gylywoychuk schuler ryan kirkwood

Alumna Laura Schuler named head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team for 2018 Olympics

Dwayne Gylywoychuk, Troy Ryan and Brad Kirkwood named to coaching staff

NR.042.17
|
May 10, 2017
|

CALGARY, Alta. – Laura Schuler (Scarborough, Ont./Dartmouth College, ECAC) will be the first National Women’s Team alumna to lead Team Canada behind the bench at the Olympic Winter Games.

Schuler will be joined at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea by assistant coaches Dwayne Gylywoychuk (Winnipeg, Man./Hockey Manitoba) and Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S./Hockey Canada), and goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, Alta./University of Calgary, CWUAA).

“It was a great honour to represent Canada as a player at the 1998 Winter Olympics and the feeling is the same to be given the opportunity to lead Team Canada in PyeongChang,” said head coach Laura Schuler. “I’m fortunate to be able to work alongside a dedicated staff and talented group of players, and we’re looking forward to the journey to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.”  

The coaching staff was selected by Melody Davidson, Hockey Canada’s general manager of national women’s team programs, in consultation with Tom Renney, Hockey Canada’s president and chief executive officer, and Scott Smith, Hockey Canada’s chief operating officer.

“This is a dedicated staff that has proven their commitment to Canada’s National Women’s Team and we’re looking forward to growing together as a group throughout the 2017-18 season,” said Davidson. “Our coaching and support staff bring forth a strong work ethic and hockey background and we are confident in their abilities to prepare our athletes as we continue to work towards the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.”

Schuler has served head coach for Canada’s National Women’s Team since the 2015-16 season. She was the head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team that won gold at the 2014 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship and claimed gold at the same event in 2013 as an assistant coach. As a player, Schuler won three gold medals with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the IIHF World Women’s Championship (1990, 1992, 1997), and silver at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games. She has spent one season as head coach at Dartmouth College.

Gylywoychuk has been an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team for the past two seasons. He won gold at the 2016 Nations Cup as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Development Team, and as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2014 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

Ryan is the Atlantic Canada female coach mentor with the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic. During the 2016-17 season, he led Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team and was also an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team. He served as head coach of Team Atlantic at the 2015 National Women’s Under-18 Championship, and has also been behind the bench at the Canada Winter Games (men’s and women’s hockey), World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, World Junior A Challenge, and RBC Cup.

Kirkwood has served as the goaltending coach for Canada’s National Women’s Team since the 2015-16 season and won gold with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team at the 2015 Nations Cup. He is currently the goaltending coach for the Calgary Dinos’ men’s and women’s hockey teams. 

Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will work with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and throughout the 2017-18 centralization season:

  • Video coach James Emery (Calgary, Alta./Hockey Canada)
  • Equipment managers Robin McDonald (Didsbury, Alta./Hockey Canada) and Alana Goulden (Aurora, Ont./Ryerson University, OUA)
  • Team physician Leanne Peters (Stratford, Ont./Hockey Canada)
  • Athletic therapists Christine Atkins (Fort MacLeod, Alta./University of Calgary, CWUAA) and Heather Corliss (Burns Lake, B.C./Okanagan Hockey Academy, CSSHL)
  • Massage therapist Andrea Purdy (Toronto, Ont./Hockey Canada)
  • Strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Steinbach (Binbrook, Ont./CSI Atlantic)
  • Mental training consultant Kim Thompson (Orleans, Ont./Hockey Canada)
  • Team manager Lesley Reddon (Mississauga, Ont./Hockey Canada)
  • Media relations Morgan Bell (Charlottetown, P.E.I./Hockey Canada)

NOTE: Canada’s National Women’s Team centralization roster for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games will be announced on Thursday, May 11 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. Media will have the opportunity to speak with head coach Laura Schuler and assistant coaches Dwayne Gylywoychuk and Troy Ryan along with members of Canada’s National Women’s Team on a media teleconference on May 11 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Advisory to follow.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Women

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

emadziya@hockeycanada.ca 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

ssharkey@hockeycanada.ca

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

jknight@hockeycanada.ca

Recent News
Most Popular
Videos
Photos
HCC: One For All in Yellowknife
One For All celebrated women’s hockey with more than 300 participants.
2024 NWT Rivalry Series: CAN 6 – USA 1 (Game 7)
Spooner and Maltais scored twice to lead Canada to win the series.
2023-24 NWT: CAN 3 – USA 0 (Game 6)
Maschmeyer made 27 saves for the shutout to tie the Rivalry Series.
2023-24 NWT: CAN 4 – USA 2 (Game 5)
Bell, Fast and Stacey scored late to help Canada stay alive.
Schedule