Former NHL coach Michel Therrien to lead Canada’s 2025 Spengler Cup team
Hockey Canada has announced that former NHL bench boss Michel Therrien has been named coach of the team’s 2025 Spengler Cup effort in Davos, Switzerland.
Therrien has not been active as a coach since 2021-22, when he finished off a three-year run as an assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers. Prior to that, he served as Montreal’s head coach from 2012-17, including a trip to the NHL All-Star Game in 2017.
The 62-year-old has never coached Canada internationally, but has been the voice behind the bench for Montreal (two different tenures) and Pittsburgh (from 2005-06 until 2008-09, prior to the team’s Stanley Cup).
Canada’s assistant coaches will be made up of former St. Louis Blues coach Drew Bannister, Rob Cookson and Patrice Lefebvre will serve as assistants. current Lausanne HC assistant Rob Cookson and Forward Morges HC boss Patrice Lefebvre. Jeremy Coupal will serve as video coach.
Marc Bergevin, who was Montreal’s GM when Therrien was leading the club, is Canada’s general manager, while Stacy Roest is the team’s assistant GM.
Canada’s roster has not been named, but will mainly consist of players participating in one of the top European pro leagues. Other roster spots could be given to active AHLers or prospects currently in the NCAA.
Canada will kick off the tournament with a game against the U.S. Collegiate Selects team on Dec. 26. Canada will then play the hosts, HC Davos, on either Dec. 27 or Dec. 28, depending on the results from the opening match. The championship game will be played Dec. 31.
The other three teams will be made up of Czechia’s HC Sparta Prague, Finland’s IFK Helsinki, and the defending champions out of Switzerland, HC Fribourg-Gotteron.
With 19 championships, Canada is tied with Davos for the most titles in tournament history. Canada hasn’t won the tournament since 2019, but did win five tournaments during the 2010s.
The Spengler Cup is the world’s oldest invitational hockey tournament, with 2025 marking the 97th edition of the post-Christmas affair.