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Sports

Red Wings' Babcock to lead Canadian Olympic team

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Calgary, AB – Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock has again been chosen to guide Canada's Olympic hockey team.

Babcock led Canada to gold in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and will try to duplicate the feat next February at the 2014 Sochi Games in Russia.

"I am extremely proud to represent my country and coach Team Canada," said Babcock on Monday. "To have had the opportunity to share the Olympics with family, friends and all Canadians in Vancouver was something very special. To win gold in Canada was a dream come true. In February, we will have a whole set of new challenges with a new group of players and staff."

Hockey Canada also selected Ken Hitchcock, Lindy Ruff and Claude Julien as Babcock's assistants. Hitchcock and Ruff were also assistants in Vancouver.

"Canada's coaching staff has a great deal of international and professional experience for the challenge that awaits us in Sochi," said former Red Wings great and Team Canada executive director Steve Yzerman. "Mike did a great job setting the foundation for our gold medal win in Vancouver, and I know that with Ken, Claude and Lindy working with him, our team will be very well prepared."

Babcock is the first coach to win triple gold, having won an Olympic title, an IIHF World Championship gold medal and a Stanley Cup. He guided the Red Wings to the 2008 Stanley Cup title and an appearance in the Cup finals the following season, while leading Team Canada to gold at the 2004 Worlds.

Hitchcock, currently the coach of the St. Louis Blues and a Stanley Cup winner with Dallas in 1999, was also a member of Team Canada's coaching staff at the 2002 and 2006 Olympics.

Ruff, newly named the head coach of the Stars after 15 seasons behind the bench in Buffalo, was Canada's head coach at the 2008 Worlds, winning a silver medal.

Julien, who guided Boston to the Stanley Cup title in 2011 and an appearance in the Cup finals this past June, was an assistant for Team Canada at the 2006 Worlds.