DAVOS, Switzerland — An injury has forced Canada's men's hockey team to make a last-minute change behind the bench ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
Hockey Canada announced Sunday that Jeremy Colliton has replaced Claude Julien as the team's head coach after Julien slipped on ice and fractured his ribs during a team-building activity at training camp in Switzerland.
Medical staff determined the injury will prevent the veteran NHL coach from flying to China for the Games.
“(Julien) was obviously devastated to hear about that, to find that out, because he wanted to be there so bad," team General Manager Shane Doan told reporters on a video call Sunday.
The injury means Colliton has been promoted from assistant coach to bench boss.
The 37-year-old from Blackie, Alta., was head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks for parts of four seasons before he was fired in November.
A former centreman, Colliton played professionally for six seasons for the New York Islanders and Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League before moving into coaching in the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the Swedish league HockeyAllsvenskan.
He also played for Canada at the world junior hockey championships twice, winning silver in 2004 and gold one year later.
“Any time you get a chance to represent Canada, it’s as good as it gets, I think, as a hockey player and being Canadian," he said.
"I got a chance to do it as a player and it’s some of the best memories I have. So now to be part of a new group of players and competing at the Olympics, it’s an amazing opportunity and certainly a great responsibility.”
Despite the injury, Colliton expects Julien will still weigh in during the tournament.
“He has so much experience and a track record of winning and he’s invested so much in this process already, getting the team ready," he said. "We’ve built a plan as far as getting the team ready and how the team’s going to play. And we’re just trying to move that forward.”
With NHL players missing a second straight Olympics, the Canadian squad features a mix of emerging stars and seasoned veterans.
Julien sent the players a message saying the coaching swap is simply adversity and that they now have a chance to show how they respond, Colliton said.
“This isn’t going to be the last bump in the road, likely, that we run into," he said.
The Canadians will play a pair of exhibition matchups before the Games begin, taking on Switzerland on Tuesday and the U.S. on Feb. 7. Canada's Olympic tournament will officially begin on Feb. 10 when they face Germany.
The team is currently still focused on preparing, Colliton said, but they're optimistic heading into Beijing.
“We absolutely feel we can challenge for a gold medal, no doubt," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2022.
The Canadian Press
