Florida Panthers head equipment manager Teddy Richards and head athletic trainer Dave DiNapoli have been named to Team USA at the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship.
Florida Panthers head equipment manager Teddy Richards and head athletic trainer Dave DiNapoli have been named to Team USA at the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship, joining assistant GM Brett Peterson, who is serving as the GM and President of Hockey Ops. & GM Bill Zito, who is part of the advisory group.
Richards has served as the Panthers’ head equipment manager since 2016, winning two Stanley Cups with the team. While he has never joined Team USA at the World Championship, he served as an equipment manager for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off and for the Olympic team, where he was part of the gold-medal-winning staff.
Prior to joining the Panthers, the 43-year-old worked for the Pittsburgh Penguins as an assistant equipment manager, and also served as the head and assistant equipment manager for their AHL team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Richards will work alongside Chris Scoppetto of the New Jersey Devils.
As for DiNapoli, he joined the Panthers organization at the same time as Richards, also winning two Stanley Cups with the franchise in the process.
DiNapoli had no other recorded hockey experience before joining the Panthers, and this opportunity with Team USA at the World Championships will be his first chance to work with the American national team.
DiNapoli will work with Stan Wong, an athletic trainer who has worked for the USA hockey team for quite some time.
The World Championship begins on May 15, and Team USA will be on the prowl for back-to-back gold medals.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.