July 26, 2005

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Hockey announced today that Don Waddell (Duluth, Ga.) will serve as general manager of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team that will compete in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

"We're very fortunate to have someone with Don's abilities and credentials as the general manager of our men's Olympic team," said Ron DeGregorio (Salem, N.H.), president of USA Hockey. "He's been a leader in the development of hockey in the United States and we know he'll do everything he can to build a team that we will all be proud of."

In addition to Waddell, USA Hockey announced that Paul Holmgren (St. Paul, Minn.) will serve as assistant general manager of the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team and Jim Johannson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) will be the club's director of hockey operations.

"It's a privilege to continue my association with USA Hockey and represent my country," said Waddell. "The Olympics are the pinnacle of international competition and hold a special place in the history of hockey in the United States. I look forward to working together with Paul and Jim to construct another competitive and successful team."

ABOUT WADDELL

Waddell's USA Hockey Experience 2005 General Manager, U.S. Men's National Team 2004 Assistant General Manager, World Cup of Hockey Assistant General Manager, U.S. Men's National Team, 2002 General Manager, U.S. Men's National Team, 2001 General Manager, U.S. Men's National Team 1999 Assistant General Manager, U.S. Men's National Team 1983 Player, U.S. National Team 1978 Player, U.S. National Junior Team 1977 Player, U.S. National Junior Team

Waddell is currently the executive vice president and general manager of the National Hockey League's Atlanta Thrashers and also a member of the NHL's Competition Committee.

Named among the most powerful and influential people in hockey by The Hockey News, Waddell has had a long-standing relationship with USA Hockey. His most recent assignment came as the general manager for the 2005 U.S. Men's National Team that competed in the 2005 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship. He was the assistant general manager for the World Cup of Hockey 2004 team and held the same position for the 2004 U.S. Men's National Team that captured the bronze medal at the 2004 IIHF World Championship in the Czech Republic, a feat that qualified the U.S. for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.

Waddell also served as general manager for both the 2001 and 2002 United States Men's National Teams. In 2001, the United States finished in fourth place with a 4-4-1 record at the IIHF World Championship in Germany, which at the time was the best result for an American team since winning the bronze medal in 1996. Then in 2002, Team USA went 3-3-1 at the IIHF World Championship in Sweden to finish seventh.

Waddell also served as assistant general manager of the 1999 U.S. National Team that competed in the IIHF World Championship in Norway.

His international playing experience includes helping lead the 1983 U.S. National Team to the IIHF Pool B World Championship in Tokyo, Japan. Waddell was a member of the first-ever U.S. National Junior Team in 1977 at the IIHF World Junior Championship and returned with the 1978 U.S. National Junior Team.

On June 23, 1998, Waddell was named the first-ever vice president and general manager of the Atlanta Thrashers, an NHL expansion franchise at the time that began play in 1999-2000. Prior to joining Atlanta, Waddell served as assistant general manager for the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98. His extensive organizational experience includes guiding two other professional hockey franchises, the San Diego Gulls and the Orlando Solar Bears of the International Hockey League.

Prior to his tenure with the Detroit Red Wings, Waddell was vice president of RDV Sports where he served on the executive committee that oversaw operations of the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic, the IHL's Orlando Solar Bears, the Magic Fanattics retail entity and Magic Carpet Aviation.

While at RDV Sports, Waddell was vice president and general manager of the Orlando Solar Bears from 1995-97. He held the same roles with the IHL's San Diego Gulls from 1990-95. He also served as the team's head coach in 1991-92, taking the Gulls to their first-ever playoff berth. He spent two seasons with the IHL's Flint Spirits, where he served as head coach/general manager in 1988-89 and general manager in 1989-90.

Waddell was drafted by the NHL's Los Angeles Kings in 1978. He spent three years with the Kings' organization from 1980-83. Waddell played in more than eight seasons of professional hockey, primarily in the IHL, finishing with 372 points (95-277) in 404 career games. His best output came in 1981-82, when he tallied 95 points (26-69) for the Saginaw Gears, and earned the Governor's Trophy as the IHL's top defenseman. Waddell was named an IHL First Team All-Star in 1982 and 1986, and a Second Team All-Star in 1988.

