Serge Pelletier, Rob Cookson, and Paul Di Pietro will replace the ad-interim trio formed by the team manager Hnat Domenichelli and former HC Lugano players Flavien Conne, and Krister Cantoni. The trio had been in charge since Wednesday morning when the club decided to relieve head coach Sami Kapanen and assistant coach Stefan Nyman of their duties following a 7-2 defeat in the Ticino derby. Pelletier will be on the bench already tonight for the game against HC Davos.
Pelletier, 54, was last employed with HC La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss League for the 2018-19 season. At the end of the season, his contract was not extended. Pelletier started his coaching career with the u20 squad of HC Lugano back in 1989, and at the end of the second millennium, he covered the role of assistant coach of the Bianconeri for three years. In 1999 he won the Swiss championship.
Cookson, 58, spent the last three seasons with the Ottawa Senators as an assistant coach. Prior to that, he had been the assistant coach of Mark Crawford for the ZSC Lions from 2012 to 2016, winning a Swiss championship in 2014. As soon as the work permits will be ready, he will join the rest of the coaching staff.
Paul Di Pietro, 49, who also was without a job since the start of the season, worked as a scout for EV Zug for four seasons, from 2015 until 2019. As a player, he suited up 20 times for HC Lugano.
( 21 December 2019 | lle* )
