Elliotte Friedman names 3x Hlinka Gretzky Cup winner as one to watch out for Hockey Canada world juniors HC vacancy

Hockey Canada does not have a full-time coach following the IIHF World Championships. The team finished outside the top four, a surprising result for a team that has won 20 gold medals and 10 silver medals in the competition.

Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman believes the country will target someone who they believe can bring them back to national relevancy on the world junior stage, and he has a former three-time Hlinka Gretzky Cup winner in mind.

"As Hockey Canada considers a full-time world junior coach, one name to keep an eye on: Kris Mallette," Friedman said on Thursday, via Sportsnet.

"Mallette was fired as WHL Kelowna’s bench boss in January, due to a poor start after three consecutive playoff berths. More importantly, he knows this age group of Canadian players, and has had success with them: three Gold medals at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup — one as a head coach, two as an assistant."

Mallette is available as he was fired as WHL Kelowna's bench coach in January. He has done well with youth Canadian hockey, with two medals in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup as an assistant and one as the head coach.

It's that kind of success in a leader that Friedman believes could help Canada return to being the national superpower they have been in ice hockey.

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Hockey Canada player calls out booing fans

Canada and the United States will face each other in women’s ice hockey during a time of real tension between the two nations as some fans booed when the American national anthem was played. Ahead of Thursday's Rivalry Series matchup, Canadian forward Blayre Turnbull spoke about the situation.

Blayre Turnbull talked about Hockey Canada and the USA (Imagn)

“It’s definitely an interesting time, and I haven’t taken too much time to form an opinion either way, but I know there’s been games where fans have booed during the other nation’s national anthem," Turnbull said, via Global News.

“Honestly, I don’t know if that would happen in Halifax. The magnitude of this game is bigger than politics right now. I think the fans and all the young kids in the stands are going to be so over the moon, excited and overjoyed to have the opportunity to watch us play that I don’t foresee any booing taking place.”

Hockey Canada coach Troy Ryan lamented the fact that political tensions have spilled over to sporting events between the two countries that share a border.