While much of the NHL will take a two-week break for the Winter Olympics in February, Minnesota Wild coach John Hynes will be in Italy, chasing gold.

On Wednesday, Hynes was named an assistant coach for Team USA, which will be seeking its first Olympic gold medal since the 1980 Miracle On Ice. Wild general manager Bill Guerin, serving the same role for Team USA, has named Hynes, David Quinn and John Tortorella as assistants to head coach Mike Sullivan.

Hynes also served as an assistant coach for the Americans last spring when they won their first IIHF World Championship gold in nearly a century.

Also named to the Team USA staff were Wild trainers John Worley and Travis Green, and Wild team physician Dr. Joel Boyd. The Olympic tournament begins on Feb. 11 in Milan.

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