Lalonde, Gordon, Warsofsky Named Assistant Coaches for 2023 Men's National Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Derek Lalonde (Brasher Falls, N.Y./Detroit Red Wings), Scott Gordon (Easton, Mass./San Jose Sharks) and Ryan Warsofsky (North Marshfield, Mass./San Jose Sharks) have been named assistant coaches, Thomas Speer (Janesville, Wis./San Jose Sharks) goaltending coach and Mike King (Center Conway, N.H./Ottawa Senators) and Nick Gialdini (San Jose, Calif./San Jose Sharks) video coaches for the 2023 U.S. Men’s National Team it was announced today by USA Hockey.

Team USA will compete in the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship May 12-28 in Tampere, Finland, and Riga, Latvia, with David Quinn previously announced as the squad’s head coach.

“We’ve got a terrific staff overall,” said Chris Clark, general manager of the 2023 U.S. Men’s National Team and also the assistant general manager of the NHL’s Columbus Blue jackets. “The group brings varied experiences which will all contribute to our ultimate goal of bringing home a gold medal.”

ABOUT DEREK LALONDE
Lalonde, in his first season as head coach of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, will be part of the coaching staff of a U.S. Men’s National Team for first time. Lalonde has been involved with U.S. teams on the international stage on two other occasions, helping the U.S. Junior Select Team to championships in the World Junior A Challenge in 2013 as head coach and as assistant coach in 2012.

Lalonde arrived in Detroit after spending four seasons (2018-22) as an assistant coach for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning where he helped Tampa Bay earn Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021.

The Brasher Falls, New York, native served as an assistant coach in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey first with Ferris State from 2002-2006 and then at the University of Denver from 2006-2011. He moved on to serve as head coach and general manager for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers from 2011-14 where he recorded an overall record of 114-56-8-6 and was named the USHL Coach of the Year in 2012 after helping the Gamblers earn the Clark Cup title.

Lalonde spent two seasons (2014-16) as the head coach of the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL and earned the John Brophy Award as the league’s coach of the year in his first campaign.

From 2016-18 he was the head coach of the AHL’s Iowa Wild before moving to Tampa.

Lalonde's coaching career began as a graduate assistant men's ice hockey coach at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (formerly North Adams State) from 1995-98. He then started a two-year stint as an assistant men's ice hockey coach at Lebanon Valley College following by two seasons as an assistant men's ice hockey coach at Hamilton College.

Derek Lalaonde

ABOUT SCOTT GORDON
Gordon, with more than 25 years of coaching experience, is in his first season as an assistant coach with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.

The Easton, Mass., native is no stranger to international hockey, having served as head coach for the U.S. Men’s National Team on three occasions (2010, 2011, 2012) and as assistant coach once (2009). Gordon also was an assistant coach for the silver medal-winning 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team and for Team USA in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Before joining the Sharks, Gordon served for six seasons as head coach at Lehigh Valley of the AHL where he compiled a 186-121-40 regular-season record. Gordon’s career has also included stops as an assistant coach for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs (2011-14) and as head coach of the NHL’s New York Islanders (2008-10).

In 2007-08, Gordon led the Providence Bruins of the AHL to a league-best 55-18-3 record and earned the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL Coach of the Year. After spending two full seasons (2000-02) as an assistant coach at Providence, Gordon was promoted to head coach in his third season for the final nine games of the 2002-03 regular season and playoffs. In his five campaigns at the helm in Providence, the team compiled a 221-141-20-27 record (W-L-T-OT/SOL).

Gordon began his coaching career with the International Hockey League’s Atlanta Knights from 1994-96, and then spent two seasons (1996-98) with the IHL’s Quebec Rafales. His next move came in 1998-99, when he was named the head coach of the Roanoke Express of the East Coast Hockey League.

Scott Gordon

ABOUT RYAN WARSOFSKY
Warsofsky is in his first season as assistant coach with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks and is making his first appearance on the staff of a U.S. Men’s National Team.

Prior to joining the Sharks, Warsofsky spent two seasons as the head coach of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, and in 2022, at age 34, became the youngest coach since Peter Laviolette in 1999 to guide a team to the Calder Cup. Warsofsky also spent two seasons (2018-20) with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers and helped the team earn the Calder Cup in 2019.

Warsofsky got his coaching start as an assistant men's hockey coach with NCAA Division III Curry College in 2012-13 and then spent five seasons (2013-18) with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, serving the first three campaigns as assistant coach and his final two seasons as head coach and director of hockey operations.

ABOUT MIKE KING
King will be part of the coaching staff of a U.S. Men’s National Team for the third straight year. He has spent the last four seasons as the video coach for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators and previous to that served as video coach for the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Prior to joining the Bears, King spent
two seasons as a skills and development coach with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves.

Ryan Warsofsky

ABOUT NICK GIALDINI
Gialdini is serving for the first time as a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team coaching staff. He is in his first season as video coach for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. Previously, Gaildini spent six campaigns with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL as video coach and in hockey operations. Gialdini also served as a head coach at various youth hockey levels for the San Jose Jr. Sharks for nine seasons.

SUPPORT STAFF NAMED
USA Hockey also announced the following support staff for the 2022 U.S. Men's National Team, including team services Madison Brown (Niagara Falls, N.Y./USA Hockey); athletic trainers Stan Wong (Boca Raton, Fla./USA Hockey) and Chris Strickland (Longview, Texas/Columbus Blue Jackets); equipment managers Jamie Healy (New Albany, Ohio/Columbus Blue Jackets), Scott Aldrich (Hancock, Mich./USA Hockey); team physician Dr. Charles Popkin (Medina, Minn./USA Hockey); massage therapist Jari Jaaskelainen (Tampere, Finland/USA Hockey); content coordinator Taylor Swierc (Colorado Springs, Colo./USA Hockey); media officer Dave Fischer(Colorado Springs, Colo./USA Hockey) and team host Risto Talvio (Eurajoki, Finland).