CALGARY -- Rob Blake has been named Team Canada's general manager for the upcoming IIHF world hockey championship.

Blake, who represented Canada at nine international tournaments during his playing career as a defenceman, is in his first season as assistant general manager of the Kings.

Ron Hextall, the man Blake replaced in Los Angeles, will be one of his assistants along with Brad Treliving of the Coyotes and Hockey Canada's Brad Pascall.

Hextall moved on to be assistant GM of the Philadelphia Flyers, while Treliving has done that job for seven years with Phoenix.

Blake, Hextall and Treliving all have one thing in common: Each is in charge of his organization's AHL affiliate. Scouting and evaluating young talent is particularly important in an Olympic year, when Canada's roster at the world championship is expected to be young.

The management group itself is youthful. Blake is 44, Hextall is 49, Treliving is 44 and Pascall -- who serves as Hockey Canada's vice-president of hockey operations at national teams -- is 43.

Blake and Hextall are making their international management debuts while Treliving was an assistant GM of the 2013 Spengler Cup team.

Former NHL defenceman Steve Staios will serve as the management staff's director of player development and assist the coaching staff on the ice during the tournament.

Coaches will be named at a later date.

The world championship runs May 9-25 in Minsk, Belarus. Canada opens against France and will also play the Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Slovakia and Sweden in the preliminary round.