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Penguins assistant coach Ty Hennes will be working behind the Team USA bench when the 2024 IIHF Men’s World Championship kicks off May in Czechia.
The Penguins announced the news Friday.
Hennes has worked as an assistant coach behind Mike Sullivan since 2022.
He spent four seasons as a skating and skills development coach for the Penguins, then made his debut behind the Pittsburgh bench in 2021 prior to his promotion to assistant the following year.
He also played a role helping Penguins players with injury rehabilitation during the 2016 and 2017 championship seasons, according to the team.
Hennes will now serve as assistant to John Hynes, head coach of the Minnesota Wild, in his debut international appearance for Team USA.
His previous Team USA experience includes coaching roles during past USA Hockey National Player Development Camps.
The news of Hennes’ role on the Team USA coaching staff follows the Wednesday release of the initial 15-man roster headed to Czechia.
Eight more players are anticipated to join the roster before the start of the tournament. It seems likely no current Penguins players will make the cut, although former Pittsburgh winger and current Carolina Hurricanes top-liner Jake Guentzel could receive the nod after missing the tournament last spring.
Team USA has not medaled at Worlds in three years, with two fourth-place finishes in the last two tournaments. The team most recently earned a bronze medal in 2021, and finished as high as silver most recently in 1950.
The Americans have a good shot at a podium finish this spring as the team loads up with star players in preparation for NHL players’ return to the Winter Olympics in 2026. Hennes will hope to play a role in that bid for a medal.
He could be reuniting with some Penguins players in Czechia even if none make the cut for Team USA. Pittsburgh defensemen Erik Karlsson and Marcus Petterson will both make the trip in order to represent Team Sweden, the Penguins announced Thursday.
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