Canada names assistant coaches for 2026 Olympics

The Team Canada coaching staff for the 2026 Winter Olympics will have a very familiar appearance.

The same NHL head coaches that helped bench boss Jon Cooper guide the Canadians to gold in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February will don jackets and ties for the Milano Cortina competition in Italy.

Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy, former Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer and new Philadelphia Flyers coach Rick Tocchet will work with NHL players in the Olympics for the first time in a dozen years. The NHL has not allowed players to participate since the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

"This group of coaches will provide consistency and a winning pedigree to our team, and I know our players will greatly benefit from this world-class coaching staff," Cooper, head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, said in a statement. "I look forward to working alongside all seven as we look to replicate our 4 Nations success on the Olympic stage in February."

Cassidy, 60, guided Vegas to a Stanley Cup title in his first season at the helm in 2023. He previously served as bench boss in Washington (2002-04) and Boston (2016-22), leading the Bruins to a berth in the finals in the 2018-19 season.

DeBoer, 57, has served as a head coach for 17 NHL seasons, leading Florida (2008-11), New Jersey (2011-15), San Jose (2015-19), Vegas (2019-22) and Dallas (2022-25). He piloted the Stars to three consecutive Western Conference finals, but could not get to the Stanley Cup Finals, as he did with the Devils (2012) and Sharks (2016).

Tocchet, 61, was hired to lead the Flyers in May after three campaigns with the Vancouver Canucks. He won the Jack Adams Award, given to the league's top head coach, in 2024. Tocchet, who enjoyed 18 seasons a rugged forward in the NHL (1984-2002), also had coaching stints in Tampa Bay (2008-10) and Arizona (2017-21).

Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong (St. Louis Blues GM) headed up the group that made the selections, along with assistant GMs Julien BriseBois (Tampa Bay), Jim Nill (Dallas) and Don Sweeney (Boston), director of player personnel Kyle Dubas (Pittsburgh) and Cooper.

"It was important to bring back our elite coaches and support staff from the 4 Nations Face-Off, as this is a group that provides familiarity to our team and brings a desire to help our athletes perform at their best," Armstrong said. "Each individual brings unique NHL and international experience to our team, and all staff members will play a key role in Team Canada's preparation and performance. We know everyone is excited for the opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympic Winter Games and wear the Maple Leaf with pride in Italy."

The men's hockey competition in Milan will take place Feb. 11-22, 2026.

--Field Level Media