Wilson Hoping to Improve on Last Year’s Performance

When the U.S. team brought home a medal from hockey’s World Championships last May for the first time in 34 years, it seemed like a triumph.

“We were all prouder than heck wearing our bronze medals,” said Ron Wilson, coach of the U.S. team and the Mighty Ducks. “Then I bumped into Paul Kariya, who had a silver, and basically, it wasn’t good enough. We can’t be satisfied with bronze. We’ve got to do better.”

Wilson’s long-expected appointment as the U.S. coach for the upcoming World Cup came Thursday. He will handle a team overflowing with NHL stars in the eight-nation tournament, which replaces the long-standing Canada Cup series and will be contested in nine cities around the world from Aug. 26 to Sept. 14.

Brett Hull, Jeremy Roenick, John LeClair, Keith Tkachuk, Brian Leetch and Chris Chelios, and goalies Jim Carey, Mike Richter and John Vanbiesbrouck are among the players on the U.S. roster.

“In terms of pure talent, obviously this is the best coaching job I’ve ever had,” said Wilson, who will coach against the Ducks’ Teemu Selanne of Finland and Kariya, who will play for Canada. “[But] I think this will be the toughest coaching job I’ve had, because you’ve got to get everybody on the same page. To put aside their personal agendas and to play for the team, is easier said than done.

“You’ve got basically a team of 26 players who are top-line players on their teams.

“Different individuals will have to assume roles maybe they haven’t traditionally played for the team to be successful.”

Team USA will begin its training camp Aug. 15 at Providence College in Rhode Island, with Wilson expected to miss the beginning of the Ducks’ training camp, which will open the first week of September. The early part of the Ducks’ camp will be run by the rest of the team’s coaching staff, with assistance from scouting staff.

Duck Notes

With the departure of Al Sims to become coach of the San Jose Sharks, the Ducks are preparing to name minor league coach Walt Kyle as Wilson’s top assistant. Kyle coached Baltimore to the American Hockey League playoffs last season. Tim Army, Wilson’s other assistant, is likely to remain in Anaheim as the second assistant, although General Manager Jack Ferreira said he offered Army the opportunity to coach the Baltimore team if he wanted to gain experience behind the bench. . . . Alain Chainey, 42, a Quebec-based scout for the Ducks and former assistant coach with the Quebec Nordiques, is the leading candidate to take over David McNab’s duties as chief scout. McNab was promoted to assistant general manager after Pierre Gauthier was named general manager of the Ottawa Senators.