The new general manager of Canada's national hockey team, Mark Messier, did not issue any guarantees Wednesday that the team would win gold at the 2010 world championship in Germany next spring.

Messier, who has won five Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers and a sixth with the 1993-94 New York Rangers, was officially sworn in as the national team's GM on Wednesday.

He is remembered for his clutch and hard-nosed play, his leadership and his hat trick in Game 6 of the Rangers' semifinal against the New Jersey Devils 15 years ago. At the time, he assured the Rangers' loyal fans that their team, which trailed 3-2 in the series, would continue the chase to end the team's 54-year Stanley Cup drought.

The task for Canada to win gold at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in an Olympic year has been daunting. Since the NHL agreed to shut down its regular season to participate in the Olympics, Canada has been shut out of medals in 1998, 2002 and 2006.

"We'll get a good, young team over there that, hopefully, will be successful," said Messier, who is well aware that in the past seven world championships, Canada has won three times and finished second another three times. The only down year was 2006.

The reason, of course, is that Canada's available elite players will need rest and relaxation after an Olympic year, not a trip abroad for another pressure-packed international tournament.

But how can Canadian players turn down the intimidating Messier? Messier, who turns 49 on Jan. 16, chuckled at the suggestion that players would succumb to his menacing stare.

He remarked that if players were able to turn down the respected Steve Yzerman in the past, there is no reason they couldn't do the same to Messier.

"If players are hesitant, we should look in another direction," Messier said. "We want people there who want to be there and benefit from the experience."

Messier will begin his role as Canada's GM Wednesday evening at the Air Canada Centre, scouting two teams that appear unlikely to make the playoffs: the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders.

Will Gretzky coach Canada?

Ideally, Messier would like to lock up the rest of his management staff in the next month and then begin focusing on a coaching staff. Sources suggest that Hockey Canada already has invited two of Messier's former teammates, Wayne Gretzky and Craig MacTavish, to be the main members of the Canadian coaching staff.

Messier stated that "for sure" he will talk to Gretzky about coaching at the 2010 World's, but that the two have not yet discussed the possibility.

Hockey Canada officials had their eyes on Messier for months. They invited him to the 2009 world championship in Switzerland last spring as an observer and officially offered him the 2010 position a month ago at the Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The 16-day world championship is taking place a little bit later than usual in 2010, beginning on May 7. This will allow Messier to construct a roster from players who don't make the playoffs, those who are eliminated in the first round and those who suffer quick exits in the second round.

Besides his attempt to market a safer, more technologically advanced helmet called the M11, Messier is four months into his first season as a special assistant to Rangers GM Glen Sather.

Like last spring with Hockey Canada at the World's, Messier has been in an observer role, learning the day-to-day operations from Sather. He has been attending and scouting at games, dabbling in player development, with trips to the Rangers farm club in Hartford, Conn., and absorbing the business side of the team.

Messier stressed that he will not use his role as GM on the Canadian national team to accelerate his goal of becoming a GM in the NHL. Joe Nieuwendyk was part of Canada's management team last year and was appointed the Dallas Stars' new GM a few weeks after the world championship.

"I'm not doing it for that reason, to advance my own cause," Messier said. "I'm doing it solely for the challenge and doing it for Hockey Canada."