Renney to become CEO of Hockey Canada: report

Tom Renney will leave his post as associate coach of the Detroit Red Wings to become president and CEO of Hockey Canada, The Canadian Press reported Monday.

Renney will replace Bob Nicholson; the latter resigned earlier this year to become vice chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group in Edmonton.

"Tom Renney is a great guy, he's an amazing person, great speaker, he loves hockey and he loves grassroots hockey," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock told the Detroit Free Press. "He's going to drive grassroots hockey. Tom thinks about hockey 24/7, he loves it. He could be doing this till he's 100. I'm real proud of Tom, real happy for him and his family, he's going to be fantastic at it."

Renney, 59, spent the past two seasons with the Red Wings. Prior to that, he coached the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers. Renney was a coach for Canada at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.

A formal announcement could be made as early as Tuesday.