Canada names Julien as coach, Doan as GM for men's Olympic team
With under one month to go until the 2022 Beijing Games, Hockey Canada unveiled the management and coaching staff for Canada's men's Olympic team Friday.
Former NHLer and current Arizona Coyotes executive Shane Doan will take the reins as general manager, while ex-Montreal Canadiens skipper Claude Julien will lead the way as head coach.
"We are excited to continue working with the entire staff as it prepares to represent Canada and build a roster that Canadians can support as it looks to bring home an Olympic gold medal," Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney said in a statement.
With NHL players no longer attending the Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Doan steps into St. Louis Blues executive Doug Armstrong's place as GM, while Julien replaces Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper behind the bench.
Doan, who is currently the Coyotes' chief hockey development officer, has plenty of experience guiding Team Canada in international competition. He served as general manager and assistant coach at the 2021 Channel One Cup in December, where the national team finished in third place. He captured gold as Canada's assistant general manager at the 2021 IIHF World Championship.
The 45-year-old represented Canada as a player during the 2006 Winter Games in Italy.
Julien has a wealth of coaching experience at the international level, having won Olympic gold as an assistant coach at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. He served as Canada's head coach at the 2021 Channel One Cup as well.
The 61-year-old also has no shortage of NHL experience; Julien has coached a total of 1,274 games and has one Stanley Cup championship.
Rounding out Canada's management group are senior vice president of hockey operations and assistant general manager Scott Salmond and director of player personnel Blair Mackasey.
Joining Julien on the bench are assistants Nolan Baumgartner, Jeremy Colliton, and Tyler Dietrich. The Chicago Blackhawks fired Colliton as head coach earlier this season.
"Shane, the entire management, and the coaching staff have been working extensively to evaluate players and build a roster that gives us the best chance to compete for a gold medal, and we look forward to unveiling that roster in the coming weeks," Salmond said.
Canada's men's team will kick off its Olympic competition in a preliminary-round clash against Germany on Feb. 10.
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