Release from 25.09.2023

Glen Hanlon returns to Bolzano

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HCB Südtirol Alperia announces the return of head coach Glen Hanlon. After parting ways with Niklas Sundblad, the South Tyroleans are thus again relying on the coach who led the Foxes to a seventh game of the win2day ICE Hockey League final last season.

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As an ex-goaltender, Glen Hanlon made 512 appearances in the NHL between the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1990s in the jerseys of the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings. He then began his long career as a coach, managing teams of a caliber such as the Washington Capitals (NHL), Jokerit (Liiga), Dynamo Minsk (KHL), Krefeld Penguins (DEL), but also national teams such as Switzerland, Slovakia, and Belarus. In November 2021, he took over a team from the win2day ICE Hockey League for the first time with Znojmo, followed by the signing of a contract with Bolzano on May 8, 2022. In the Bolzano, Hanlon immediately confirmed himself as a coach of great experience and led his team to the seventh game of the final series.

Coach Hanlon will take over in his office at the Sparkasse Arena already between the end of September and the beginning of October, as soon as the formalities for the visa are fulfilled. Until his arrival, the team will continue to be coached by the Armani-Egger duo. The two will then form the coaching staff together with Hanlon as they did last year: one as assistant coach and the other as assistant video coach.

Glen Hanlon: "I am really, really happy to return to Bolzano. I understand that the start of the season was mixed, but I know what the guys are capable of. The mental aspect is paramount in ice hockey, you have to firmly believe that you can win and play well: very often everything starts from the head. High-scoring offensive lines can decide games, but the championships are won by defensive departments. I want a team that plays cohesively and in a structured way. The primary thing for me is that everyone acts as a team: in the game, in practice, off the ice, even on days off. Team spirit is always at the top of the list. From the players of last season I expect a further increase, while the new ones have great experience at the highest level and have to implement it: there has to be a collective growth process, but our defense has the potential to become the best in the league."