World Cup Hockey Coaching Staff

The choices might have varied for some, but to hockey Canada they selected the one that they both believe in and trust to bring home Gold.

Of all the coaching choices that Canadian GM Doug Armstrong had, he stuck with the man with the two Olympic gold medals to his resume.

Mike Babcock’s success in both Vancouver and Sochi  seemed the “logical choice” to be Canada’s coach at the return of the World Cup in 2016 and in the end he get’s the nod.

Team Canada’s GM Doug Armstrong stated “Mike has the ability to be able to bring a group together quickly. He’s done it obviously at the world championships, he’s done it at the Olympics and I think his record obviously speaks for itself.”

He (Babcock) led Canada to gold medals at the 1997 world junior championships, 2004 world championships and then the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. The current Toronto Maple Leafs coach won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008.

But Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks, with three Cups in six years on his resume, also garnered significant consideration. Quenneville will be an assistant on Babcock’s staff but could’ve easily been the head coach.

GM Doug Armstrong also mentioned “It was a two-horse race for me and I wasn’t torn on the final decision, but I thought we had to give Joel Quenneville the opportunity for us to discuss him. You just can’t get past three Stanley Cups in six years.”

Doug Armstrong and Tom Renney also mentioned that Claude Julien, Barry Trotz, Joel Quenneville, and Bill Peters will be Assistant Coaches for Team Canada.

Julien returns from Babcock’s staff in Sochi, while Quenneville, Trotz and Peters are all new additions to the team.

Quenneville will run Canada’s defence, Trotz and Julien will focus on special teams and Peters will be in charge of pre-scouting at the Olympics.