Waddell played Division I hockey at Northern Michigan University from 1976-80, where he majored in business management. He was inducted into the Northern Michigan University Sports Hall of Fame in 1992 and was named to the 1970s Central Collegiate Hockey Association All-Decade Team. He finished with 172 points (52 goals, 120 assists) in 120 career games at Northern Michigan.

Don, his wife, Cheryl, and their daughter, Chelsea, reside in Duluth, Georgia.

ABOUT HOLMGREN

Holmgren has experienced success at every level of hockey from his days as a college player for the University of Minnesota to his current position as assistant general manager for the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers.

Holmgren's history with USA Hockey is both extensive and impressive. As a player, he represented Team USA at the 1981 Canada Cup. He moved from the ice to the bench in 1996 when he served as an assistant coach for the United States at the World Cup of Hockey where Team USA defeated Canada twice in a row to win the event. Most recently Holmgren traveled to Nagano, Japan, as an assistant coach with the 1998 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team.

Holmgren began his NHL administrative career with Philadelphia in November 1995 and was named the Flyers' director of pro scouting in January 1996. He remained in that position until August 1997 when he was named director of player personnel. On June 14, 1999, the Flyers made Holmgren their assistant general manager.

Following a 10-year playing career skating almost exclusively with Philadelphia, Holmgren returned to Flyers as an assistant coach in 1985. He was promoted to head coach of the Flyers before the 1988-89 season, and guided the team to 107 victories and a Wales Conference Championship Series appearance during his four years at the helm. Holmgren moved on to coach the Hartford Whalers in 1992, and remained at that position until midway through the following season when he stepped down to focus on his duties as general manager of the club. He would be renamed head coach of the Whalers in 1994 and stayed on in that role until November 1995.

Drafted from the University of Minnesota by the Philadelphia Flyers in the sixth round (108th overall) of the 1975 NHL Entry Draft, Holmgren began a playing career which spanned 10 years and over 600 games. He recorded 309 points (138-171) in 500 games with the Flyers from 1975-1984. Holmgren skated one season with the Minnesota North Stars before being forced to retire due to a shoulder injury.

Paul and his wife, Doreen, reside in Somerdale, New Jersey, and have four children: Jason, Kirsten, Wes, and Greta.

ABOUT JOHANNSON

Johannson is making his fourth appearance with a U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team, but first as director of hockey operations. He represented the silver-medal-winning 2002 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team as team leader at the XIX Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Additionally, he played on U.S. Men's Olympic Ice Hockey Teams in both 1998 and 2002.

A native of Rochester, Minn., Johannson is employed full-time by USA Hockey as its senior director of hockey operations. In addition to his experience in the Olympics, he has also been extensively involved in other international competition. Johannson was the assistant general manager of the 2005 U.S. Men's National Team that competed in the 2005 IIHF World Championship and served as team leader for that club from 1998-2004. In addition, he has been involved with the U.S. National Junior Team the past four years. In 2005 he was USA Hockey's lead administrator in running the IIHF World Junior Championship held in Grand Forks, N.D., and Thief River Falls, Minn. The previous three years he was the team leader/manager for the Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championship.

Prior to joining USA Hockey, Johannson spent five seasons as the general manager of the Twin Cities Vulcans, a Junior A team in the United States Hockey League. Under his guidance, the Vulcans captured the 2000 USA Hockey Junior A National Championship in Green Bay, Wis. Johannson played for nine seasons in the IHL, splitting time between three teams. His most productive campaign came in 1988-89 when he tallied 75 points (35-40) in 82 games with the Salt Lake City Golden Eagles. Prior to embarking on his professional career, Johannson played at the University of Wisconsin, where he helped the Badgers capture the NCAA Division I National Championship in 1982-83.

The appointment of the management staff of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team is subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee's Games Preparation Division.

NOTES: The management staff of the 2006 Olympic Men's Ice Hockey team was selected by DeGregorio; Tony Rossi (Chicago, Ill.), USA Hockey's vice president and international council chair and Art Berglund (Colorado Springs, Colo.), consultant to USA Hockey's international department ... USA Hockey expects to make another significant announcement in regard to the 2006 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team later this week.