Looks like the Young Stars will have quite the coaching staff at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Having already named Edmonton’s Todd McLellan as head coach, the Young Stars -- a.k.a. Team North America -- will reportedly announce that Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper, Arizona’s Dave Tippett and San Jose’s Peter DeBoer will join the staff as McLellan’s assistants, per Sportsnet.
Also joining will be Oilers assistant Jay Woodcroft, who came to Edmonton with McLellan from San Jose.
It’s an interesting group of coaches, given that team North America will be comprised of players under the age of 24. Cooper is one of the youngest coaches in the NHL and has received high praise for his work with a talented young Lightning team (one of his players, Jonathan Drouin, is expected to challenge for a spot on the team.)
Tippett, who’d previously earned a reputation as a coach that prefers working with veterans over youngsters, has done impressive work with an inexperienced Coyotes team this season.
Like Cooper, he’ll have some players looking to crack the North American roster, specifically Max Domi and Anthony Duclair.