Allain Headed to World Junior Championships

NEW HAVEN, CT -- Yale head coach Keith Allain, who has had 11 different coaching assignments for USA Hockey, will serve as assistant coach for Team USA at the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Pardubice and Liberec, Czech Republic, Dec. 26 - Jan. 5.

Allain, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach of Hockey, has worked with teams at four different world championships including the lead role for the 2001 and 2002 world junior teams.

Former Boston University player John Hynes, now head coach of the NTDP U-18 squad, will be head coach for the U.S. at the world tournament. Hynes was Allain's assistant at the 2001 world junior championships.

"It is a tremendous honor any time you get the opportunity to represent your country on an international stage. Standing on a U.S. bench after a victory in a foreign country and listening to our national anthem is a feeling like none other," said Allain. "Having a chance to compete for a world championship is a very special and a rare experience. Professionally, it is like attending a high-level interactive coaching clinic. You get to work with and compete against the best athletes and coaches in the world. It is an unparalleled learning experience."

Allain, who was an assistant at the 1992 and 2006 Winter Olympics, will prepare practice and game plans, run team meetings, work one-on-one with players and change the defensive players during the junior world championship games.

"My involvement will positively impact Yale in a number of ways. I hope to return a better coach because of the experience, my assistants benefit professionally by getting to handle our team in different roles and coaching at the world championships will get Yale additional exposure and credibility with the truly elite players in our country."

Associate head coach C.J. Marottolo, in his 14th season at Yale, will serve as head coach for the Eli games at Nebraska-Omaha (Dec. 28), Minnesota State-Mankato (Dec. 30) and Brown (Jan. 5) and the Jan. 2 home game against Connecticut.

"It is a terrific opportunity for Keith to represent his country as a coach in the world junior championship. It not only reflects well on Keith but also on Yale," said Marottolo, who last served as Bulldogs' head coach in a pair of 2001 games at Michigan State when former coach Tim Taylor was on assignment by USA Hockey. "I embrace the opportunity to coach the Yale team in his absence. Kyle [Wallack] and I will build on Keith's principles and there won't be much change. The coaches will coach and the players will play."

Report filed by Steve Conn, Yale Sports Publicity Director