Former Canucks headline Team Canada's Olympic staff

Sadly, it's been confirmed by NHL overlord Gary Bettman that NHL players will not be participating in the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. That won't prevent former NHLers in other leagues from going, however, and it certainly won't stop former NHL coaches from working for their countries. 

Former Canucks coach Willie Desjardins was announced today as Team Canada's coach for the Olympics. 

Additionally, two former Canuck players who were both in town for a cup of coffee, Scott Walker and Sean Burke, have been named to Team Canada's staff, as an assistant coach and the team's GM, respectively. 

Although his first season saw the Canucks garner 48 wins, Desjardins was fired by Vancouver in April for two straight seasons of bottom-dwelling. He was replaced by AHL Utica's bench boss, Travis Green. 

It remains to be seen what players Desjardins will be working with on Team Canada, as NHLers and AHL players on two-way contracts won't be permitted. Career AHLers on one-way contracts will be avaliable to play, however. 

It's possible though that this stint with Team Canada could be enough to get the Climax, Sask. (never forget) native back on an NHL team's bench. In what will almost certainly be an AHL vs. KHL tournament, Canada might not actually be the favourites at the Olympics for the first time since 1998 Nagano, when NHL players were first permitted to represent the country at the tournament. 

In a year that the Canucks probably weren't going to have any Canadian Olympians anyway, Desjardins' status as coach might be an extra incentive for Canucks fans to root for Team Canada or even to watch the men's hockey component of the Games.