Report: Hockey Canada to hire full-time GM for Program of Excellence
Hockey Canada is hiring a full-time general manager for the Program of Excellence, TSN's Chris Johnston reports.
The POE most notably oversees Canada's team for the World Junior Championship. It's also responsible for the Under-17 and Under-18 teams.
Latvia stunningly upset Canada in the WJHC round robin this year. Czechia then knocked off Canada for the second straight tournament in the quarterfinal, marking the first time that Canada has failed to reach the semifinals in consecutive years since the tournament changed to a playoff format in 1996.
Canada has won three straight gold medals at the Under-18's Hlinka Gretzky Cup and claimed gold at the World U18s last spring. Canada won back-to-back world junior titles in 2022 and 2023.
Hockey Canada has previously named general managers for the U17, U18, and world junior levels on a year-by-year basis. Lethbridge Hurricanes GM Peter Anholt has picked Canada's world junior roster for the past two tournaments, and Erie Otters GM Dave Brown has done the same at the U18 level for two seasons. Drummondville Voltigeurs GM Yanick Lemay is in his first campaign as GM of the U17 team.
The POE's full-time GM will oversee all three rosters going forward and will report to Hockey Canada's senior vice president of high performance and hockey operations, Scott Salmond.
Hockey Canada is also hiring a vice president of hockey operations, Johnston reports.