Montreal, QC (My Sportsbook) - Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock on Thursday was named the head coach of the 2010 Canadian Olympic men's hockey team.

The 46-year-old Babcock was be appointed by former long-time Red Wing captain Steve Yzerman, who is the executive director of the Olympic squad.

Babcock led the Wings to a Stanley Cup championship in 2008 and again to the finals this season but lost to Pittsburgh in seven games.

For his career, he has a 282-139-71 record, including 58 playoff victories in six seasons with Anaheim and Detroit.

In addition, Babcock, who was born in Manitouwadge, Ontario and was raised in Saskatoon, spearheaded Canada to the 2004 world championship and the 1997 world junior title.

Also on the bench with Babcock is Jacques Lemaire, who was released from his coaching position with Minnesota after the 2008-09 season, Lindy Ruff, who has been the coach of Buffalo for the past 12 seasons and is the longest tenured coach in the NHL, and Ken Hitchcock, who is currently the coach of Columbus and will be coaching Canada at an international competition for a seventh time in Vancouver in February.

"With Canada's great passion for hockey, we are lucky to be able to count on a long list of quality Canadian coaches, which gave the management group many great options," said Yzerman. "As a group, we are very pleased with the coaching staff that we have announced today, a group with extensive international and professional experience and success. We look forward to the challenge ahead and are proud to represent Canada in Vancouver in February."

Canada won the gold medal at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, beating the United States in the championship game, and reached only the quarterfinals at the 2006 Games in Torino.