Vernon native Ken Holland and former Vernon Lakers forward Scott Salmond have been named to the management group for Canada’s men’s Olympic hockey team for the 2022 Beijing Olympics if NHL players are able to participate.
Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues has been named general manager while Holland, current GM of the Edmonton Oilers, will be the associate GM.
Salmond, who helped the Lakers win the B.C. Hockey League championship in 1989 before being dealt to the rival Kelowna Spartans the following year, is Hockey Canada’s senior vice-president of national teams.
Also named to the management squad as assistant general managers are Ron Francis of the expansion Seattle Kraken, former Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo and former Boston Bruin Don Sweeney.
The management group for Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team will be overseen by Tom Renney, chief executive officer of Hockey Canada and once the head coach of the Lakers’ Kootenay International Junior Hockey League affiliate Columbia Valley Rockies, and Scott Smith, the organization’s president and chief operating officer.
“It is an exciting time to be able to introduce the members of Canada’s management group, who each bring a tremendous amount of international and championship experience that will benefit our team if NHL players are able to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics,” said Renney. “Under Doug’s leadership, as well as that of our entire management group, we’re thrilled to task them to lead us into 2022, with the opportunity to oversee our staff and players as they compete for an Olympic gold medal.”
Holland has a wealth of international experience, having served with Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team management group in 2010 and 2014, winning two Olympic gold medals. He was also general manager of Team Canada at the 2006 IIHF World Championship, won silver as assistant general manager in 2005 and was part of the management group in 2013.
Holland is in his second season as general manager and president of hockey operations with the Edmonton Oilers, joining the Oilers after 22 seasons as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings that included three Stanley Cup championships (1998, 2002, 2008). He spent more than 35 years with the Red Wings as a player, scout and manager, winning another Stanley Cup as assistant general manager in 1997.
In 2019, Holland was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builder category. He is also enshrined in the Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame at Kal Tire Place.
Salmond was promoted to senior vice-president of national teams with Hockey Canada in 2018 after serving as vice-president of national teams for four years. In this position, Salmond oversees all operations for Canada’s men’s, women’s and Para hockey teams. He has helped lead Canada to gold medals at two Olympic Winter Games (2010, 2014), four IIHF World Championships (2003, 2004, 2015, 2016), five IIHF World Junior Championships (2007, 2008, 2009, 2015, 2018), one IIHF U18 World Championship (2013), one IPC World Para Hockey Championship (2017) and one Paralympic Winter Games (2006), as well as a World Cup of Hockey championship (2016) and a Spengler Cup three-peat (2015, 2016, 2017).
Salmond joined Hockey Canada in 2001 and has held increasingly senior high-performance roles during his tenure with the organization.
The management group will work together to select the coaching and support staff that will help lead Team Canada at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, which will be announced at a later date.
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