John Miner takes over at HCG. © Augsburg Panther

Former Gretzky teammate: Val Gardena's new coach

After the election of the new board in mid-May, the Hockey Club Gherdëina announced the first news regarding the coming season on Wednesday. Accordingly, John Miner takes over the position of head coach, while Christian Piccolruaz is the new assistant.

31 May 2023

From: sn

John Miner is a well-known name: The 57-year-old Canadian was one of the best defenders in the top European leagues in the 90s. Before moving to Europe, he also played 14 times for the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL. Miner gained fame through his inclusion in the Wayne Gretzky trade, which took the superstar from Edmonton to Los Angeles.

After his playing career, Miner stayed in Europe. He was hired as an assistant at HC Sierre in the Swiss second division, where he was briefly promoted to head coach. The Canadian then moved to St. Polten, where he looked after young talent from U16 to U20 at the Okanagan Academy for seven seasons. His last stop was Augsburg, where he was head coach of the U20 team. “After intensive discussions, the club management is convinced that Miner, with his experience, is the right man for the HCG,” write the Furies.

Valtonen returns

“I am very excited about the opportunity to be the new head coach and am very grateful for it,” explains Miner. “I have a vision and a plan for how we want to approach the new season. We will play hard, play fast and make it difficult for the opponent. I want to encourage the players to bring out the best in themselves to grow together as a team. Because this club has a long history and I want us to be successful.” Miner is looking forward to building a relationship with the players, the club and the fans and being an important part of Hockey Club Gherdëina.

The new assistant is with us Christian Piccolruaz an old acquaintance. The 51-year-old played in Serie A for years as a player with HCG, HC Pustertal and Wipptal Broncos. After his active career, he first became a youth coach at HCG and later in Brixen. Most recently he had the Brixen-Vipiteno U17 under his wing. Now he is ready to take on a senior team role as an assistant for the first time. Also at Jorma Valtonen it is a return. The Finn was one of the best goalies in Europe at the time and will not be forgotten in Val Gardena. He was already active as a goalkeeping coach at HCG in 2015. After four seasons at Asiago, he is now returning to the Furies.