CALGARY, AB - CHA President Bob Nicholson announced on Thursday the head coaches that will lead Canada's National Men's team at two different international events, the Deutschland Cup and Spengler Cup, this season.

Veteran TSN television commentator and hockey analyst Gary Green, who has an extensive coaching background in junior and international hockey, as well as the National Hockey League will serve as Head Coach of Team Canada at the Deutschland Cup, held in Hanover, Germany November 8-10, 2002.

Mike Pelino, who has been involved as Associate Coach/Associate GM for Canada's National Men's team over the past four years, and was video coach of Canada's gold medal winning Men's Olympic team in Salt Lake City, will serve as Head Coach of Team Canada at the Spengler Cup, held in Davos, Switzerland December 26-31, 2002.

Green, who began his coaching career with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, winning the Memorial Cup as Head Coach in 1979, has been involved with coaching at all levels for over 20 years. Green became the youngest head coach in NHL history, as well as the history of professional sports, when he was named head coach, at the age of 26, of the NHL's Washington Capitals in November, 1979. During his two years in the NHL, the Capitals played in two European events known as the Swedish Cup prior to the start of the NHL seasons in 19, capturing first place in 1980.

Green began his broadcasting career in 1981, as an analyst with Hockey Night in Canada, and spent four years working on the NHL's Game of the Week television coverage in the USA. Green has been TSN's international hockey analyst since the first day the network went on the air in 1984, and has worked NHL telecasts, the World Junior Championship and Men's World Hockey Championship telecasts with TSN, the official broadcaster of the CHA. Green will continue to work with TSN as an NHL analyst during the 2002-2003 season and will also continue to provide in-depth analysis and commentary on NHL Network's flagship show NHL On The Fly.

"I am very excited to be named as Head Coach of Canada's team at this year's Deutschland Cup," said Green. "Over the past 20 years being in the broadcast booth, I have been coaching the viewers on NHL and international telecasts, as well as running hockey schools, writing hockey coaching books and videos, but this is a great opportunity to get behind the bench again and to represent our country on the international stage."

Along with his international hockey analyst duties, Green has spent extensive time in Europe, working with SCI (Stadium Consultants International), which plans and designs hockey arenas and stadiums overseas and in North America, most notably General Motors Place in Vancouver and the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Pelino, a native of Welland, ON, is in his fourth season as Associate Coach / Assistant General Manager of Canada's National Men's Team. This will mark the second year in a row that Pelino has been Head Coach of Team Canada at the Spengler Cup, winning a silver medal last year. Pelino was also an assistant coach at the Spengler Cup team in 1994.

He was the Head Coach of Canada's National Under-18 team in April, 2002, which participated in the Under-18 World Championship, finishing 5th. Pelino has won four gold medals with Canada: 2002 Men's Olympic team; 1997 World Junior Championship Team in Geneva, Switzerland as an assistant coach; with Canada's 1996 National Under-18 Team at the Pacific Cup as the Head Coach; and with Team Canada at the 1991 Canada Cup as part of the coaching staff.

Pelino joined Canada's National Men's Team in August 1999 after two seasons as an assistant coach with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League. Prior to that, he was Head Coach of Brock University (St. Catharines, ON) from 19, being named Coach-of-the-Year in 1987-88, 1988--95. Pelino holds a Level 4 certification in the 3M National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP), and has been coaching since 1985.

Green and Pelino will also be Head Coaches of Canada's National Men's team in other international events over the 2002-2003 season, including the Swiss and Sweden Games. Exact scheduling and staffing will be finalized within the next few months. Green and Pelino will be naming assistant coaches, along with rosters for Team Canada for these events, over the next few months as well.