Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings Blashill To Coach With USA Hockey At Worlds

Published

2 years ago

April 15, 2022

Bob Duff

Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill is going to be part of the USA Hockey staff at the IIHF Men’s World Championship in Tampere and Helsinki, Finland.

At least one member of the Detroit Red Wings will still be taking part in hockey games beyond the end of the NHL regular season. Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill is going to be part of the USA Hockey staff at the IIHF Men’s World Championship in Tampere and Helsinki, Finland.

“I like working, I don’t like being done when the regular season is over,” Blashill said.

“I was lucky enough to be there three years in a row as head coach, which is really unforeseen, and there were some unfortunate circumstances why I ended up in that position three years in a row. That’s usually doesn’t happen.”

David Quinn, formerly the coach of the New York Rangers, is serving as Team USA head coach. Others on his staff will be Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato, Minnesota State coach Mike Hastings and Ottawa Senators video coach Mike King.

Blashill An Experienced International Coach

Overall, this will be the fourth time that Jeff Blashill will be working behind the bench of a U.S. Men’s National Team squad and the seventh time that he’ll be coaching a USA Hockey team. He was the head coach of the men’s squad for three straight years (2017-19), including a bronze-medal finish in 2018. Blashill guided the U.S. to a 19-7 mark in those three world championship, with his 19 wins representing the most career victories for a head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team in the IIHF Men’s World Championship.

Welcome to the squad! #MensWorlds 🇺🇸

“We’re extremely fortunate to have the vast experience this group of coaches brings to the table.”

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) April 14, 2022

“I don’t have an ego,” Blashill said. “And I don’t ever take for granted an opportunity to represent the U.S. and to represent this great country and to represent USA hockey. I didn’t do that much when I was young. I’ll never forget the first time I was part of a team that did that. It was a real special feeling at the Ivan Hlinka a long time ago.

Blashill Ready To Pitch In And Help

“So anytime I get a chance to do that I’d fill water bottles, I’d tape sticks, I’d do pretty much anything to help us win a gold, something we haven’t done in a long, long time, really in the modern era. I think we’re close, I think we’re going to, and I want to be a part of it.”

Blashill has also served as goaltending coach for the 2009 U.S. National Junior Team, as well as an assistant coach for the U.S. Junior Select Team that won the 2009 World Junior A Challenge. He was also on the staff with the U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team that earned second place at the 2006 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

Former Red Wings assistant GM Ryan Martin, now serving in a similar role for the Rangers, is the Team USA GM.

“We’re extremely fortunate to have the vast experience this group of coaches brings to the table,” Martin said. “They all have been involved in international tournaments previously. We’re really happy overall with the entire staff we have in place.”