Luca Frigo to lead Bolzano into the new season as captain

“After every season, there is always something to learn. Even if you win, there are always areas where you can improve and get better heading into the following season. Compared with last season, we want to be more consistent and improve our game once again when it matters most,” Luca Frigo says when reflecting on the past season, which ended earlier than in the previous three years for HCB Südtirol Alperia following their quarter-final elimination against Ljubljana. For the 33-year-old and his Italian national-team teammates, it was a particularly intense campaign due to their participation in the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Above all, the Olympic ice hockey tournament will remain a lasting memory.

Frigo scored Italy’s first goal of the competition, giving the “Blue Team” a 1–0 lead against Sweden after just four minutes in their opening game. “It took me a while to realise that something I had always dreamed of had actually happened. Being part of the team and then scoring the first goal since 2006 was incredible. It was especially meaningful because my family and close friends were at the game. It was a special moment for me and for them as well.”

Frigo as the new HCB captain
Following the top-division World Championship in May, the forward took three weeks away from ice hockey to recharge during his holiday. He then began preparing for the new season. In mid-August, the new Bolzano team also came together for a training camp in Corvara. “The camp was very important, especially because we have several new players this season, including a few young guys. The time we spent in Corvara was particularly useful for getting to know each other better, developing some chemistry and gaining a better understanding of how our teammates think,” says Frigo, who will lead Antti Karhula’s team as captain for the first time.



Frigo has been named the 20th captain in the 93-year history of the red-and-white club. He has played in Bolzano since the summer of 2016 and has developed into one of HCB’s most influential players. “Being captain is an incredible honour, but it also comes with a great deal of responsibility. I know exactly what it means to wear this jersey and now also the ‘C’. But it is not about me; it is about the team. We want to win together. To do that, we need strong unity and a willingness to work hard.”

Focus on the big goal
Following Daniel Frank’s departure, Frigo is the only player on the current roster who was part of Bolzano’s most recent league title-winning team in 2018. The 33-year-old knows exactly what it takes to get through a long season: “Even if you suffer a heavy loss or lose players to injury, which is part of the game, you just have to stay focused on the ultimate goal that everyone wants to achieve: reaching the final and winning the championship.”