Oulahen named to Cup staff
Ryan Oulahen, coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s North Bay Battalion, has been named one of two assistant coaches with Canada’s national summer under-18 team, which will defend its Hlinka Gretzky Cup championship next month.
Kris Mallette of the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets will serve as Canada’s head coach, assisted by Oulahen and Gordie Dwyer of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Mallette was an assistant for gold medals in 2022 and 2023.
Dan De Palma of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers is the goaltending consultant, while Ethan O’Rourke of the Kingston Frontenacs is the video coach.
“Kris, Gordie, Ryan, Dan and Ethan bring extensive experience both at the international and Canadian Hockey League levels, and they will be great leaders for this talented group of young men who will compete for Canada in Edmonton next month,” said Benoit Roy, Hockey Canada’s senior manager of hockey operations. The roster has yet to be announced.
Oulahen has been North Bay’s head coach since Dec. 10, 2019. Before that, he spent two-plus seasons as coach of the Flint Firebirds and six seasons as an assistant coach with the Battalion.
Oulahen was behind the bench at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2014 with Canada Red, in 2015 with Canada Black and in 2016 as head coach of Canada White. He also was an assistant at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning silver.
General manager Dave Brown of the Erie Otters returns in an oversight role as a member of the management group.
Canada, which opens the preliminary round against Switzerland on Aug. 5, also faces Slovakia and Sweden in group play before the tournament concludes with medal games on Aug. 10.
