Varady to lead U.S Junior Select Team

by Ryan Fay

Former Union men's hockey forward Jay Varady has been named head coach of the U.S. Junior Select Team that will compete at the 2014 World Junior A Challenge in Kinderseley, Saskatchewan from December 14-20.

Varady's previous international experience includes a stint as the video coach for the 2010 U.S. National Junior Team that won the gold medal. He also was an assistant coach for the 2010 U.S. Under-18 Select Team that captured second place in the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

Varady

"Jay has been on the coaching staff for a couple of our teams, including our gold-medal winning 2010 U.S. National Junior Team," said Marc Boxer, Team USA general manger and USA Hockey's director of junior hockey. "Given his coaching experience and ability to develop players, we felt it was time for him to take the helm of a team."

The U.S. Junior Select Team includes mostly players from the U.S Hockey League and has played in the World Junior A Challenge for the past seven years. They have won the tournament five of the last six years. This year’s event also includes teams from Denmark, Russia, Switzerland, Canada East, and Canada West.

Rounding out Varady's staff for the U.S Junior Select Team are two other USHL coaches, Brian Kaufman, head coach of the Omaha Lancers, and Keith Paulsen, associate head coach of the Madison Capitols.

Varady, who played at Union from 1997-2000, is currently in his second season as head coach and director of hockey operations of the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers. One of his players there is Ryan Walker, a forward committed to Union for 2016-17.

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