Ask Coyotes coaches and veterans which players they view as the future leaders of the team and Connor Murphy’s name is always on the short list. The 24-year-old right-handed defenseman took another step in that direction when USA Hockey named him team captain this week for the upcoming 2017 IIHF World Championship.

“It means a lot, especially on this stage when you’re playing for your country,” Murphy said by phone from Germany on Tuesday. “It’s a group of guys that I’ve been playing with for a number of years. Knowing they trust you in that role is a pretty cool feeling.”

Murphy, 24, has played 38 games for Team USA in international competitions, including the past three world championships. He won a bronze medal in 2015, a gold medal at the 2011 U18 World Junior Championship and a gold medal at the 2013 U20 World Junior Championship.

Team USA opens the tournament on Friday when it faces host Germany in Cologne. The game can be seen on NHL Network at 11:15 a.m. Arizona time. With a short break after an exhibition game against Italy on Tuesday, Murphy and the team were out sampling German cuisine on Wednesday night.

“Pork and Schnitzel,” Murphy said, when asked what he was eating as he stepped outside a restaurant for the phone call. “It definitely gets you away from the diet you’re on during the season, but you’ve got to do it. You’ve got to sample German cooking while you’re here.”

Dineen signs entry-level deal

The Coyotes signed left-handed defenseman Cam Dineen to a three-year, entry-level contract with an average annual value of $759,167, per capfriendly.com.

The Toms River, New Jersey native played in 29 games with the North Bay Battalion (OHL) this season, posting six goals and 14 points, but he was injured in a knee-on-knee collision with Oshawa Generals forward Robbie Burt in December, suffering a torn MCL that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Dineen, 18, is five months into his rehab and is expected to be ready for training camp. He will likely spend another year in the OHL since he is not AHL eligible, per the CHL-NHL agreement.

Treliving re-ups with Flames

Former Coyotes assistant GM Brad Treliving signed a multi-year deal this week to remain the Calgary Flames’ GM.

“Which beats multi-week,” Treliving told George Johnson of the Flames website.

Calgary qualified for the playoffs for the second time in Treliving’s tenure, but the Anaheim Ducks swept the seventh-seeded Flames in the first round. The Flames went down to the wire with their third-year GM twisting in the wind, but Treliving insisted, at least publicly, that he never doubted a deal would get done before his contract expired in June.

“I didn’t envision anything else happening,” he said. “Maybe that’s just the optimist in me. You always want clarity. But (leaving) wasn’t on my radar. There’s still lots of work to do. Last I looked, we’re not tripping over any rings or Cups around here. A lot more sweat needs to go into it. And I know there are 29 other (GMs) out there thinking the same thing. But we really think we’ve got something here and you want to see that through.”

Loose pucks

— Majority owner Andrew Barroway announced Wednesday in a release that Coyotes Chief Operating Officer, Ari Segal, has left the organization.

“We thank Ari for his significant contributions during his time with the club,” Barroway said in the release. “Ari felt that it was time to move on to his next challenge. We look forward to seeing Ari thrive in his next role. On behalf of the entire organization, we wish him the best of luck in the future.”

“I want to thank Andy Barroway and his family for the opportunity,” Segal said in the release. “The Coyotes have a dynamic core of young players and I’m confident that they will enjoy great success in the years ahead, both on and off the ice. I also want to thank the Coyotes’ staff for all of their hard work over the past season.”

— Counting Murphy, five Coyotes are scheduled to participate in the World Championships. Forwards Christian Dvorak and Clayton Keller will also play for Team USA. Forward Tobias Rieder will play for Germany. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson will play for Sweden.

The tournament begins Friday in Cologne, Germany, and Paris, France, and runs through May 21 when the championship game is scheduled at LANXESS Arena in Cologne.

“Hopefully, I’ll be there the whole two weeks,” Ekman-Larsson said.

— Coyotes prospect Dylan Strome and the Erie Otters advanced to the championship round of the OHL Playoffs with a 4-2 series win over Owen Sound. Strome had two goals and an assist in the series-clinching, 7-2 victory on Sunday. He is third in playoff scoring with 11 goals and 25 points in 17 games. Erie opens the finals at home on Thursday against Mississauga.

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