CALGARY, Alta. – With less than one month until the puck drops at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, Hockey Canada has named the coaching staff that will lead Canada’s National Men’s Team in Tampere, Finland and Riga, Latvia, May 12-28.

After helping Canada win a silver medal at the 2022 IIHF World Championship as an assistant coach, André Tourigny (Nicolet, Que./Arizona, NHL) returns to take the reins as head coach. D.J. Smith (Windsor, Ont./Ottawa, NHL) makes his return to the bench for the second-straight year as an assistant coach, joined by fellow assistants Alex Tanguay (Sainte-Justine, Que./Detroit, NHL) and Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.), and video coach James Emery (Calgary, Alta.).

The coaching staff was selected by general manager Doug Armstrong (Sarnia, Ont./St. Louis, NHL), associate general manager Steve Yzerman (Nepean, Ont./Detroit, NHL), assistant general manager Shane Doan (Halkirk, Alta./Arizona, NHL) and senior vice-president of hockey operations Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.).

“We are excited to unveil the experienced coaching staff that will lead Canada’s National Men’s Team at the IIHF World Championship this year,” Armstrong said. “This group brings many years of experience at the NHL, CHL, Olympic and world championship levels, and we know they will provide great leadership as we look to compete for a gold medal in Riga and Tampere next month.”

Tourigny recently completed his second season as head coach of the Arizona Coyotes. Previously, he served as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, winning a silver medal. He also earned silver as head coach at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship and won gold as an assistant at the 2020 World Juniors, in addition to silver as an assistant in 2010 and 2011. Tourigny also led Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team to a gold medal as head coach at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and won gold as an assistant at the 2008 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament. The former Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Coach of the Year served as head coach and vice-president of hockey operations with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s for four seasons (2017-21), winning the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHL coach of the year twice (2018-19, 2019-20). He also spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche (2013-15) and Ottawa Senators (2015-16).

Smith has been the head coach of the Ottawa Senators for the past four seasons (2019-23) after serving the previous four seasons (2015-19) as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before making the transition to the NHL, he was the head coach of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals for three seasons (2012-15) and added the title of assistant general manager in 2014. He was also an assistant coach with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires for six seasons (2004-10) before serving as an associate coach with the team for two years (2010-12). Internationally, he has represented Canada twice as a coach, winning gold as an assistant with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup and silver as an assistant with Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2022 IIHF World Championship.

Tanguay is set to make his international coaching debut at the 2023 IIHF World Championship. He recently completed his second season (2021-23) as an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings following two seasons (2019-21) as an assistant with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. As a player, Tanguay played in 1,088 NHL games over 16 seasons with the Colorado Avalanche (1999-2004, 2005-06, 2013-16), Calgary Flames (2006-08, 2010-13), Montréal Canadiens (2008-09), Tampa Bay Lightning (2009-10) and Arizona Coyotes (2016), amassing 863 career points and winning the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001. He also wore the Maple Leaf at the 1999 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Ryan will become the first coach to serve on the coaching staff for both Canada’s National Men’s Team and Canada’s National Women’s Team. He is currently in his fourth season as head coach of the National Women’s Team after serving as an assistant for parts of four seasons (2016-19). As head coach, he has led the team to back-to-back gold medals at the 2021 and 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championships, as well as a gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. As an assistant, he earned a silver medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, silver at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship and bronze at the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

Prior to the start of the tournament, Canada’s National Men’s Team will practice at the MVM Dome in Budapest, Hungary, May 5-9. It will also face off against Hungary on May 9 as part of its pre-tournament schedule. Fans looking to secure their seat for the game in Budapest can purchase tickets online today.

Canada will open the 2023 IIHF World Championship against the host Latvians on May 12 at 1:20 p.m. ET/10:20 a.m. PT. It will also take on Slovenia, Slovakia, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Norway and Czechia in the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on May 28.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.