Jeff Blashill named Team USA assistant coach for 2022 World Championship

Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill has been named an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2022 IIHF Men’s World Championship, USA Hockey announced Thursday.

Blashill, 48, has spent the last seven seasons as head coach of the Red Wings, compiling a 200–256–72 record over that span. The Red Wings qualified for the playoffs in Blashill’s first season as head coach, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the first round.

For three consecutive years between 2017 and 2019, Blashill served as Team USA head coach at the Worlds. He won a bronze medal at the 2018 tournament and holds the record for the most career wins (19) at the Worlds by a Team USA coach.

USA Hockey previously announced that David Quinn would serve as the head coach for the Americans at the 2022 Worlds. Quinn, 55, served as head coach of the New York Rangers from 2018–19 to 2020–21, going 96–87–25 in the regular season; his Rangers were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the qualifying round of the 2020 bubble playoffs.

The 2022 Worlds will take place in the Finnish cities of Tampere and Helsinki between May 13 and 29. Team USA will be looking to improve upon its third-place finish at the 2021 tournament in Riga, Latvia.

Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato and Minnesota State Mavericks (NCAA) men’s head coach Mike Hastings were also named as assistant coaches under Quinn for Team USA. Ottawa Senators video coach Mike King will serve in the same role for Team USA at the Worlds.

Red Wings athletic trainer Piet VanZant will join Blashill in Finland as an athletic trainer for Team USA. The Livonia, MI product has been with the Red Wings organization since 1999–2000; he previously served in the same role for Team USA at the 2021 and 2019 tournaments.

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