With the Olympics in the rear-view mirror and NHL teams now into their final 10-12 games, nearly everyone in hockey is preparing for the NHL playoffs. For both Hockey Canada and USA Hockey however, the focus is on the upcoming World Championships.

ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun had some interesting updates on who might be coaching the Canadian and American entries in his weekend roundup :

Team USA Olympic coach Ron Wilson told me Saturday he would not coach the United States in the upcoming world championships in Germany. One possibility would be Scott Gordon of the New York Islanders.

On the Team Canada side of things, Mark Messier, the GM of the worlds team, has had several discussions with Wayne Gretzky, although it’s not clear in what capacity, whether it would be as part of the coaching staff or in an advisory capacity. Former Oilers coach Craig MacTavish is believed to be the choice as head coach.

On the American side, Gordon’s a fairly logical choice. He hasn’t had much to work with in New York, but he did help the Islanders to a fairly impressive early season run. John Tortorella could be another possibility, and a third name from the NHL coaching ranks to consider might be Todd Richards, in his first NHL season with the Minnesota Wild. Gordon and Tortorella both worked with Wilson at this year’s Olympics.

As for the Hockey Canada arrangement, it’s an interesting one if things work out this way, with Messier bringing aboard dynasty-era Oilers. Unlike the U.S., the Canadians have a wide array of employed NHL coaches to pick from, and MacTavish’s Spengler Cup team wasn’t exactly a rousing success. On the other hand, the more the current Oilers lose under Pat Quinn, the better MacTavish’s record looks.