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Post by marrella on Mar 28, 2004 15:22:53 GMT -5
I thought I heard last night that Pete Friesen, the Canes head athletic trainer, was going to be the head trainer for Team Canada. I haven't seen any public announcement of this yet ... have you guys?
If true, he's a great choice ... a very tough trainer!
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Post by MarmotMike on Mar 28, 2004 23:58:19 GMT -5
Nope! Haven't heard anything about it yet....
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Post by DanCan on Mar 29, 2004 13:16:12 GMT -5
Neither have I, but it wouldn't surprise me given Pete Friesen's long-time involvement with Team Canada (eight world championships) and Canadian Olympic Committee (past 19 years).
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Post by MarmotMike on Mar 29, 2004 18:56:16 GMT -5
Team Canada adds Babcock, Renney
Canadian Press
3/29/2004
Coaches Mike Babcock of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Tom Renney of the New York Rangers will join Canada's coaching staff for the world hockey championships next month in Prague.
Joel Quenneville was named head coach March 15, giving Team Canada an impressive cast behind the bench as it prepares to defend its world title at the April 24-May 9 tournament.
"They're a great complement to Joel,'' Team Canada general manager Jim Nill said Monday from Detroit. "They bring international experience. And that was key.''
Quenneville is seen as one of the game's best coaches but he has no international experience. The additions of Renney and Babcock shore that up.
"Tom Renney's international experience is as good as any,'' Nill said. ``And Babcock won world junior gold.
"We just think it's a great mix,'' added Nill. "It's the same when you put a team together, you need a good mix and this is the same with the coaches. Joel is very comfortable with these two guys.''
Canada needs all the help it can get, having won only three gold medals since 1977 (the year NHL players began participating) at the annual International Ice Hockey Federation men's tournament, including last spring in Helsinki.
Nill's phone was ringing non-stop with coaches interested in joining Quenneville's staff. Sources indicate fired Carolina coach Paul Maurice and former Hockey Canada assistant coach Mike Pelino were among those interested.
"It was a tough decision,'' Nill said. "And I think it shows there's a renewed interest in international hockey in Canada. The interest was high.''
Renney and Babcock will now add their thoughts to the makeup of Canada's team, helping out Nill, assistant GM Don Maloney, Quenneville and director of player personnel Lanny McDonald.
Because the end of the first round of the NHL playoffs can be no later than April 20 and Canada doesn't open its world championship campaign until April 25 against Austria, Nill and company will have 22 NHL clubs in total to choose players from.
Nill will name his first batch of players later this week. While he wouldn't say who was on his radar screen, you can expect goalies Roberto Luongo of Florida and J.S. Giguere of Anaheim to be invited, as well as forwards Dany Heatley of Atlanta, Rick Nash of Columbus and Shane Doan of Phoenix as well as defencemen Derek Morris of Phoenix and Jay Bouwmeester of Florida.
Luongo is virtually a lock to be the No. 1 man after stopping 37 shots in Canada's final win over Sweden last spring.
Babcock, meanwhile, is in his second season with the Ducks, leading his club to a surprise Stanley Cup appearance last spring. He was also behind the bench when Canada last captured gold at the world junior tournament, winning it all in 1997.
Renney's appointment should be no surprise. He was coach of Canada's national team in the 1990s, including being behind the bench for Canada's Olympic silver medal in 1994 at Lillehammer and three times head coach at the world championships, winning a bronze in '95 and a silver in '96.
And he also has obvious ties to Maloney, who is also the assistant GM with the Rangers.
Renney took over as interim head coach for Rangers GM Glen Sather on Feb. 25. He also serves as vice-president of player development.
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