Ex-NHL coaches to lead Israel's national teams

[[MakkabI]]

Former National Hockey League coach Pierre McGuire agreed Tuesday morning to coach Israel at the 2005 International Ice Hockey Federation Division II playoffs in Belgrade, while Jean Perron will take charge of the under-18 squad.

According to Allan Maislin, chairman of the Israel Ice Hockey Federation and a Montreal businessman, Mcguire "is known as a shrewd coach and hockey analyst, and will make a great addition to the Israeli national team."

"This is just another part of the overall program that we are working on to improve the caliber of ice hockey in Israel," he added.

McGuire was an assistant to Scott Bowman, the winningest coach in NHL history, when the Pittsburgh Penguins captured two Stanley Cup titles after the 1992 and 1993 seasons. After the second NHL title, he became the Hartford Whalers' head coach, and has also coached the Ottawa Senators.

Perron, who was head coach of 1986 Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens, will coach the Israelis in the Division III 2005 world under-18 hockey championship in Bulgaria.

"We want to win the Division III championship and be promoted to Division II," Perron said Monday in a statement released by the International Ice Hockey Federation.

"There is no question about that. During my first visit to Israel last summer I got to coach that group for the first time and I was surprised how much hockey they knew and how excited they were. And they wanted to learn."

Before the tournament in Bulgaria, the U-18s will play Mexico in Los Angeles and travel to Toronto for games. Maislin's goal is for Israel to some day qualify for the Olympics.

"To survive in this country you have to have mental toughness and our players won't have problems with being tough," Maislin said. "Now, we just need to add some skill. And probably a hot goalie."