Donskov had a brief playing career in lower leagues in Sweden and Norway before transitioning to coaching. He previously worked as an assistant coach for the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars in the NHL, and was part of Canada's men's national team coaching staff in the previous decade. Donskov returned last season as assistant coach for the 4 Nations tournament and worked in Dale Hunter's coaching staff at the recent U20 World Championships.
Beyond his head coaching duties, Donskov also holds a leadership role within Hockey Canada. One of his first tasks will be to appoint his own assistants for future tournaments. Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada's senior director of high-performance hockey, said, "Misha is a world-class coach, and we are fortunate that he will assemble the coaching and support teams that give us a chance to win gold in two of the most prestigious tournaments in the international hockey calendar."
Misha is a world-class coach, and we are fortunate that he will assemble the coaching and support teams that give us a chance to win gold in two of the most prestigious tournaments in the international hockey calendar.