Former Canadiens coach named Head Coach of Japan's national team
The Japan Ice Hockey Federation have announced that they've hired former NHL coach Perry Pearn to be their new bench boss for their Men's and Under-20 teams.
Pearn, 71, comes to the Japan Ice Hockey Federation with over 20 years of coaching experience in the NHL, being behind the bench with Winnipeg, Ottawa, New York Rangers, Montreal and Vancouver.
The Stettler (Alberta) native is no stranger to being a coach on the international stage. He led the Canadian U20 team to a World Junior gold medal in 1993 and most recently, he was the Head Coach for the Canadian Women's national team at the 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship.
"I'm very excited to have the opportunity to coach the Japanese national team," Pearn said. "I supported the national team at their camp in Edmonton in July and was able to see the talented players and the quality of the staff. That experience and the trust I have developed over the years with former coach Rick Carrier led to this opportunity, and I am very pleased and grateful for it. I look forward to continuing and building on what Rick and the coaches have established. It is my sincere hope that I can be a part of the development of ice hockey in Japan."
Pearn will already be leading Japan this week when they head to Budapest (Hungary) for the Euro Ice Hockey Challenge. He'll then be in charge for the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championship Division 1B tournament in December in Poland. In the spring, he'll look to help Japan gain promotion as they compete in the 2022 World Hockey Championship Division 1B tournament in Estonia.
Source: IIHF
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