NEW YORK -- Rangers' assistant general manager Don Maloney was hired Friday to hold the same post for Team Canada at the 2003 World Championships.

Detroit Red Wings assistant GM Jim Nill was hired as director of player personnel. Both will help Canada general manager Steve Tambellini select players and coaching staff.

The tournament is in May in Helsinki, Finland.

Maloney played 13 seasons in the NHL and has been in the Rangers' front office for six. He was the New York Islanders' GM from 1992-95, and also worked for the San Jose Sharks.

As a player, he helped Team Canada win the silver medal at the 1985 World Championships.

"My claim to fame is being Mario Lemieux's roommate at that tournament,'' Maloney told the Canadian Press. "I convinced him to stay. The first week he was so miserable from being homesick that he wanted to go home.

"But by the end of the tournament he was by far and away the best player on the ice and that was my contribution to the Canadian cause for a silver medal.''

Nill played for Canada at the 1980 Olympics and was with five NHL teams from 1981-90.