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Rand Pecknold Named Head Coach of 2023 U.S. National Junior Team

By USA Hockey, 04/05/22, 1:15PM EDT

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Ferschweiler, Cashman, Waimon, Roche To Assist

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Rand Pecknold (Boston, Mass.), who has built a national powerhouse men’s ice hockey program at Quinnipiac University over the course of his 28-year career as head coach of the Bobcats, has been named head coach of the 2023 U.S. National Junior Team it was announced today by USA Hockey.

The squad will compete in the 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship Dec. 26, 2022 - Jan. 5, 2023 in Halifax and Moncton, Canada. 

“It’s terrific to have someone with the vast experience and success that Rand does,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of the 2023 U.S. National Junior Team and assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. “He’s in tune with the age group of players and has built one of the top college programs in our country.”

World Juniors

Pecknold will be joined by assistant coaches Pat Ferschweiler (Rochester, Minn.), head coach of the Western Michigan University men’s ice hockey team and Reid Cashman (Red Wing, Minn.), head men’s ice hockey coach at Dartmouth College; goaltending coach Jared Waimon (New Milford, Ct.), currently a scout with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning; and video coach Shawn Roche (Buffalo, N.Y.), who has holds a similar position for the Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team.

“It’s an honor to be asked to lead this team,” said Pecknold. “and I’m thankful to USA Hockey for the opportunity and also for the support of our administration at Quinnipiac. Hockey in the United States continues to reach new heights and that is great to see. Our player pool is as deep as it has ever been, and together with John and the great coaching staff we have, I look forward to the challenge of building this team and bringing a gold medal to our country.”

SUMMER CAMP

The World Junior Summer Showcase that was started by USA Hockey and in recent years included games and practices with candidates for National Junior Teams from the U.S., Canada, Finland and Sweden, will not be staged this year. Instead, USA Hockey will welcome candidates for both its 2022 and 2023 U.S. National Junior Teams to a combined camp in late July at USA Hockey Arena. From the camp, the final 2022 squad will be selected and travel to Edmonton, Alberta, where it will represent the U.S. in the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, Aug. 9-20. That tournament was halted after just nine games were played in December due to COVID issues. The final roster for the 2023 team will be named sometime in December 2022.

ABOUT PECKNOLD

Rand Pecknold recently finished his 28th season as head coach of the Quinnipiac University men’s ice hockey program and guided his team to a 32-7-3 overall record in 2021-22, the school’s eighth NCAA tournament appearance and its sixth ECAC Hockey regular-season title. Pecknold, who was the Spencer Penrose Award recipient as the top coach in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey in 2016, has a record of 581-333-100 and ranks third among active NCAA Division I coaches in career victories.

He has twice been part of U.S. coaching staffs, including for the U.S. Men’s National Team that competed in the 2017 IIHF Men’s World Championship and for the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team that earned a silver medal in the 2018 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship.

Pecknold began his storied career at Quinnipiac in 1994-95 when the team competed at the Division II level. He shepherded the school into its Division I era in 1998-99, leading the Bobcats to a then school-record 26 victories, with 18 additional 20-plus win campaigns to his credit since and also three seasons with 30 or more wins.

The four-time ECAC Hockey Tim Taylor Coach of the Year played hockey collegiately at Connecticut College (1986-90) where he earned both a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s degree in education. He went on to serve three seasons (1991-94) as an assistant hockey coach for the school before taking over the head coaching reins at Quinnipiac.

ABOUT FERSCHWEILER

Pat Ferschweiler is coming off his first season as head men’s ice hockey coach at Western Michigan University where he led the Broncos to a 26-12-2 record and an NCAA East Regional Final appearance in 2021-22.

The Rochester, Minn., native played college hockey for the Broncos for three seasons (1990-93), including serving as captain his final campaign. He went on to an eight-year professional playing career, including stops in the ECHL and IHL, before turning to coaching. After a six-year stint (2004-2010) as head coach/general manager in the Midwest Elite Hockey League, he returned to his alma mater where he served for three seasons as an assistant coach (2010-13) and one as associate head coach (2013-14). After stints as an assistant coach with the Grand Rapids Griffins (2014-15) and Detroit Red Wings (2015-19), he returned again to Western Michigan as associate head coach for two campaigns (2019-21) before taking over as head coach.

Ferschweiler has been part of coaching staffs for U.S. teams on the international stage three previous times, including as head coach of the U.S. Under-17 National Team for the Five Nations Cup in 2018; as assistant coach of the U.S. Under-18 Select Team for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2019 and as head coach for the 2020 U.S. squad that played in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

ABOUT CASHMAN

Reid Cashman has spent the last two campaigns as head coach of the Dartmouth College men’s ice hockey program. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Quinnipiac University, serving as assistant coach for four campaigns (2011-15) and associate head coach for one (2015-16). He went on to spend two years as assistant coach for the Hershey Bears in the AHL and two seasons as assistant coach for the NHL’s Washington Capitals before arriving at Dartmouth.

Cashman played four seasons (2003-07) collegiately at Quinnipiac, serving as captain his final season. He went on to play five seasons professionally before turning to coaching.

He is making his first appearance representing the U.S. on the international stage.

ABOUT WAIMON

Jared Waimon is currently in his third season as the goaltending scout for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Previous to that, he spent five seasons (2014-19) as the goaltending coach for the Quinnipiac University men’s ice hockey team, and from 2007-13 coached goaltenders for the men’s and women’s teams at both Trinity College.

Waimon is currently part of the USA Hockey Goaltending Development Program staff helping mentor young netminders. He served as a goaltending coach for the 2018 U.S. Women’s National Team Evaluation Camp and was also an assistant coach for the U.S. Under-18 Select Team at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

He is a 2003 graduate of Central Connecticut State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in communications.

ABOUT ROCHE

Shawn Roche recently completed his fifth campaign with the Quinnipiac University men’s ice hockey team where he leads video analysis in his role as director of hockey operations.

Roche arrived at Quinnipiac after spending two seasons as a video coordinator and assistant video coach with the NHL’s New York Rangers. He has served in similar capacities with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL and at Canisius College.

The Buffalo, New York, native is a 2007 graduate of Bowling Green State University.

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