CALGARY, Alta. – Mark Messier, Team Canada general manager for the 2010 IIHF World Championship, announced on Tuesday that Peter DeBoer (Dunnville, Ont./Florida, NHL) and Billy Moores (Edmonton, Alta./ Edmonton, NHL) will be joining head coach Craig MacTavish behind the bench on Canada’s coaching staff for the world championship, which runs May 7-23 in Cologne and Mannheim, Germany.  

Peter DeBoer has been the head coach of the NHL’s Florida Panthers for two seasons, guiding the team to its second-best record in franchise history in 2008-09 (41-30-11). Prior to joining Florida, DeBoer coached the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers for seven years, winning two OHL championships and one Memorial Cup. DeBoer has coached with Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence on three occasions.

Billy Moores is currently a pro scout with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, after serving as an assistant coach for nine seasons with the team, all with MacTavish. The native of Edmonton, Alta., previously served as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers, after a successful 17-year run with the University of Alberta Golden Bears, serving as an assistant coach for 10 years and head coach for seven. During his time in the university ranks, Moores captured two national championships, five Canada West conference titles and was twice named the CIAU coach of the year. He also served as an assistant coach and advisor with Japan at the 2000 IIHF World Championship in St. Petersburg, Russia.

“One of my priorities in putting together this coaching staff was to find individuals that shared a common philosophy and will be able to instill that philosophy in the players as quickly as possible,” said Messier.  “In a short tournament, synergy will play an important role with our staff.  All three are proven winners, and I am very happy they have committed to the challenge.”

“I am really looking forward to working with Peter and Billy in Germany,” said MacTavish.  “It has been a great season so far for Canadian hockey and we look forward to the challenge of going for gold at the World Championship.”

Messier and the management staff, comprised of Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada director of men’s national teams, Doug Risebrough, Michel Goulet and Doug Messier, have been scouting NHL teams and monitoring the playoff situation with the expectation of naming a first group of players by mid-April.  Messier will complete the roster once the first round of the NHL playoffs come to an end.  Canada’s first game is on May 8 vs. Italy, and an official roster does not have to be submitted to the IIHF until May 7.   

“We are fortunate this year that there is almost a three-week break between the end of the NHL season and the team getting together in Germany for the World Championship,” said Messier. “This will give the players not involved in the playoffs a great opportunity to rest prior to representing Canada at the Worlds. This has not always been the case in the past.”