Roberto Luongo named GM of Team Canada for the World Championships

Apr 20 2021, 4:55 pm

Hockey Canada has named Roberto Luongo its general manager for the 2021 IIHF World Championship.

The future Hall of Fame goaltender with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, and New York Islanders, will be in charge of constructing the team that will compete in Riga, Latvia, May 21 to June 6.

“As general manager, Luongo will oversee and lead all hockey operations, including staff and player selection and evaluation as Canada looks to win its first gold medal since 2016,” Hockey Canada said in a media release.

Joining Luongo on the management group will be former Arizona Coyotes forward Shane Doan, and Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s senior vice president of national teams.

The World Championship will carry extra importance this year, as the NHL intends to return to the Winter Olympics in February. Luongo was previously named assistant general manager to Doug Armstrong for the Olympic team that will compete at Beijing 2022.

“Hockey Canada is excited to have Roberto lead our management group at the IIHF World Championship this year, and to continue to work with our entire Olympic management team as we continue to prepare for the 2022 Olympics,” said Tom Renney, chief executive officer of Hockey Canada.

“We are also fortunate to have Shane and Scott contribute as assistant general managers; both individuals bring a wealth of experience to Canada’s National Men’s Team. Roberto, Shane and Scott bring a strong combination of NHL and international experience, both on and off the ice, and they will complement each other as we work towards building a team that can compete for a gold medal.”

While he will be making his international management debut, Luongo does have NHL managerial experience, as he is currently working in the Florida Panthers front office. The 42-year-old Montreal native has also represented Canada numerous times internationally as a player, representing Canada three times at the Olympics, winning gold medals in 2010 and 2014. Luongo also won gold twice (2003 and 2004) and silver once (2005) with Team Canada at the World Championships. He also won a World Cup of Hockey championship in 2004.

Canada will play Latvia, Italy, Finland, Germany, Kazakhstan, Norway, and the United States during the preliminary round, beginning on May 21. The gold medal game is scheduled for June 6.

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