Dough Shedden will be giving his commands from the HCB bench in the future. © HC Banska Bystrica

HC Bozen has a new coach

Following the dismissal of Kurt Kleinendorst, HCB Südtirol Alperia presented their new coach on Monday. He is no stranger to Bolzano.

15 December 2025

From: cst/pm

"HCB Südtirol Alperia officially announces that an agreement has been reached to sign Canadian coach Doug Shedden for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. The 64-year-old, who boasts thirty years of experience in some of the world's best leagues and also wore the white and red jersey as a player, is currently awaiting his visa and will arrive in Bolzano in the coming days."

With these official words, HC Bolzano announced their new coach on Monday morning. Shedden played for the Foxes in Serie A and the Alpenliga in 1991/92 before moving on to HC Davos. It remained the only European season for the long-time NHL player (1981 to 1991).

Extensive coaching experience in Europe

As a coach, Shedden boasts a wealth of experience. The Canadian worked his way up through various leagues in North America (CHL, ECHL, UHL, AHL) before moving to Europe, where he coached teams including Medvescak Zagreb in the KHL, Zug and Lugano in the Swiss top league, Banska Bystrica in Slovakia, Ingolstadt in the DEL, and the Finnish Liiga. He also led Finland to a bronze medal at the World Championships.

Shedden was most recently with Vaasan Sport in Finland, where he terminated his contract to join HCB. "Bolzano was my first European club as a player and has always held a special place in my heart," Shedden explained. "I still remember the feeling of fascination I had when I first arrived. I always wanted to return, and it's wonderful to be able to do so today. It's not every day you get to take over such a talented team mid-season, a team that's fighting for the title," Shedden said in his initial statement.