QUEBEC - Canadian coaches are becoming a hot commodity on the international hockey scene.

At the IIHF World Hockey Championship, six of the 16 coaches are Canadian in addition to Team Canada's Ken Hitchcock.

Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, and Switzerland all have opted for a little Canadian influence at the helm.

Other countries employ Canadian assistants as fledgling hockey nations try to add some Canadian flavour and toughness to their own game.

"It's a great experience, coaching in Denmark, and maybe we might be able to add some things from the Canadian game that could help Denmark get to the next step," says Denmark head coach Mike Sirant, a Winnipeg native who spent 13-years as head coach at the University of Manitoba before taking over Denmark's hockey program.

"I recognized that Denmark is a fast-developing hockey country and to play some small role in helping continue their development was a challenge and an...