Pierre Pousse, right, has been named as the new head coach of the French men's under-20 ice hockey team ©IIHF

Pierre Pousse has been named as the new head coach of the French men's under-20 ice hockey team.

The appointment means that Pousse remains in the country's set-up after departing as assistant coach of the senior team following last month's World Championships in Denmark.

Head coach Dave Henderson also left after the flagship event but the expertise of Pousse, who has worked with French national teams since 2002, has not been lost.

He went into coaching after the end of his playing career and has experience at under-20 level already, starting out as assistant coach of the junior side for two years before joining the senior team with Henderson in 2004.

Pierre Pousse has been working with the French senior team ©Getty Images
Pierre Pousse has been working with the French senior team ©Getty Images

As a player he represented France at World Championship and Winter Olympic level.

Pousse is taking over the under-20 role from Dany Gelinas.

His side will play Belarus, Latvia, Germany, Austria and Norway at the International Ice Hockey Federation Under-20 World Championship Division I Group A in Fussen, Germany in December.