Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coach J.D. Forrest has been selected as head coach of the United States’ Under-18 men’s select team that will compete in next month’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournament.

Forrest, a native of Auburn, N.Y., previously served as an assistant coach for the United States in the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

The 40-year-old Forrest just completed his first season as head coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, directing the club to a 13-13-4-2 record in 2020-21. He previously served as an assistant coach for four seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Teams from the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States are slated to participate in the tournament, scheduled for Aug. 2-7 in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia.

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is named after former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Ivan Hlinka, a prominent player in the former Czechoslovakia throughout the 1970s and 1980s, as well as long-time NHL star Wayne Gretzky. It serves as a preseason showcase event for draft-eligible players.

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