Pittsburgh Penguins’ head coach Dan Bylsma has been named the head coach of the men’s 2014 U.S. Olympic Team.
Bylsma, Grand Haven, Mich., native who played at Bowling Green from 1988-92 and then nine years in the NHL, was tagged with the honor at a news conference Saturday in New York City.
“It’s an unbelievable honor to be selected to represent our country,” said Bylsma in a statement. “Together with our coaching staff and management group, I will do everything I can to prepare our team to be in a position to win gold in Sochi.”
“We’re thrilled to have Dan as coach of our men’s Olympic team,” added USA Hockey president Ron DeGregorio. “”He’s rapidly established himself as one of the most prominent coaches in our country today and we know he’ll help put us in the best position of achieving our ultimately goal of bringing home the gold medal.”
Bylsma led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup in 2009 after going to the finals a year earlier. Both times, Pittsburgh played the Detroit Red Wings.
USA Hockey also announced plans to conduct an Olympic orientation camp the last week of August in Arlington, Va., at the Kettler Çapitals IcePlex, the practice facility of the Washington Capitals.
