| COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Chris Drury, currently in his third year as assistant general manager of the NHL’s New York Rangers and general manager of the Rangers’ AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack, will serve as general manager of the 2019 U.S. Men’s National Team it was announced today by USA Hockey.Drury will be assisted by the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group, led by John Vanbiesbrouck, assistant executive director of USA Hockey, and including NHL general managers David Poile, Don Waddell, Ray Shero, Dale Tallon, Stan Bowman, Jeff Gorton and Paul Fenton.“We’re really happy to have Chris serving as general manager of our team,” said Vanbiesbrouck. “He knows what it takes to succeed at the international level, and working with our men’s national team advisory group, which brings vast experience, success and passion to the table, we have a tremendous group in place to build our team.”“I’m honored to be asked and am excited about the challenge ahead,” said Drury, who is in his fourth season with the Rangers, including his first year as director of player development. “Our player pool continues to get deeper in the U.S. and I look forward to working with the men’s national team advisory group in putting together a roster that can compete for a gold medal.”Drury, who served as part of the management group for U.S. Men’s National Teams in both 2016 and 2017, was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 after a 12-year NHL career that included a Stanley Cup championship with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001.He competed in eight international events for Team USA during his playing career, including three Olympic Winter Games (2002-silver, 2006, 2010-silver), three IIHF Men’s World Championships (1997, 1998, 2004-bronze), one World Cup of Hockey (2004) and one IIHF World Junior Championship (1996).Additionally, Drury spent four seasons playing at Boston University (1994-98), where he helped lead the Terriers to the 1995 NCAA national championship. Drury captured college hockey’s ultimate individual honor his senior season as the recipient of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award and is also a two-time recipient of USA Hockey’s College Player of the Year Award (1997, 1998).The U.S. Men’s National Team will compete in the 2019 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championship, May 10-26, in Kosice and Bratislava, Slovakia.NOTES: For complete coverage of the U.S. Men’s National Team, click here … The official online home of the 2019 IIHF Men’s World Championship is 2019.IIHFWorlds.com … USA Hockey expects to name the head coach and initial players part of the roster in the coming weeks … The U.S. has finished in the top four of the world championship in four of the last six years, with three bronze medals during that stretch, including last year … USA Hockey’s international council, chaired by Gavin Regan (Potsdam, N.Y.), has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams. |
