Bill Guerin, right, had been appointed as the United States men's ice hockey team's assistant general manager for Beijing 2022 ©Getty Images

Bill Guerin has been appointed general manager of the United States men's ice hockey team for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.

The Minnesota Wild general manager was initially appointed as assistant to Stan Bowman, but Bowman resigned in October after an investigation found he failed to promptly address allegations of sexual assault against a video coach in 2010 while he was with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Guerin will be assisted by New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury, while Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins had already been appointed to serve as head coach.

Guerin earned an Olympic silver medal playing for the US at Salt Lake City 2002, and also featured at Nagano 1998 and Turin 2006.

His playing career also included four appearances in the National Hockey League (NHL) All-Star Game.

Guerin won the Stanley Cup two times as a player, and twice as assistant general manager at the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

The Minnesota Wild appointed Guerin to his present role in 2019.

Drury was a team mate of Guerin's as the US finished runners-up in 2002, and he earned a second silver medal at Vancouver 2010.

Bill Guerin, left, won silver with the United States at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics ©Getty Images
Bill Guerin, left, won silver with the United States at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics ©Getty Images

NHL players Seth Jones, Patrick Kane and Auston Matthews have so far been named as members of the 25-man roster for the ice hockey tournament at Beijing 2022, with the squad expected to be completed in January.

NHL players missed out at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games after a run of five consecutive appearances, but a deal was struck in September between the league, the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation for them to play at Beijing 2022.

However, doubts remain over the participation of many stars, with concerns over the COVID-19 protocol in the Chinese capital and the potential for a lengthy period of quarantine in the event of a positive test.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman recently conceded that "ultimately, this is going to have to be a players' decision, unless we jointly agree with the [union]".

Foreign spectators have already been banned from the Games, while participants are expected to take daily COVID-19 tests and enter a "closed-loop management system".

Ice hockey events will be held at the National Indoor Stadium.

An Olympic Athletes from Russia team won the men's gold medal at Pyeongchang 2018, following back-to-back titles for Canada.

The US last won men's gold at Lake Placid 1980 in the so-called "Miracle on Ice".