Hockey

Laviolette will coach U.S. Olympic team

By wire services
Published August 17, 2005

Carolina Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette was chosen Tuesday as coach of the 2006 U.S. Olympic team that will compete in the Turin Games in February.

Laviolette, a two-time Olympian who captained the squad at the 1994 games, is 97-94-25 in two-plus seasons as coach with Carolina and the New York Islanders.

"We're really pleased to have Peter guiding our Olympic Team," Team USA general manager Don Waddell said. "Peter knows what it takes. He played on our 1988 Olympic team and came back as captain of the 1994 Olympic team. ... He's passionate about the game, and we're confident he'll do an outstanding job as our head coach."

Laviolette coached the United States to the bronze medal in the 2004 world championships, a finish that earned the Americans a spot in the 2006 Olympics.

He also guided the United States this past spring into the quarterfinals of the world championships, where the Americans lost in to the Czech Republic.

"We'll have one goal when the Olympics roll around in February and that's to win the gold medal," Laviolette said.

MORE OLYMPICS: Every European hockey federation except Russia signed a two-year transfer agreement between the NHL and hockey's governing body, ensuring the league will send players to the 2006 games.

The Russian federation rejected the deal, which regulates compensation, limits the number of players that can leave Europe and imposes a transfer deadline.

[Last modified August 17, 2005, 01:10:12]