Larionov to coach Russia at 2021 World Junior Championship

Igor Larionov, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, will coach Russia at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Larionov replaces Valeri Bragin, who coached Russia for the previous six tournaments. Larionov was an assistant under Bragin at the 2020 WJC, where Russia finished second.

"This appointment is a great honor for me," Larionov told the IIHF website. "The task of replacing a coach such as Valeri Bragin, who headed the U-20 national team for many years, is very difficult."

The tournament is scheduled for Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2021 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.

Russia will play in Group B, along with the United States, Sweden, Czech Republic and Austria, and its preliminary-round games will be played at Westerner Park Centrium in Red Deer. Group A consists of defending champion Canada, Finland, Switzerland, Slovakia and Germany, with preliminary-round games played at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

"A difficult task gives me additional energy," Larionov said. "We have many good players who are on the radar of the U-20 national team. I see that our team has very big potential. I have gained tremendous experience in the past World Juniors, I am optimistic about entering a new position and want to help our hockey become a leader on the world stage."

As a player Larionov helped the USSR win the World Junior Championship in 1979 and 1980, and in 14 NHL seasons he had 644 points (169 goals, 475 assists) in 921 regular-season games with five teams. He won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997, 1998 and 2002, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008.

Bragin will coach Russia at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, which is scheduled for May 7-23, 2021 in Belarus and Latvia.