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Report: Ruff, Hitchcock, Lemaire to assist Babcock

Wednesday, 06.24.2009 / 4:18 PM / All-Access Vancouver

NHL.com

According to a report from CTVOlympics.ca Wednesday, Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff, Columbus Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock and former Minnesota Wild coach Jacques Lemaire will be assistant coaches to the Red Wings' Mike Babcock on Canada's 2010 men's Olympic hockey team.

Team Canada Executive Director Steve Yzerman is expected to make it official Thursday morning at a news conference in Montreal.

Detroit's Babcock will be the head coach.

Hitchcock was an associate coach for Team Canada in 2002, when it won gold in Salt Lake City, and in
2006 in Turin, Italy, when Canada finished seventh. In addition, Hitchcock led Canada to a silver medal in the IIHF World Hockey Championship in Halifax last spring. 

Ruff recently coached Canada to a silver medal at the World Championship in Switzerland. This will be the first Olympic experience for Lemaire.