By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Hurricanes head coach to guide team Canada at Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup

Jul 10, 2017 | 3:56 PM

CALGARY – Lethbridge Hurricanes head coach Brent Kisio, has been handed the reins to Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 team.

He’s taking over as bench boss from Paul McFarland, who has become an assistant coach with the NHL’s Florida Panthers.

Kisio was originally set to be an assistant coach under McFarland, for the team’s summer selection camp and the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, which will follow in August.

Sliding into the role of assistant coach will be Drew Bannister, the head coach of the Soo Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League.

“Both men are experienced and detail-oriented hockey coaches that know what it takes to compete and win in short-term competition,” said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations and national teams, in a media release. “With both having been a part of our Program of Excellence the past couple of years, they will bring their knowledge and passion of the game in helping our players develop and succeed at an elite level.”

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Kisio and Bannister will start with 44 players for the week-long selection camp, bringing that number down to 22 skaters, who will represent Canada during the August tournament, which is being hosted by the Czech Republic and Slovakia this year.

In addition to Kisio’s two seasons behind the bench for the Hurricanes, he has also guided Team Canada White at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, and won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Team Pacific at the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

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