TORONTO (AP) – Wayne Gretzky will return as executive director for Team Canada at the World Cup of Hockey next September.

Hockey Canada announced the move Tuesday at Gretzky’s restaurant, and said the NHL great is bringing back the same management team that helped produce a gold medal at the 2002 Olympics.

Canada won its first Olympic gold in 50 years at Salt Lake City.

Gretzky, the managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes, was in charge of assembling the roster, lining up coaches and directing the management.

“We’ve never won the World Cup of Hockey,” Gretzky said. “We look forward to the challenge.”

The World Cup, a two-week event run by the NHL and its union, is returning after an eight-year absence.

The United States won the inaugural event in 1996.

Rejoining Gretzky are Kevin Lowe, the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers, and Steve Tambellini, the vice president of player personnel for the Vancouver Canucks.

“When we looked at the World Cup there was only one person that I wanted to lead this team and it’s no surprise to anyone in this country that it was Wayne Gretzky,” Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson said.

A decision on the coaching staff will come at a later date and it’s not clear whether Toronto Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn will be given a chance to return behind Canada’s bench.

“We’re going to take the season to assess and to observe,” Lowe said.

Gretzky said the NHL playoffs should be a factor in choosing the team.

“A guy could have a great playoff and, if we picked the team in early February, not be a part of that,” he said.

Participating teams at the World Cup will have a 10-day training camp beginning Aug. 20 and play two exhibition games before the start of tournament play Aug. 30.

In North America, Montreal, Toronto and St. Paul, Minn., will be game sites, with Toronto staging the championship game on Sept. 14 – which is the day before the bargaining agreement between the NHL and the NHL Players Association expires.

Canada will play its first game in Montreal on Aug. 31 against the United States.

AP-ES-11-04-03 1259EST