Penguins' Bylsma to guide U.S. Olympic hockey team

By Sports Network

The Sports Network

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma has been selected to guide the United States' men's hockey team at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

Bylsma has been at the Penguins' helm for 4 1/2 seasons and has already built a solid resume. He took over behind the bench midway through the 2008-09 season and led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup title that spring, then won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach for the 2010-11 campaign and this past season led Pittsburgh to the best record in the Eastern Conference.

"It's an unbelievable honor to be selected to represent our country," said Michigan native Bylsma on Saturday. "Together with our coaching staff and management group, I will do everything I can to prepare our team to be in a position to win gold in Sochi."

Assistant coaches and support staff for the team will be announced later this month.

The management team was also formally announced Saturday, as Nashville general manager David Poile will serve as GM and Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero will be the associate GM. Brian Burke will be the director of player personnel.

Bylsma will coach a USA Hockey team for the first time. He served as a coach at the 2011 U.S. National Junior Camp.

"In Dan, we've chosen someone that has had terrific success and relates well to players," said Poile. "We're extremely pleased and I know that our entire management group looks forward to working with him and his staff."

The 42-year-old Bylsma will be the second man with Penguins connections to coach the USA men's hockey team. Herb Brooks, the architect of the 1980 Miracle on Ice squad, was a Pittsburgh scout in 2002 when he took over Team USA for a second time and led the Americans to a silver medal at the Salt Lake City Games.

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