Canada adds NHL coaches to 4 Nations staff

NHL teams may be gearing up for the 2024-25 season, but international teams are also building toward multiple upcoming international events. NHL players will return to international play in 2025 with the 4 Nations Face-Off and will later compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

While the rosters are far from complete, international teams are assembling their front offices and coaching staffs. Team Canada has announced four assistant coaches to fill out the rest of their coaching staff.

NHL head coaches Bruce Cassidy of the Vegas Golden Knights, Peter DeBoer of the Dallas Stars, Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks and Stars assistant Misha Donskov round out the rest of Team Canada’s coaching staff.

Tampa Bay Lightning’s Jon Cooper was named head coach of Team Canada in late June.

Cassidy, DeBoer and Tocchet are three of the NHL’s best coaches in recent seasons. Cassidy led the Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup in 2023 and has a 69-51-17 record in his last two years with Vegas.

With 673 career games as an NHL bench boss, Cassidy has a record of 388-206-9-70. He won the Jack Adams Award as the league’s top coach in 2020 with the Boston Bruins.

DeBoer has been a head coach in the NHL since 2008 and has coached 1,179 career games, compiling a record of 612-421-146. Despite never winning the Stanley Cup, DeBoer has reached the Cup finals twice: once with the New Jersey Devils in 2012 and again with the San Jose Sharks in 2016.

Tocchet is the reigning winner of the Adam’s Trophy after a successful season with the Canucks. In less than two full seasons in Vancouver, Tocchet has turned the Canucks into a Cup contender, posting a 50-23-9 record and leading the Pacific Division in the 2023-24 season.

At this time, this group of coaches will only lead Team Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off.

According to a press release from Hockey Canada, the assistant coaches were selected by the leadership of general manager Don Sweeney, assistant GM Jim Nill, assistant GM Julien BriseBois and director of player personnel Kyle Dubas.

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