Babcock officially named Canadian coach at 2016 World Cup
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock was officially introduced Thursday as the head coach of Team Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Babcock was announced by the team's general manager, Doug Armstrong, who also named Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien, Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz, and Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters as assistant coaches.
Babcock broke down assistant duties as such: Quenneville - Run defence Julien & Trotz - Special teams Peters - Pre-scouts
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 5, 2015
“We’re happy to have Mike lead our World Cup coaching staff next September. His successes in creating a winning culture in a two-week tournament are well documented,” Armstrong said in a statement. “We are looking forward to representing Canada and making our country proud.”
The management group will meet Monday in Toronto where they'll compare their initial "ghost rosters." The team's first 16 players will have to be named by March 1 and the rest of the 23-man roster by June 1, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.
Babcock coached Canada to gold medals at both the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Games.