You really can’t make this stuff up.
Yes, the headline is correct: Jeremy Colliton is the Men’s head coach for Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
After head coach Claude Julien suffered an injury during practice by falling and cracking his ribs, according to Hockey Canada, he will not be able to travel to Beijing for the tournament. Serving as an assistant coach to Julien, Colliton has now been promoted to lead the Canadian side.
Jeremy Colliton has assumed head coaching duties for 🇨🇦’s Men’s Olympic Team, as Claude Julien will no longer be able to travel due to an injury. @TeamCanada | #Beijing2022
[📸 Nam Y. Huh/AP Photo]
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) January 30, 2022
The former Blackhawks head coach now has a chance to win an Olympic Gold Medal to go with his World Junior Championships Gold Medal from 2005 with Team Canada as a player.
Canada has a fair shot at winning Gold this year in yet another non-NHL Olympic Games. With a roster headlined by young players Owen Power and Mason McTavish, and paired with veteran leader Eric Staal, Canada has a fair shot at improving on their Bronze Medal performance in Pyeongchang in 2018, another non-NHL Olympic year.
Canada’s first game of the Olympic tournament is on February 10 against Germany.