Official: HCL’s New Coaching Staff

Hockey Club Lugano is pleased to announce the full composition of the coaching staff that will lead the first team starting from the 2025/26 season.

The position of Head Coach has been entrusted to Tomas Mitell, a Swedish coach born on October 24, 1980. After ending his playing career, Mitell began coaching in 2014, working for five seasons first as Assistant Coach with Västeras HK and Mora IK, then as Head Coach with AIK Stockholm, both clubs competing in the Swedish Allsvenskan league. From 2019 to 2021, he was part of the NHL coaching staff of the Chicago Blackhawks under Head Coach Jeremy Colliton. In February 2021, he became Head Coach of Färjestad BK in Karlstad, one of Sweden’s most successful clubs, where he remained until the end of the 2024/25 season. During this period, he won a Swedish title (2022) and led his team to first, third, and fourth places in the regular season. At the end of the 2023/24 season, he was named Sweden Hockey League Coach of the Year.

Mitell will be assisted by Associate Coach Stefan Hedlund, born May 30, 1975, in Lulea (Sweden). A coach since 2008 following a playing career mainly in Norway, Hedlund first coached at the youth level in Lulea, joined the EVZ Academy and Zug’s coaching staff from 2017 to 2019, and then worked with Skelleftea AIK from 2019 to 2021. From the start of the 2021/22 season until December 2024, he was Head Coach of the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, leading the team to two playoffs appearances, a third-place and a fourth-place in the regular season.

Both Mitell and Hedlund have signed contracts with HCL valid for the next two seasons. Paolo Morini will continue in his confirmed role as Assistant Coach. Lassi Laakso remains Strength & Conditioning Coach, and Flavien Conne returns as Skills Coach for both the first team and the youth sector.

The position of Goaltending Coach for the first team will be filled in the coming weeks. Paolo Della Bella will return to his longstanding role as goaltending coach for the entire HCL Youth Section.

Hockey Club Lugano will present Tomas Mitell and Stefan Hedlund on Friday, April 25, 2025, during a media event to be held in the press room of the Cornèr Arena starting at 2:00 PM.

Following the club’s presentation, journalists will have the opportunity to ask questions to General Manager Janick Steinmann, Head Coach Tomas Mitell, and Associate Coach Stefan Hedlund either in a group session or in one-on-one interviews.

The press conference will be streamed live on HCL TV, accessible via hclugano.ch.