The 62-year-old Canadian-born coach will replace Chris Eimers who resigned after a disappointing display by The Netherlands at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship Division I Group B tournament in Belfast in April.

Mason first coached the Dutch side between 1994 and 2000 and signed on for a second stint between 2004 and 2006.

He will be assisted by three coaches from Dutch club sides - Heerenveen's Mile Nason and Tilburg's Bohuslav Subr and Joshua Mizerek.

Nason has already served as assistant coach for two seasons.

Forty-three players have now been named to the Dutch squad, including the new head coach's son Steve Mason.

Their first assignment will be two exhibition matches against neighbours Belgium on November 11 and 12.

The aim for the new season will be promotion back to Division I Group B after they were relegated following a last-place finish in Belfast.

They lost all six matches as hosts Great Britain won the tournament in Northern Ireland.

The Dutch will have the chance to bounce back on home ice, with the Division II Group A tournament taking place in Tilburg between April 23 and 29 next year.

They will meet Australia, Serbia, Belgium, Iceland and China with the winners earning promotion.

Doug Mason, who was born in Sudbury in Ontario, moved to The Netherlands in 1979.

He played for the Tilburg Trappers for nine seasons and then started coaching in the country, including with the under-20 national side.

He also had stints with clubs in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.