Hockey

In the end, the mystery was not so much who they selected, but why?

Steve Yzerman, executive director of Canada's 2010 men's Olympic team, unveiled his coaching staff Thursday - and it was exactly as reported in the Globe And Mail over a two-day period earlier this week.

Mike Babcock, who works with Yzerman in the Detroit Red Wings' organization, was chosen as the team's head coach - he'll replace Pat Quinn, who held the position in the past two Olympics. His staff will consist of the Columbus Blue Jackets' Ken Hitchcock, the Buffalo Sabres' Lindy Ruff and former Minnesota Wild coach Jacques Lemaire, who won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 1995 and is considered the front-runner to return to the Devils as Brent Sutter's replacement.

"The experience of the group gives you the confidence of being able to get the job done,'' Babcock said after being introduced by Yzerman.

All four possess tons of experience and glittering resumes, although Babcock is actually the least experienced of the crew, with six years of NHL coaching experience under his belt. However, in that time, his teams have advanced to the Stanley Cup final three times - winning in 2008 and losing in the seventh game this past season and also back in 2003, when he was coaching the Anaheim Ducks.

"I was looking for someone who could encourage the team to play the way I envision a Canadian team playing,'' Yzerman said. "We're going to build a roster of players that are very competent in both ends of the rink. Coaching a team in pressure situations, both winning and losing, you learn a lot. I believe he's at the top of his game right now.''

Hitchcock, who started his NHL coaching career with the Dallas Stars in 1995-96, became the fifth-fastest coach in history to reach the 400-win plateau, in March, 2006, when he was behind the bench of the Philadelphia Flyers. Last year, his third with the Columbus Blue Jackets, he led the team to the playoffs for the first time in its history. This will be Hitchcock's third turn as an Olympic assistant coach; he was also head man for Canada's 2008 world championship team.

"This is my third Olympics and I hope my experience winning and losing can help this staff reach its goal,'' Hitchcock said.

Ruff, the man who replaced him for this past year's world championships, is currently the longest tenured coach with a single team in the NHL. He has completed 11 full seasons behind the Buffalo Sabres' bench and impressed Yzerman with the way he brought the team together last year at the worlds.

Lemaire's inclusion was the most surprising of all, given his limited international coaching experience. He did coach Siere (Switzerland) for two years back in 1979 and 1980 at the end of his playing career, but apart from a year in the Quebec League, has mostly coached at the NHL level since then.

All along, the thinking was that Hockey Canada would select at least one francophone coach, given that the Olympics will be played in Vancouver. Lemaire was selected ahead of the Boston Bruins' Claude Julien, the reigning NHL coach of the year.

"Canada's staff is an experienced group that has knowledge in all facets of the game and can handle the pressure of playing an Olympics in your home country,'' Yzerman said.