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Assistant Coaches Named for 2017 U.S. Men's National Team

By USA Hockey, 04/13/17, 10:00AM EDT

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Capuano, Pecknold and Appert announced today alongside support staff

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Jack Capuano (Cranston, R.I.), Rand Pecknold (Bedford, N.H.) and Seth Appert (Cottage Grove, Minn.) have been named assistant coaches for the U.S. Men’s National Team that will compete at the 2017 IIHF Men’s World Championship May 5-21 in Cologne, Germany, and Paris, France. Jeff Blashill (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.), head coach of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, was previously named head coach of the team.


Jack Capuano

Capuano will be representing the U.S. as a coach for the third time. He served in the same capacity at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and was the head coach of the 2005 U.S. Under-18 Select Team at the Five Nations Cup in Slovakia. Capuano spent seven-plus seasons as the head coach of the New York Islanders from 2010-2017, leading the team to the postseason on three occasions. Capuano first joined the Islanders as an assistant for the 2005-06 campaign and was named head coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the franchise’s AHL affiliate, in April 2007, before being named the Islanders’ head coach in November 2010. 


Rand Pecknold

Pecknold, who has been involved with USA Hockey's district player development camps, is making his coaching debut for Team USA. He just completed his 23rd season as head coach of the Quinnipiac University men’s hockey team, which included his 16th career 20-win season behind the bench for the Bobcats. Under Pecknold’s leadership, Quinnipiac has reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the previous five seasons, including appearances in the NCAA Frozen Four and national championship game in 2013 and 2016. After leading the Bobcats to a 32-4-7 record in 2016, he was named the Spencer Penrose National Coach of the Year.


Seth Appert

Appert is currently serving as an assistant coach for the U.S. at the 2017 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship, and will represent Team USA for the fifth time at next month's world championship. He was previously the head coach of both the 2011 and 2008 U.S. Under-18 Select Teams that competed in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Breclav Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia. He was also an assistant coach for the 2007 U.S. Under-18 Select Team at the same event. Appert served as the men’s hockey coach at Rensselaer from 2006-17 and led the Engineers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1995 in the 2010-11 season. He came to RPI after helping the University of Denver to two national championships during a seven-year stint as assistant coach.

USA Hockey also announced today the support staff for the 2017 U.S. Men's National Team, including video coordinator Adam Nightingale (Cheboygan, Mich./Buffalo Sabres); team leader Bob Webster (Centennial, Colo./USA Hockey); athletic trainers Stan Wong (Boca Raton, Fla.) and Jason Serbus (Phoenix, Ariz.); equipment managers Scott Aldrich (Colorado Springs, Colo./USA Hockey) and Chris Scoppetto (Parkland, Fla./New Jersey Devils); team physician Dr. Drew Rogers (Raynham, Mass.); and massage therapist Peewee Willman (Hannover, Germany).

NOTES: The staff and players of the 2017 U.S. Men's National Team are selected by the U.S. Men's National Team Advisory Group, led by Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. Other members include Stan Bowman (Chicago Blackhawks), Dean Lombardi (USA Hockey), David Poile (Nashville Predators), Ray Shero (New Jersey Devils), Dale Tallon (Florida Panthers) and Don Waddell (Carolina Hurricanes). In addition, Chris Drury (New York Rangers) and Bill Guerin (Pittsburgh Penguins) are serving as part of the management group for the 2017 U.S. Men's National Team ... For complete coverage of the U.S. Men’s National Team throughout the tournament, visit teamusa.usahockey.com … The official online home of the 2017 IIHF Men’s World Championship is IIHFWorlds2017.com … Both Bill Guerin and Chris Drury are members of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame ... The U.S. has finished in the top four of the world championship in three of the last four years, a stretch that has only been equaled once in American history (1931-34) ... USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Gavin Regan (Potsdam, N.Y.), has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams.


DATE OPPONENT Result ARENA LOCATION
May 2 Italy (exh.) W, 5-2 Agora Arena Milan, Italy
May 5 Germany L, 1-2 LANXESS Arena Cologne, Germany
May 7 Denmark W, 7-2 LANXESS Arena Cologne, Germany
May 8 Sweden W, 4-3 LANXESS Arena Cologne, Germany
May 10 Italy W, 3-0 LANXESS Arena Cologne, Germany
May 13 Latvia W, 5-3 LANXESS Arena Cologne, Germany
May 14 Slovakia W, 6-1 LANXESS Arena Cologne, Germany
May 16 Russia W, 5-3 LANXESS Arena Cologne, Germany
May 18 Finland (quarterfinal) L, 0-2 LANXESS Arena Cologne, Germany

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