Release from 30.11.2022

Tomek Valtonen is the new Head Coach of Pustertal

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The Finn Tomek Valtonen is the new head coach of the HC Pustertal Wölfe. The 42-year-old most recently was head coach of HK Dukla Michalovce in Slovakia (semifinals 2021, quarterfinals 2022) with great success. Interim head coach Phil Horsky thus moves back to the position of the assistant, as agreed with the club.

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Already at the age of 29, Valtonen started his coaching career. First as junior coach, then assistant and head coach at Jokerit Helsinki and no less than four years at Sport in Vaasa. In 2018/19, the double engagement as Polish national coach and at Podhale Nowy Targ followed. Valtonen, who has Polish roots himself, remained with the Polish selection for the next season - including the Olympic qualifying tournament. In 2019/20, however, he also coached Ravensburg (DEL2, until November) and Mora (Allsvenskan, until the end of the season).

In the summer of 2020, the move to the Slovak Extraliga to Dukla Michalovce followed. Valtonen led the club, which was only newly promoted in 2019, to the semifinals and then the quarterfinals - both the best results in the club's history.

Valtonen has been out of contract so far this season, but has now already arrived in the Rienzstadt and was able to get a first look at his new team on Tuesday against Asiago. He is considered a hard worker who pays great attention to discipline on and off the field.

"I am very happy to be at the HCP and have heard only positive things about the club and the environment in Bruneck. I expect to see a hard-working team that shows character and where everyone fights for each other. I'm looking forward to getting to know the team and starting ice training. We will determine the exact goals with the team in the next few days, but we definitely want to be a team that plays to win every night and gives it our all!"

Interim coach Phil Horsky thus moves back to the position of the assistant, as agreed with the club.