USA Hockey announced Friday that Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Scott Gordon has been named an assistant coach for Team USA for the upcoming 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Gordon will serve under head coach John Tortorella, who won a Calder Cup as coach of the Rochester Americans in 1996.
Other AHL alumni on the staff include assistants Mike Sullivan, who was head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season before his promotion to Pittsburgh in December; John Hynes, former AHL coach of the year who guided Wilkes-Barre from 2010-15; and Jack Capuano, coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers from 2007-10.
Set for Sept. 17 to Oct. 1 in Toronto, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey will feature eight teams including the U.S., Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, Team Europe and Team North America.
"We’re extremely pleased with the coaching staff we’ve assembled," said Dean Lombardi, general manager of Team USA and also the GM of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. "It’s a group that not only brings great experience on multiple levels, but is in lock step with where we’re going and how we’re going to get there."
Gordon is in his first season with Lehigh Valley following stints as head coach of the New York Islanders and assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was bench boss of the Providence Bruins for five seasons from 2003-08, and was named the AHL’s coach of the year in 2007-08.
Gordon was an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, helping the U.S. to a silver medal and also served as head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team for the IIHF Men’s World Championship in 2010, 2011 and 2012. In addition, he was an assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2009 IIHF Men’s World Championship.
