Scott Gordon to coach 2012 U.S. Men’s National Team

One again, Blue Sky client Scott Gordon has been chosen as head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Hockey Team.  Gordon held this position in 2010 and 2011.  The U.S. Men’s National Team will compete in the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men’s Championship, which is being held May 4th through May 20th in Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden.

The staff and players of the 2012 U.S. Men’s National Team are selected by the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group, led by Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey.  The group includes National Hockey League general managers Stan Bowman (Chicago), Brian Burke (Toronto), Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia), Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles), David Poile (Nashville), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh), Dale Tallon (Florida); and Pittsburgh Penguins pro scout Don Waddell.

In addition to his previous stints as head coach of U.S. Men’s National Teams, Gordon was also an assistant coach on the silver medal-winning 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team and served as an assistant coach of the 2009 U.S. Men’s National Team.  Gordon also represented the United States as a goaltender on both the 1991 U.S. Men’s National Team and the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.

Gordon is currently an assistant coach for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.  He was the head coach of the NHL’s New York Islanders for parts of three seasons (2008-10).  From late in the 2002-03 campaign through 2007-08 he led the AHL’s Providence Bruins.  In his final season in Providence, Gordon received the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL’s Coach of the Year in recognition of posting the AHL’s best regular-season record at 55-18-3.  Gordon was an assistant coach for Providence from 2000-01 until his promotion to head coach in 2002-03.