Uwe Krupp Takes Head Coaching Job In Switzerland

Uwe Krupp is headed to Switzerland the new head coach of HC Lugano, the National League club announced on Tuesday.

The move came just a day after club ownership cleaned house, relieving the entire coaching staff, including head coach Luca Gianinazzi, and GM Hnat Domenichelli of their duties. Lugano sits 13th out of 14 teams in the league, and is currently riding a four-game losing streak.

“This decision is painful for me, even on a personal level,” club president Vicky Mantegazza was quoted. “Several times this season, it seemed like we had the strength to bounce back. However, after the last defeat against Fribourg, the team no longer showed grit or character, and the situation deteriorated to the point of making this step inevitable.”

A well known hockey figure from his playing days, Krupp, now 59, has previously coached professionally in his native Germany – hometown Kölner Haie twice as well as Eisbären Berlin – and in Czechia for Sparta Prague. He was also head coach of the German national team from 2005 to 2011, leading the team at two Olympics and six IIHF World Championships.

As a player, Krupp was the first German to have a significant NHL career and was also the first German to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. He recorded 281 points and 660 penalty minutes in 729 NHL games between 1986 and 2003 for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers. He also had 29 points and 86 penalty minutes in 81 playoff games, and scored the overtime Cup-winning goal for Colorado in game 4 of the 1996 Stanley Cup final.

Lugano’s roster includes The team’s roster includes American Mark Arcobello, Czechs Jiří Sekáč and Radim Zohorna, Canadian Daniel Carr, Finn Valtteri Pulli and Swiss defenseman Mirco Müller.