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John Wroblewski To Coach Team USA at 2019 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship

By USAHockey.com, 04/10/19, 1:45PM EDT

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Assistant Coaches, Support Staff Also Named

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – John Wroblewski (Neenah, Wis.), who just concluded his third season as a head coach at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, will serve as head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team that will compete in the upcoming 2019 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Men’s World Championship it was announced today by USA Hockey.

Joining Wroblewski behind the bench will be assistant coaches Dan Hinote (Elk River, Minn.), Jared Nightingale (Cheboygan, Mich.), Kevin Lind (Homer Glen, Ill.) and goaltending coach Thomas Speer (Janesville, Wis.).

The tournament runs from April 18-28 in Örnsköldsvik and Umeå, Sweden. Team USA opens play in the event on Thursday, April 18, against Sweden at the Fjällräven Center in Örnsköldsvik.

ABOUT WROBLEWSKI

John Wroblewski will be serving as head coach for the second time after previously leading the U.S. to a gold medal with a perfect 6-1-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record at the 2017 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship. A player on the inaugural roster of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in 1997, Wroblewski served as head coach of the United States Hockey League’s Youngstown Phantoms (2015-16) prior to his current role. The Neenah, Wisconsin, native began his coaching career as an intern assistant coach for the U.S. National Under-18 Team (2007-08) as part of the NTDP. The following year, he was promoted to a full-time assistant coach, a position he held for two seasons (2008-10). In 2010, Wroblewski earned a gold medal as Team USA claimed first place at the 2010 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship in Minsk, Belarus. Wroblewski skated with the NTDP for two seasons (1997-99) before suiting up for the University of Notre Dame. A four-year letterwinner with the Fighting Irish (1999-2003), Wroblewski served as alternate captain during his senior year and was the winner of the Notre Dame Monogram Club’s Most Valuable Player Award. 

ABOUT HINOTE

Dan Hinote is making his first appearance coaching for Team USA at the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. Hinote, who played 14 years of professional hockey in the NHL, AHL and SHL, recently concluded his first year as associate coach for the U.S. National Under-18 Team during the 2018-19 season. The Elk River, Minn., native played 503 games in the NHL and won a Stanley Cup championship with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001. He retired from professional hockey in 2010 and spent four seasons (2010-14) as an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets as well as a part-time scout for the Blue Jackets. Hinote played two seasons of college hockey at the U.S. Military Academy and today remains the only player in program history to be drafted as he was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.

ABOUT LIND

Kevin Lind, who has served as an intern assistant coach for USA Hockey’s NTDP from 2017-19, will be an assistant coach for the U.S. at the at the IIHF Men’s World Championship for the first time. Lind spent the 2016-17 season as an assistant coach at the University of Notre Dame. Previously, Lind spent one season as an assistant coach for the Chicago Hawks Hockey Club Under-15 and Under-16 teams. He has also served as a camp counselor for the Notre Dame hockey camp and the Pro Ambitions Hockey camp. Lind played four seasons at Notre Dame (2011-2014) and in April 2017 he became the first person in Notre Dame hockey history to reach the Frozen Four as both a player (2011) and a coach. He also played for Team USA in the 2009 World Junior A Challenge and the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. 

ABOUT NIGHTINGALE

Jared Nightingale, who served as an intern assistant coach for the U.S. National Under-17 Team during the 2018-19 season, will represent the U.S. for the first time as an assistant coach at the IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship. Nightingale spent the 2017-18 season as an assistant coach for the United States Hockey League’s Omaha Lancers. The Cheboygan, Michigan, native played four years (2002-06) at Michigan State, and was an alternate captain his junior and senior seasons. Nightingale went on to a 13-year professional playing career that included stops in both the ECHL and AHL.

ABOUT SPEER

Thomas Speer, USA Hockey’s national goaltending coach, will coach for Team USA a second time at the IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship. Speer, who also oversees the Warren Strelow National Goaltending Mentor Program, guides the Under-17 and Under-18 goaltenders at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. Prior to the NTDP, Speer worked as director of amateur goaltending for the Dallas Stars, a goalie development coordinator for USA Hockey in Texas and Oklahoma, and as director of camp development and personnel for Elite Goalies in Allen, Texas. He also served as a goaltending coach for the Allen Americans of the ECHL for four seasons.

SUPPORT STAFF NAMED

USA Hockey also announced the support staff for the 2019 U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team, including general manager Scott Monaghan (Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.); hockey operations manager Gabri Switaj (Kent, Ohio); athletic trainer Jason Hodges (Detroit, Mich.); equipment manager Jake Visser (Grand Rapids, Mich.); team physician Dr. Michael Stuart (Rochester, Minn.) and communications manager Sydney Blackman (Glendale, Ariz.).

NOTES: Team USA news, interviews, highlights and more can be found at TeamUSA.USAHockey.com ... For the official IIHF home for the U18 Men's World Championship, visit iihf.com/en/events/2019/wm18 ... The U.S. enters the tournament having captured a record 15 consecutive medals, including gold medals in seven of the last ten years (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017) ... Team USA has won 10 gold medals all-time, the most of any country in IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship history. The event began in 1999. Team USA earned its first gold medal in 2002 ... Follow @USAHockey on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. Scores will be designated with the #U18Worlds tag ... For additional coverage, visit the USA Hockey Facebook page and Instagram account.) ... USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Gavin Regan (Potsdam, N.Y.), has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams.

2019 U.S. Tournament Schedule

DATE OPPONENT/ROUND LOCATION TIME (LOCAL/ET)/RESULT TELEVISION U.S. Player of the Game
Fri., April 12 Finland
Exhibition
Heinola, Finland L, 0-1 None Cam York
Sat., April 13 Switzerland
Exhibition
Heinola, Finland W, 8-0 None Jack Hughes
Thu., April 18 Sweden
Preliminary
Fjallraven Center
Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
W, 6-1 NHL Network Cole Caufield
Fri., April 19 Slovakia
Preliminary
Fjallraven Center
Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
W, 12-5 NHL Network Jack Hughes
Sun., April 21 Russia
Preliminary
Fjallraven Center
Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
W, 6-3 NHL Network Alex Turcotte
Tue., April 23 Latvia
Preliminary
Fjallraven Center
Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
W, 7-1 NHL Network John Beecher
Thu., April 25 Finland
Quarterfinals
Fjallraven Center
Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
W, 6-0 NHL Network Jack Hughes
Sat., April 27 Russia
Semifinals
Fjallraven Center
Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
L, 2-3 (SO) NHL Network Cole Caufield
Sun., April 28 Canada
Bronze-Medal Game
Fjallraven Center
Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
W 5-2 NHL Network Cam York

Tournament Homepage

U18 Men's Worlds History