Nill named Canada GM for 2015 World Championship

Hockey Canada on Wednesday named Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill the GM for Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Championship.

The tournament will be played May 1-17 in Prague and Ostrava in the Czech Republic.

Nill previously served as GM for Canada at the 2004 World Championship and director of player personnel at the 2003 Worlds, winning the gold medal both times.

On Nill's staff are former Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee, former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager Claude Loiselle, Arizona Coyotes assistant general manager Sean Burke, Tampa Bay Lightning assistant general manager Pat Verbeek, and Scott Salmond, vice-president of hockey operations and national teams for Hockey Canada.

"This is a group with tremendous experience, both at the NHL level and internationally, in management and as players," Hockey Canada president and chief executive officer Tom Renney told Hockey Canada's website. "The IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship is one of the biggest events on the international calendar, and I know this group is excited to come together, build a roster and make Canadians proud next month in Prague and Ostrava."

Canada will play its first game against Latvia on May 1 and also will play Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland in preliminary-round play.

Last year Canada won its group but finished fifth after losing to Finland in the quarterfinals.