CALGARY, AB – Hockey Canada, along with Ken Holland (Vernon, BC/Detroit Red Wings), Canada’s General Manager, and Head Coach Marc Habscheid (Swift Current, SK/Hockey Canada) announced the management and coaching staff for Canada’s 2006 Men’s World Championship Team on Monday, at a press conference in Calgary, AB. The 2006 IIHF Men’s World Championship will take place in Riga, Latvia from May 5-21, 2006.

Holland, who as General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings, will be remaining in North America during the World Championship, named Michael Barnett /Phoenix Coyotes) as his Assistant General Manager. Barnett will be assisting Holland in player identification, evaluation and selection over the coming weeks, as well as working with the coaching and support staff on the overall operations of the team. Barnett will travel with the team to Latvia.

Holland also announced that Head Coach Habscheid will be joined behind the bench by assistant coaches Claude Julien (Orleans, ON) and Trent Yawney (Hudson Bay, SK/Chicago Blackhawks).

“We are very excited about the quality of the staff that we are naming today,” said Holland. “These individuals were all thrilled to have the opportunity to represent Canada at the World Championship. I look forward to getting input from Michael and the coaching staff, as we continue to add players over the coming weeks and after the first round of the playoffs.”

Over the coming weeks, Holland, Habscheid along with Canada’s management and coaching staff will be scouting games and naming players to Canada’s roster from NHL teams that either will not be participating in the NHL playoffs or that are eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Canada will open the 2006 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Riga, Latvia on May 5th versus Denmark. All of Canada’s games will be broadcast live from Latvia on TSN/RDS, the official broadcaster of Hockey Canada. Canada will play in the preliminary round in a group that includes Denmark, Norway and the USA.

2006 CANADA’S MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

MANAGEMENT AND COACHING STAFF

GENERAL MANAGER KEN HOLLAND

Holland, a native of Vernon, BC, has won three Stanley Cup Championships during his 24 years with the Red Wings organization (2002, 19). Holland, 50, is in his 9th season as the Detroit Red Wings’ General Manager and Alternate Governor. Prior to that time, he handled several front-office duties for the Red Wings, including: Western Canada scout, amateur scouting director and three years as Assistant General Manager of the Red Wings.

ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER MICHAEL BARNETT

Barnett is in his fifth season with the Phoenix Coyotes, as the General Manager, Executive Vice President and Alternate Governor. The native of Alberta served as President of International Management Group’s (IMG) hockey division for 12 years. Barnett has over 25 years of experience in professional hockey, including over 20 years in the representation business during which he distinguished himself as one of the most creative and well-informed agents in the industry.

HEAD COACH MARC HABSCHEID

Habscheid, 43, just completed his second season as Canada’s National Men’s team Head Coach. His international hockey background includes participation as both a coach and as a player. As a coach, the native of Swift Current, SK won a silver medal at the 2003 World Junior Championship with Canada, and a silver medal as an assistant coach (2002 World Juniors). Habscheid served as an Associate Coach for Canada at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Italy. As a player, Habscheid’s international experience includes winning a gold medal with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 1982 World Junior Hockey Championship, where he was Canada’s second top scorer (12), and top goal scorer (6) and he was also a member of Canada’s Men’s hockey team at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Alberta. Habscheid also participated in the 1992 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Czechoslovakia.

ASSISTANT COACH CLAUDE JULIEN

Julien, 45, most recently served as the Head Coach of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens, from January 2003 through January 2006. A native of Orleans, ON, Julien gained international experience while coaching with Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, serving as Head Coach of the National Under-18 Team which won the 1998 Nations Cup and as Head Coach of the National Junior Team, winning a bronze medal at the 2000 IIHF World Junior Championship. He also won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Junior Team in 1999. Prior to coaching in the NHL, Julien coached the QMJHL’s Hull Olympiques from 19, reaching the QMJHL Final twice. He also coached the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs from 2000-2003, a co-winner, along with Geoff Ward, of the AHL Coach of the Year Award in 2002-03.

ASSISTANT COACH TRENT YAWNEY

Yawney, 40, has just completed his first season as Head Coach of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, after five successful seasons coaching Chicago’s AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. Under Yawney’s guidance, Norfolk won back-to-back South Division titles in 2001-02 and in 2002-03. The native of Hudson Bay, SK was also named The Hockey News Minor Pro Coach of the Year in 2003-04. As a player, Yawney represented Canada as captain of the Canadian Olympic Team at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, AB, where he was a teammate of current National Team Head Coach Marc Habscheid. Yawney, a defenceman, had a 12-year NHL career, totalling 593 regular season games, with Chicago, Calgary and St. Louis.