POWNAL, P.E.I. — A Stratford resident will lead Canada’s best 15-year-old hockey players as they take their first steps with Hockey Canada.
Gordie Dwyer has been named head coach of Canada’s entry into the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, which take place Jan. 9-22 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“It’s definitely an honour to be selected by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee to lead this group,” Dwyer said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the players to showcase their abilities at a young age and definitely gain experience on the international stage.”
Dwyer, a 41-year-old Dalhousie, N.B., native played 108 games in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens. The left-winger had five assists and 394 penalty minutes.
He coached the Summerside Western Capitals of the Maritime Junior Hockey League for two seasons before taking the reins of the QMJHL’s P.E.I. Rocket/Charlottetown Islanders for four seasons.
He coached Ambri-Piotta of Switzerland’s top professional league down the stretch in 2016-17. The squad was successful in retaining their spot in the top league and avoided being relegated.
Dwyer coached at the Spengler Cup with Hockey Canada and in the KHL in 2018-19. He is not coaching professionally this season. He is helping out with two of his sons’ teams as an assistant coach with the Pownal Red Devils peewee AAA and atom A squads.
Canada’s roster for the Youth Olympic Games was selected by Brad McEwen, head scout for the Program of Excellence, with support from regional scouts Patrick Desrosiers, Rob Simpson, Jason Smart, Darren Sutherland, Shaun Sutter and Darrell Woodley.
None of the players are from Atlantic Canada.
Some of Canada’s top players for the event are expected to be Ontario’s Adam Fantilli and Alberta’s Matthew Savoie, who the Winnipeg Ice selected with the first overall pick in the Western Hockey League’s draft earlier this year. There are four Quebec-based players on the roster. They are Antonin Verreault, Justin Cote, Noah Warren and Tristan Luneau.
“We’re excited about the talent that’s on our roster,” Dwyer said. “For every player this is their first experience with Hockey Canada.”
One player who won’t be wearing the Maple Leaf is Shane Wright. He received exceptional player status and is leading the Ontario Hockey League’s Kingston Frontenacs in scoring with 29 points in 28 games. Kurtis Foster, who is the older brother of Islanders president of operations Craig Foster, is Kingston’s head coach.
Canada, which won silver at the 2016 Youth Olympics, will face Russia and Denmark on Jan. 18 and 19, respectively, in Group B play during the preliminary round. The semifinals are set for Jan. 21 with the medal games on Jan. 22.
Related links:
• Hockey Canada releases roster for Winter Youth Olympic Games
• Winter Youth Olympic Games website
• Gordie Dwyer's HockeyDB profile page
Winter Youth OIympic Games
What – A multi-sport event and cultural festival for teenagers. It brings together young athletes between the ages of 15 and 18 from more than 200 countries.
Upcoming event – 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, Jan. 9-22 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The previous winter Games were held in Lillehammer, Norway, in 2016 and Innsbruck, Austria, in 2012.
Sports – Biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, hockey, luge, skating, skiing and ski mountaineering.
Local connection – Stratford resident Gordie Dwyer, a Dalhousie, N.B., native, will be head coach of the boys’ hockey team.
Dwyer said: “It's a great opportunity to showcase Canada’s top 15-year-old players and definitely an opportunity and platform for them to play on a world stage.”
Did you know? The bilingual Dwyer was the first captain of the Quebec Remparts when they returned to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 1997.
Representing his country – Dwyer coached Canada at the under-18 world championships in 2012 and has been on the staff at the Spengler Cup in recent years.
