CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced on Thursday that Craig MacTavish has been named head coach of Canada's National Men's Team for the 2009 Spengler Cup.
MacTavish served as an assistant coach with Canada at the 2008 and 2005 IIHF World Championships, winning silver both years. He was also an assistant coach for Canada at the 2004 Loto Cup, where Canada won bronze. MacTavish was head coach of the NHL's Edmonton Oilers from 2000-09, leading the team to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006. He has also spent time as an assistant with the New York Rangers (1997-99). MacTavish played 1,093 games in the NHL with Boston, Edmonton, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, and St. Louis.
Hockey Canada has also announced that Sean Simpson and Doug Shedden will serve as MacTavish's assistants at the 2009 Spengler Cup.
"We're thrilled that Craig, Doug and Sean will lead our National Men's Team at the 2009 Spengler Cup in Switzerland," says Johnny Misley, executive vice-president of hockey operations with Hockey Canada. "This is an experienced coaching staff and we believe they can lead Canada to gold once again."
"I'm excited to once again work with Hockey Canada and I look forward to teaming up with Doug and Sean on the road to gold," says MacTavish. "I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every experience with Hockey Canada. I'm sure this will be no different."
Simpson, meanwhile, was Canada's head coach at the 2008 Spengler Cup, where Canada won silver, and head coach of Canada's gold-medal winning team at the 2007 Spengler Cup. Simpson is currently the head coach of the Zurich ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League A. He led the team to the Champions Hockey League title in 2009. Simpson has also coached EV Zug (Swiss National League) and Munich Barons (German DEL League) to Champions Hockey League titles, and was head coach of the Hamburg Freezers of the German DEL League.
Shedden will make his debut behind the bench for Team Canada. He was head coach of Finland's bronze-medal winning team at the 2008 IIHF World Championship in Halifax, N.S., and Quebec City, Que. Shedden has coached in the American Hockey League, CHL, ECHL and UHL. He is currently head coach of EV Zug of the Swiss National League A. Shedden was bench boss of Jokerit in the Finnish Elite League from 2006-08. Shedden played 416 games in the NHL with Pittsburgh, Detroit, Quebec, and Toronto.
Canada's team will be made up mostly of Canadians playing professional hockey in Europe and could also include American Hockey League players on loan from NHL teams. The roster will be announced in mid-December.
The 2009 Spengler Cup will be held in Davos, Switzerland from December 26-31, 2009. Canada will be joined at the event by the host team HC Davos (Swiss National League), Dynamo Minsk (KHL), Energie Karlovy Vary (Czech Elite League) and Adler Mannheim (German DEL League). The Spengler Cup, held annually since 1923, is the oldest professional international hockey tournament in the world.