A blank stare: The season is over prematurely for the Bolzano players. © HCB

When words fail you: bleak silence in Bolzano

The past two weeks have raised many questions in Bolzano. Questions that no one could – or wanted to – answer in the hours following the resounding defeat. With the playoff exit against Ljubljana on Thursday evening, an oppressive silence descended upon the Bolzano Arena. There was no trace of self-criticism, especially from the coach; quite the opposite.

March 20, 2026

For more than two hours, the Sparkasse Arena was a madhouse. The fans relentlessly pushed their favorites forward – despite the many setbacks. Even after the 1:4 defeat against Olimpija Even after their elimination in the quarterfinals, thunderous applause echoed from the stands throughout the arena. But as soon as the Bolzano players left the ice, an eerie atmosphere descended.

The men in white and red marched straight into the locker room. The coach disappeared into his office without even saying goodbye to the opposing team. Club boss Dieter Knoll didn't even bother to show his face. No loud words. No dramatic gestures. Only a few tears were shed, it was later reported. It wasn't until about twenty minutes later that anything finally stirred. At the request of the Bolzano press officer, coach Doug Shedden poked his head out of the door and strolled leisurely towards the waiting journalists.

"I ended my playing career 33 years ago, so I can't just go in and score goals." HCB coach Doug Shedden

The experienced Canadian is at the center of the criticism. Firstly, because of his personnel decisions in the lineup, and secondly, because of the way he coached the team. But reporters who were waiting for thoughtful self-criticism could put their pens away. "That's the sport," he said laconically.

Shedden identified the three goals conceded within 38 seconds in the third match as the turning point, but also said: "The boys gave it their all, they tried everything. It's simply frustrating." SportNewsWhen asked if he would have done anything differently in hindsight, he replied dryly: "Not really. I ended my playing career 33 years ago, so I can't just go in and score goals. We had wonderful chances, but we didn't take advantage of them."

Coach Doug Shedden finally ran out of ideas. © Vanna Antonello

Shedden was only brought in mid-December to replace the ousted Kurt Kleinendorst. His tenure in Bolzano is likely to end after just three months. "Life here is fantastic. The abundant sunshine, the stunning scenery. And we also had an exceptionally good team. I considered it an honor to work with these guys. However, we didn't live up to the high expectations. That's the end of it," said Shedden, before taking his leave.

Tight hugs, wordless handshakes

After the coach had spoken, no one in the tunnel really wanted to say anything more. A few players briefly came out of the locker room to say goodbye to the staff, physios, and doctors. A firm hug here, a wordless handshake there. And that was it.

"This feels like a slap in the face." HCB captain Daniel Frank

Several more minutes passed, then Daniel Frank stepped out the door. Still in his skates, pads, and shorts. The captain paused briefly, picked up a napkin from the refreshment table, wiped a tear from his face, and stammered very quietly: "What can I say when I'm speechless?"

The HCB players, including Daniel Frank, never found their playoff form. © HCB

Frank seemed as perplexed as the journalists he was facing. He said he had tried to fulfill his role as captain with dignity. He admitted to raising his voice in the locker room over the past few days, "but we never found our rhythm on the ice. Ljubljana did everything right – blocked shots, waited for counterattacks, and struck with clinical precision. We simply couldn't do much of that."

The captain's sad birthday

One thing particularly bothers the Merano native: "Losing three times in a row at home in front of these fans is insane. We shot ourselves in the foot with inexplicable mistakes." Frank, who turns 32 this Friday, seemed shaken, almost shocked. "We were always evenly matched in the playoffs, then narrowly missed out. This time it feels different." When asked what happens next, he said with his head down: "I need a few days to let this sink in. What just happened here feels like a slap in the face."

As Frank turned and headed towards the locker room, the long corridor in the bowels of the arena was already deserted. That eerie silence returned, one that will likely only dissipate with the start of the new season. But that's still a ways off. And longer than is typical for Bolzano.