MINNEAPOLIS - For the past several weeks, the big cheeses at USA Hockey debated who might coach Team USA in this summer's World Cup. The hot new name on their list was Lightning coach John Tortorella.
"He was considered," Team USA general manager Larry Pleau said. "He has caught everyone's eye with the tremendous job he has done in Tampa Bay.
But in the end, they went with a familiar name who led the Americans to one of their
biggest international victories.
Ron Wilson, who coached the United States to gold in the 1996 World Cup, was named coach. Tortorella, though, remains a strong candidate to be an assistant. There is no timetable for naming that position.
Wilson, who coaches the Sharks, brings 11 years of NHL head-coaching experience.
"I'm very honored and obviously pleased," Wilson said. "I'm looking forward very much to defending our (1996) title. One of the biggest thrills in my career, both as a player and a coach, is representing my country."
Pleau and assistant general manager Don Waddell said while Tortorella and others, including Carolina coach Peter Laviolette, were considered, Wilson was the first choice from the start.
"Ron's name kept popping up," Waddell said. "His record speaks for itself. He's very experienced, not just internationally, but in dealing with NHL players. It was a natural fit."
Wilson's international experience, which includes coaching the Americans in the 1998 Nagano Olympics, likely gave him the edge over Tortorella and other candidates.
Toronto coach Pat Quinn was named coach of Team Canada.
The tournament, which will feature teams mostly made up of NHL players from eight countries, will be played Aug. 30-Sept. 14 with the gold-medal game at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
CANUCKS: The team assigned defenseman Martin Grenier and forwards Tyler Bouck and Wade Brookbank to Manitoba of the AHL.
With the league breaking for All-Star weekend and the Canucks off until Wednesday, the players joined Manitoba in Rochester for the second of three games in three nights. Manitoba is on a seven-game road trip that started Thursday.
Brookbank, who has scored in each of his past two games since being moved from defense to right wing, was sent down on a conditioning assignment. That means the 26-year-old enforcer can't be claimed off waivers for the third time this season.
Bouck, 24, has one assist in eight games with Vancouver and 21 points in 45 games with Manitoba this season.
Grenier, 24, was recalled by the Canucks for the first time last week, and scored his first goal Tuesday against the Islanders.
- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.
