agreed to step behind the bench,” said Brad Pascall, vice-president of hockey operations/national teams for Hockey Canada. “With his tremendous hockey background and his leadership skills, we feel that Mark will be a great coach as we strive to continue Canada’s winning tradition.”
Rich Chernomaz (Port Alberni, B.C.) returns for his second-consecutive appearance behind the Team Canada bench at the Deutschland Cup, having guided Canada to the gold medal as head coach in 2008. He has also represented his country on one occasion as a player, recording three points in eight games at the 1995 IIHF World Championship and winning a bronze medal. He has spent the last 13 years in Germany, the first four years as a player for the Schwenningen Wild Wings and the last nine as a head coach for Schwenningen, the Cologne Sharks and Frankfurt Lions, where he has spent the last six seasons. Chernomaz, 37, has 16 years of professional playing experience, including 51 NHL games with New Jersey and Calgary.
Doug Shedden (Wallaceburg, Ont.) has previous international coaching experience, guiding Finland to a bronze medal at the 2008 IIHF World Championship. Shedden, 49, is currently the head coach of EV Zug in the Swiss A League. He has NHL playing experience, totaling 325 points over 416 games with Pittsburgh, Detroit and Toronto. Shedden has previously coached in the Finnish Elite League, the AHL, CHL, UHL and ECHL.
2010 Deutschland Cup
The Deutschland Cup will be held in Munich, Germany from November 12-14. Canada has participated in the event since 1992 but now sends a team only every two years. In its 14 appearances, Canada has four gold medals, three silver and three bronze. Canada won the tournament in its last appearance in 2008.
2010 Spengler Cup
The 2010 Spengler Cup will be held in Davos, Switzerland from December 26-31. Canada will be joined at the event by the host team HC Davos (Swiss National League), SKA St. Petersburg (KHL), Spartak Moscow (KHL), Sparta Prague (Czech Elite League) and Servette Geneva (Swiss National League). The Spengler Cup, held annually since 1923, is the oldest professional international hockey tournament in the world.
Canada has appeared in eight of the last 10 championship games, winning the Spengler Cup in 2002, 2003 and 2007. Overall, Canada’s National Men’s Team has won the Spengler Cup 11 times (1984, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007), since first taking part in the tournament in 1984.
