Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska will serve as an assistant coach for Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, Hockey Canada announced Wednesday.
The tournament runs May 9–25 in Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark. Huska joins a national staff that includes head coach Dean Evason, Andrew Brunette, and Steve McCarthy behind the bench, with Calgary and Airdrie also represented on the support side.
James Emery, performance analyst with the Flames, and Dr. Ian Auld, the team’s physician, will support Canada off the ice. Airdrie’s Blair Smook was named one of two equipment managers, working alongside Paul Boyer of the Detroit Red Wings.
The full staff was selected by general manager Kyle Dubas (Pittsburgh), with input from player relations advisor Ryan Getzlaf, Hockey Canada’s high-performance lead Scott Salmond, and executive director Doug Armstrong (St. Louis).
"Dean, Andrew, Ryan and Steve are excellent NHL coaches who bring many years of professional experience and leadership, and we are thrilled that they will lead Team Canada at the 2025 World Championship," Dubas said in the release. "Our coaching staff will also be supported by an elite support staff that has many years of NHL experience, as well as experience at several world championships and Olympics, and we know our entire staff will create an environment for our players to succeed and wear the Maple Leaf with pride in Stockholm and Herning."
Flames well represented
Huska, from Cranbrook, B.C., just completed his second season as head coach of the Flames following five years as an assistant. Before his NHL promotion in 2023, he led Calgary’s AHL affiliates in Adirondack and Stockton, and coached the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets from 2002 to 2014. He helped Canada win silver (2011) and bronze (2012) as an assistant coach at the World Juniors.
Evason, now head coach in Columbus, returns to the national program after serving as an assistant in 2024. He coached in the NHL with Washington and Minnesota, and led the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen from 2004 to 2005. A veteran of 803 NHL games, he captained Canada to gold at the 1997 IIHF World Championship.
Brunette, currently head coach of the Nashville Predators, is making his international coaching debut. His NHL résumé includes roles with New Jersey and Florida, plus multiple front-office and coaching stints with the Minnesota Wild. He played 1,109 NHL games over 16 seasons.
McCarthy, an assistant in Columbus since 2021, also joins the national team for the first time. He played 302 NHL games with Chicago, Vancouver and Atlanta, captained Canada’s World Junior squad in 2001, and won gold at the 1998 Under-18 Four Nations Cup.
Local staff power the room
Off the ice, Calgary’s Emery and Auld will be responsible for analytics and medical oversight. Blair Smook, based in Airdrie, joins the equipment staff after years of experience in professional hockey.
Other support roles include:
- Kent Kobelka (sport physiotherapist, Calgary)
- Kevin Elliott (athletic therapist, Pittsburgh)
- Andy Hüppi (massage therapist, Switzerland)
- Sean Young (strength coach, Ottawa 67’s)
- Mitchell Furlotte, Kurt Keats, and Miah Armitage (hockey operations)
- Sean Kelso (media relations, Calgary)
- Spencer Sharkey (media relations)
Canada’s road ahead
Canada opens the tournament May 10 vs. Slovenia at 6:20 a.m. ET / 3:20 a.m. PT, and will face Latvia, France, Austria, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden in the group stage. Two pre-tournament games are scheduled -- May 4 vs. Austria in Vienna and May 6 vs. Hungary in Budapest.
The championship concludes with the medal games on May 25. TSN and RDS will provide full broadcast coverage, airing 64 and 24 games, respectively.
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