Amid what is sure to be the most chaotic summer of his professional career, another significant milestone is about to be bestowed upon Kings GM Dean Lombardi. As we first leaked on twitter, MayorsManor has confirmed via multiple sources, the two-time Stanley Cup winner will soon be announced as General Manager of Team USA for next year’s World Cup of Hockey.
The Massachusetts native first took over in Los Angeles in 2006. Three years later, he was selected to join the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group. As part of the panel, Lombardi was a key figure responsible for helping shape Team USA’s roster for the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, as well as multiple international tournaments. Other members of that panel include Stan Bowman (Chicago Blackhawks GM), David Poile (Nashville Predators GM), and Ray Shero (New Jersey Devils GM).
In related news, Sportsnet’s John Shannon reported today that Kings Assistant GM Rob Blake will serve in a similar capacity for Canada’s World Cup squad.
Hockey Canada names management team for 2016 WC of Hockey Monday.Doug Armstrong will be GM.Assisted by Ken Holland,Marc Bergevin,Rob Blake.
— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) June 22, 2015
At the most recent IIHF World Championships, Columbus Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards served as Team USA’s bench boss. He previously served as an assistant coach at the 2014 Olympics and 2010 IIHF World Championships. Word is, he is considered a strong candidate for the 2016 World Cup job, as he guided the team to a bronze medal last month in Prague. Dan Bylsma and Ron Wilson will likely also receive some consideration and/or potentially serve as assistants.
With Lombardi at the helm, he and his yet-to-be-named assistants will select the World Cup coaching staff and roster – which will first go through an evaluation/orientation camp. Next summer’s event will mark the third World Cup of Hockey, with Team USA winning the inaugural tournament in 1996 and Canada winning gold at the 2004 version.
Before his work with Team USA really gets underway later this summer, Lombardi will first need to solve about a dozen different riddles surrounding his NHL roster. If you missed the original article, we broke down those issues in detail here.
MORE LOMBARDI CONTENT:
Kings GM Dean Lombardi on Next Year’s Kings Team
Lombardi’s on Contracts for Justin Williams and Andrej Sekera
Kings GM Dean Lombardi on the Future of Mike Richards
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