Steve Yzerman named Team Canada GM

Steve Yzerman is looking forward to the challenge of being Team Canada's general manager at the world hockey championship.

As expected, Yzerman was officially named to the post Tuesday in Calgary, the home base for Hockey Canada.

"This is an opportunity," Yzerman said. "My goal is to put a team together and a staff together … that can compete for a gold medal."

The tournament runs from April 27-May 13 in Moscow.

Canada is slotted in Group C with Germany, Norway and Slovakia, and will debut April 28 versus the Germans at Mytischi Arena.

"Over the upcoming weeks and months, we will assemble a management staff, a coaching staff, and, eventually, a team to put on the ice," said Yzerman, who recently scouted the junior worlds.

Yzerman has no prior experience as a GM, but represented Canada on several occasions as a player, notably the worlds in 1985, 1989 and 1990, the inaugural World Cup of Hockey in 1996 and the Olympic Winter Games in 1998 and 2002.

In fact, Yzerman was instrumental in helping Canada claim its first Olympic gold medal in 50 years at Salt Lake City in 2002.

"He [Yzerman] was really a leader with Team Canada the last number of years," Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson said. "We see that helping with his relationship with players.

"But I really see him taking a great leadership role with this team on a management [level]. I think Steve will [adjust] from the ice to management very easily."

Hascredibility, experience

Hockey Canada is banking that, like Wayne Gretzky, who oversaw Canada at the 2001 worlds and both the 2002 and 2006 Olympics, Yzerman's credibility and international experience as a player will resonate enough with players and coaches to outweigh any practical shortcomings.

"Trying to convince people that have been through an 82-game [NHL] grind, especially some of the older guys, can be tough," said Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland, who managed last year's squad.

"I'd like to think the opportunity to play for Canada with Stevie Y as the GM is a special one. Hopefully, it helps the recruiting process."

Asked if he'd be interested in being GM of Canada's entry at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Yzerman responded: "We will kind of see how this goes. As the years go by, I don't know where I'm going to be or what I'm going to be doing."

Yzerman, 41, retired as a player last July 3 after 22 NHL seasons with Detroit, including a record 19 of them as captain.

He is currently vice-president of the Red Wings.

Yzerman was drafted fourth overall by Detroit in 1983 and led the Red Wings to three Stanley Cups (1997, 1998, 2002).

The 10-time all-star totalled 692 goals and 1,063 for 1,755 points in 1,514 NHL games.