Three-time U.S. Olympic goalie Mike Richter has joined the U.S. women’s hockey team coaching staff, 11 months before the PyeongChang Winter Games.
Richter, a Stanley Cup winner with the New York Rangers, will be the goaltending coach for the world championship next month in Plymouth, Mich.
Richter is the only U.S. goalie to play in three Olympics. He debuted at Calgary 1988, one year before his first NHL game, and returned for the first two Olympic tournaments with NHL participation in 1998 and 2002. Richter was the No. 1 U.S. goalie at all three of those tournaments, earning a silver medal in 2002.
The U.S. women’s head coach is Robb Stauber, a backup Los Angeles Kings goalie in the early 1990s.
Stauber took over head coaching duties from longtime NHL defenseman Ken Klee last fall. Klee guided the U.S. to the 2015 and 2016 World titles after replacing Sochi Olympic coach Katey Stone.
USA Hockey has been naming its women’s coaching staffs on a tournament-by-tournament basis since Sochi, so neither Stauber nor Richter is considered a definite for the PyeongChang Olympic staff.
The U.S. roster for worlds is expected to be named Tuesday.
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