San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky was named head coach for Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.
“Honored. We’re very humble and grateful for the opportunity. Anytime you can represent your country, it brings a lot of emotion and gratitude, to be honest with you,” Warsofsky said. “I’m excited. We’re excited to get over there and hopefully try to win a gold medal. It’s been a long time.”
Congrats, Coach! 🦈🇺🇸
Ryan Warsofsky will coach @usahockey this May at the Men’s World Championship in Denmark and Sweden.— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) April 4, 2025
Team USA has one gold medal in their history at the World Championship, in 1933.
“Ryan is an exceptional young coach,” Jeff Kealty, general manager of the U.S. Men’s National Team and also assistant general manager/director of scouting of the NHL’s Nashville Predators, said in a statement. “He connects well with players and is a great fit to lead our team in the world championship as we strive to bring home the gold medal.”
Warsofsky served as David Quinn’s assistant during the 2023 Worlds. Despite winning the first eight games of the tournament, Team USA failed to medal and finished fourth.
“I got to give a lot of credit to Quinn for adding me to that staff as an assistant coach. To get that experience is huge for my career, and I am grateful for him to bring me and put me on that staff,” Warsofsky said. “It was a great exp
erience. [We] came up a little short, but it’s at a unique tournament, so you need the experience.”
The San Jose Sharks coach told reporters he has a list of people to go through with Team USA President John Vanbiesbrouck to fill the rest of his staff. Warsofsky also said he hopes to bring Sharks goalie coach Thomas Speer to Sweden.
Warsofsky on possibly facing Macklin Celebrini
Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini told reporters earlier in the season that he hopes to play for Team Canada at the 2025 World Championship.
The potential Calder Trophy winner was supposed to play for Canada during the 2024 tournament but was replaced after reinforcements arrived from NHL players eliminated from the playoffs.
Little tidbit from San Jose Sharks practice yesterday I forgot to post, but Macklin Celebrini said he would like to play for Canada at the world championships if asked.— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) February 27, 2025
As for Warsofsky, he wasn’t quite ready to think about how to plan against his Sharks star.
“Hopefully not, but we will see,” Warsofsky said with a smile about potentially facing Celebrini.
Celebrini couldn’t comment on potentially going against his head coach due to participating in a Make-A-Wish event during practice. Luke Schumann, a five-year-old boy who was diagnosed with cancer, got to meet and skate with the San Jose Sharks rookie and team.
#SJSharks grant 5-year-old cancer survivor's wish to meet Celebrini. Such a fun day in practice. My latest with @NHLdotcom.⤵️
https://t.co/YdYROxCbax— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) April 4, 2025
“I think especially this year, with the Olympics coming up, I think this is an important year for the World Championship,” Warsofsky said. “Obviously, [you expect there to] be some changes to that Four Nations [roster], I would think so, and around all the other countries. That’s the biggest thing; the Olympics are right around the corner, and there’s a lot to play for.”
The event will take place from May 9-25 and will be primarily hosted in Stockholm, Sweden.
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