Swiss head coach Thierry Paterlini (right) and his assistant Samuel Balmer (left) celebrate a victory in the relegation round of the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship.
photo: Chris Tanouye / HHOF-IIHF Images
The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation named Thierry Paterlini as new head coach of the Swiss U20 national team. He will replace Christian Wohlwend, who leaves after seven years with the national team program including the past three years as head coach of the U20 national team.
The Swiss national team program will foresee some changes. Raeto Raffainer leaves as director of national teams to become sports director of HC Davos and will take recent Swiss U20 national team head coach Christian Wohlwend with him. Raffainer will be replaced by former national team goalie Lars Weibel.
Wohlwend’s successor at the U20 national team will be Thierry Paterlini, who has been working in the national team program for the past six years and was the head coach of the U18 national team during the past four seasons. Paterlini was also an assistant coach with the U20 national team at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship and with the men’s national team at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Before joining the federation, the 44-year-old was for two years head coach of third-tier club team EHC Bulach.
Paterlini brings in international experience not only as a coach but also played 158 games for the men’s national team. He represented Switzerland at the 2006 and 2010 Olympic Winter Games and in nine World Championships (eight in the top division). He also played at two U20 World Championships including the top-level World Juniors in 1994.
During 20 years of professional ice hockey in Switzerland he won two Swiss championships with SC Bern (1997) and HC Davos (2002).
Hohener U18 national team coach
At the U18 national team Paterlini will be replaced by Martin Hohener, who has been the head coach of the U17 national team for the past two years and will thus continue with the class of 2002 in the upcoming season. He was also an assistant coach of the U18 national team at the 2016 and 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championships.
The 38-year-old was already Paterlini’s successor at EHC Bulach where he was the head coach for two years before moving to a full-time position with the Swiss national team program in 2017 where he was also responsible for the selections and scouting of U17 and U16 players.
Hohener played in Switzerland’s National League for 15 years and in 2002 played both at the Olympic Winter games and the World Championship.
The Swiss national team program will foresee some changes. Raeto Raffainer leaves as director of national teams to become sports director of HC Davos and will take recent Swiss U20 national team head coach Christian Wohlwend with him. Raffainer will be replaced by former national team goalie Lars Weibel.
Wohlwend’s successor at the U20 national team will be Thierry Paterlini, who has been working in the national team program for the past six years and was the head coach of the U18 national team during the past four seasons. Paterlini was also an assistant coach with the U20 national team at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship and with the men’s national team at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Before joining the federation, the 44-year-old was for two years head coach of third-tier club team EHC Bulach.
Paterlini brings in international experience not only as a coach but also played 158 games for the men’s national team. He represented Switzerland at the 2006 and 2010 Olympic Winter Games and in nine World Championships (eight in the top division). He also played at two U20 World Championships including the top-level World Juniors in 1994.
During 20 years of professional ice hockey in Switzerland he won two Swiss championships with SC Bern (1997) and HC Davos (2002).
Hohener U18 national team coach
At the U18 national team Paterlini will be replaced by Martin Hohener, who has been the head coach of the U17 national team for the past two years and will thus continue with the class of 2002 in the upcoming season. He was also an assistant coach of the U18 national team at the 2016 and 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championships.
The 38-year-old was already Paterlini’s successor at EHC Bulach where he was the head coach for two years before moving to a full-time position with the Swiss national team program in 2017 where he was also responsible for the selections and scouting of U17 and U16 players.
Hohener played in Switzerland’s National League for 15 years and in 2002 played both at the Olympic Winter games and the World Championship.