Chelios added to U.S. coaching staff for 2016 WJC

Hockey Hall of Fame member Chris Chelios on Wednesday was named by USA Hockey as one of three assistant coaches for the 2016 United States National Junior Team that will complete in the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship in Helsinki, Finland.

Chelios will be joined by Danton Cole and Kevin Reiter. Ron Wilson was named head coach June 4.

It's the first time Chelios, an advisor to hockey operations for the Detroit Red Wings, will be on a WJC coaching staff. He has played a big role developing and mentoring the Red Wings' top prospects during the past five years.

Chelios spent 26 seasons in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers. He retired as the League's all-time leader in games played by a defenseman (1,651) and is 10th among NHL defensemen with 948 points. He was a three-time Stanley Cup champion (Montreal, 1986; Detroit, 2002, 2008) and won the Norris Trophy as the League's best defenseman three times (1989, 1993, 1996). He ranks 10th all-time among defensemen with 948 career points. He was elected into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013.

A Chicago native, Chelios represented the United States four times at the Olympics (1984, 1998, 2002, 2006), three times at the Canada Cup (1984, 1987, 1991), twice at the World Cup of Hockey (1996, 2004) and once at the World Junior Championship (1982).

Cole will be entering his sixth year as a coach with the United States National Team Development Program. He has won two gold medals (2012, 2014) coaching the U.S. at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

Reiter has spent two seasons as USNTDP goaltending coach. He was on the coaching staff of two gold-medal winning efforts for the U.S. at the World U-18 tournament (2014, 2015).

The coaching staff will begin the player evaluation process at the 2015 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp, which will feature approximately 39 players and be held Aug. 1-8 in Lake Placid, N.Y. The roster of players is expected to be announced later in June.