Evason named Canada coach, Huska among assistants for world hockey championship

ARCHIVES - L'entraîneur-chef des Blue Jackets de Columbus, Dean Evason, donne des directives à son équipe pendant la troisième période d'un match de hockey de la LNH contre les Panthers de la Floride, à Columbus, en Ohio, le jeudi 20 mars 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, archives)

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason will lead Canada’s staff at the upcoming world hockey championship.

Hockey Canada announced Canada’s coaching staff for the tournament on Wednesday. Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska will serve as an assistant, along with Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette and Blue Jackets assistant Steve McCarthy.

The world championship is set for May 9-25 in Stockholm, Sweden and Herning, Denmark. Canada opens May 10 against Slovenia in Stockholm.

Evason was an assistant coach on Canada’s fourth-place team at the 2024 world championship.

He recently finished his first season as Columbus head coach. The Blue Jackets finished the campaign on a six-game winning streak and missed a playoff spot by two points.

Huska led the Flames to a 41-27-14 record in his second season behind the Flames bench. Calgary went 7-1-2 over its last 10 games to finish the season tied with St. Louis at 96 points, but the Blues got the second Western Conference wild-card spot through a tiebreaker.

He served as an assistant with Canada’s team at the 2011 and 2012 world junior championships, winning silver and bronze, respectively.

Brunette and McCarthy will be making their international coaching debuts.

“Dean, Andrew, Ryan and Steve are excellent NHL coaches that bring many years of professional experience and leadership, and we are thrilled that they will lead Team Canada at the 2025 World Championship,” Canada general manager Kyle Dubas said in a 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.”

Longtime Hockey Canada video coach James Emery will act as Canada’s director of performance analysis.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2025.