Vancouver Giants head coach Michael Dyck has been named an assistant coach for Canada’s national junior hockey team. He’ll be joined by Giants athletic therapist Mike Burnstein.
It marks the second consecutive season that Dyck has taken temporary leave from his Langley-based team to coach at the World Juniors.
Earlier this year, he earned a Silver Medal in January as an assistant coach. Then in May, Dyck captured a gold medal with Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Hockey Championships in Riga, Latvia.
Dyck has also represented Canada at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and the 2012 and 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
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In three seasons behind the bench of the Vancouver Giants, he has led the team to an overall regular season record of 92-49-11. For his entire WHL coaching career, Michael Dyck is 224-169-27 as a head coach.
“It is an incredible honour to once again have the privilege of representing Canada at the World Juniors,” Dyck commented.
“I would like to thank the entire Hockey Canada management team, the Vancouver Giants organization, and my family for their support. We’re looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge of hosting the World Juniors on Canadian soil, and we are confident that we will put together a team capable of winning a Gold Medal.”
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Burnstein returns to Canada’s national junior team for the third time in a span of four seasons.
Burnstein captured a gold Medal with Canada in 2020 and also served on their support staff in 2019.
Previously, he earned a gold medal with Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
His international resume also includes four World Hockey Championships, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and the 2015 Spengler Cup. Additionally, Burnstein spent 20 seasons with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks.
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Giants General Manager Barclay Parneta congratulated Dyck and Burnstein, saying “their success internationally with Canada is a direct result of their work-ethic, passion and sacrifice, and speaks to the culture of success that the Vancouver Giants have established.”
The 2022 World Junior Championship tournament kicks off Dec. 26 in both Edmonton and Red Deer.
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