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NEWSMAKER: STEVE TAMBELLINITambellini takes the reigns of Team Canada
CBC Sports Online | March 22, 2005
Fans who are disappointed that Wayne Gretzky
won't be Canada's general manager at this year's world hockey championship
need not worry. Team Canada is in good hands with Steve Tambellini.
Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson trusts Tambellini, assistant
GM with the Vancouver Canucks, to lead Canada at the worlds in Austria
for good reason: experience.
Steve Tambellini speaks to the media after
being named general manager of Canada's team for the 2005 world
hockey championship, to be held Apr. 30 to May 15 in Austria.
(CP PHOTO/Jeff McIntosh) |
Although he doesn't have the same star appeal as
the Great One, Tambellini has represented Canada eight times (both
as a player and in an executive position) and has been an integral
member of Canada's management team in international hockey since 2001.
Tambellini played 10 NHL seasons after being drafted by the New York
Islanders in 1978, before retiring and eventually taking up a position
in the Canucks' front office. After 13 years in charge of scouting
for the club, he was named Canucks vice president and assistant general
manager in 2004.
Even when he was busy helping to chart the Canucks' future, he always
answered the call from Hockey Canada. His resume includes serving
as Canada's director of player personnel at the 2001 and 2004 hockey
worlds and Canada's GM at the 2003 worlds, when it won gold for the
first time in six years.
Alongside Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe, Tambellini was a key member
of Gretzky's executive team that was responsible for building Canada's
gold-medal winning teams at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics and last year's
World Cup of Hockey.
Tambellini comes by his desire to help Team Canada in a management
role naturally, having also represented his country as a player at
the 1978 world junior championships, the 1981 world hockey championships
and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
Both Gretzky and Nicholson have expressed their belief that Tambellini
can guide Canada to a third straight world championship crown in Austria.
Even though he'll be carrying the weight of a country's expectations
on his shoulders, Tambellini is looking forward to the challenge,
and has the unqualified backing of Gretzky.
"Steve Tambellini will do a wonderful job for Hockey Canada," Gretzky
said in a statement, "and is more than qualified to lead Canada as
they go for their third consecutive world championship gold medal."
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Born:
May 14, 1958, in Trail, B.C.
Junior career:
Played three seasons (1975 to 1978) with the Lethbridge Broncos
of the Western Hockey League. Tallied 75 goals and 155 points during the 1977-78
campaign with Lethbridge.
Drafted:
Was a first-round pick (15th overall) of the New York Islanders in
the 1978 NHL Entry Draft.
NHL career:
Played 10 seasons (Islanders, Colorado Rockies, New Jersey Devils,
Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks) amassing 310 points (160 goals, 150 assists)
in 160 career regular-season games.
International duty:
Played alongside Gretzky as a member of Team Canada at
the 1978 world junior hockey championship in Montreal. Also represented Canada
as a player at the 1981 world hockey championship and the 1988 Calgary Winter
Olympics.
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