HC Lugano Hockey Club Lugano , often abbreviated to HC Lugano or HCL , is a professional ice hockey club based in Lugano , Switzerland . The team competes in the Swiss National League A and has won seven Swiss Championships ( 1986 , 1987 , 1988 , 1990 , 1999 , 2003 , 2006 ) . Society . The Hockey Club Lugano is one of Swiss hockey ' s winningest and well - established sports clubs . In fact , since the 1985 / 86 season , the club has won seven national titles , five play - off finals , reached the final round of the European Cup final twice , reached the Euroleague Top Four Final once , reached the Super Six 2007 , a decisive action in the Spengler Cup and two third places in the Continental Cup Superfinal . Officially founded on 11 February 1941 , it celebrated its sixtieth year of life in the 2000 - 2001 season . The team played a regular season game wearing a vintage jersey . Apart from the result of its first team , which obviously serves as a leading vehicle , the Hockey Club Lugano constitutes a significant reality in the region to the south of the Monte Ceneri and is deeply rooted in the fabric of Lugano , Canton Ticino and Switzerland . As such , the social function performed by the Youth Section of the Hockey Club Lugano in particular is recognised and appreciated . Today the Youth Section counts more than three hundred registrations in the various age categories and seven professional coaches . The enthusiasm and popular passion that the black - and - white colours can provoke were obvious to all the eyes watching the celebrations at the " Resega " ice rink and in " Piazza della Riforma " – the heart of the people of Lugano – during the month of April 1999 , when more than eight thousand people triumphantly welcomed the heroes of the 1998 / 1999 championship conquered at the " Valascia " ice rink in Ambrì . During the season , the Hockey Club Lugano registers an average of nearly 5 , 500 spectators , play - offs included . The memberships at the " Resega " are more than 3 , 000 . The HC Lugano " family " consists of Youth Sections , a Ladies Team , and HC Lugano - Ceresio . The Partner Team is EHC Basel , which competes in the National League B . History . Origins . The Hockey Club Lugano was founded in the course of the 1940 / 1941 season but the club ' s actual setting - up takes place on 11 February 1941 , electing as president Alfonso Weber . Seven years after its foundation , the team abandons the small lake of Muzzano and goes to the Loreto quarter . This change is certainly beneficial and is a good opportunity to make the hockey game gradually known in the neighbourhood . In Loreto , the first real games of puck on ice are played : the game of hockey starts getting a footing ; however , the civic authorities keep considering Lugano as , basically , a football city . All the efforts of the president Luigi Bellasi come to nothing . In fact , the lack of political support causes the club ' s eviction from Loreto , too . The 50s - 60s - 70s . In 1955 the Lugano club plays a few games on what functioned as tennis courts in summer , i . e . the tennis courts of the Münger bakery in Paradiso thanks to Cuccio Viglezio and Guido Keller . Still in the course of 1955 , Albino Mangili sets up the sport facility in Noranco : in the three years passed there , the Lugano club contends its first official championships and celebrates its first promotion to first division in 1956 . The first artificial rink , which will be called " Resega " , is inaugurated on 1 December 1957 . The most important engagement experienced during the first years of the Resega was the then Pedrolini Cup that gives hospitality to the strongest European teams , such as the Stockholm club , the Wembley Lions , the Paris club and the Milan Devils . The Resega ' s inaugural season coincides with the first professional players wearing the black - and - white jersey : Gene Miller , followed by the acrobatic Chinese - Canadian Larry Kwong . In the 1963 / 1964 season , the HCL will finally achieve the coveted promotion to National League B , which will be conquered on 29 February 1964 in Rapperswil ' s ice rink ; during that season a great talent shows up on the Resega ' s ice and makes history : Alfio Molina . The black - and - whites celebrate their promotion to National League A in the 1970 / 1971 season , so thirty years after its foundation , the team finally sees its dream come true ! Second only to Canton Valais , Canton Ticino has two clubs in the highest category ( HCL and HC Ambrì ) . Unfortunately , the adventure of the Lugano club in National League A only lasts two seasons ; in fact , in the 72 / 73 season , it will be relegated to the National League B . In 1975 the black - and - white club moves to Lugano ' s first covered ice rink : the one in Mezzovico ; the club will play two championships here , the time necessary to cover the Resega completely . In 1978 - 79 season , the new managing staff , formed by Geo Mantegazza , Severo Antonini and Fausto Senni immediately conquers two historical results : for the first time , the Lugano club has a ranking in front of the Ambrì club and for the first time , on 23 October 1979 , the Valascia ( Ambrì club ' s home arena ) is conquered ( 5 - 2 ) . The 80s . In the 79 / 80 season returns to the Lugano club Fabio Gaggini : he will remain tied to the black - and - white colours for a long time . In 1980 two great names dock on Lake Ceresio ' s shores : Mark Pavelich and John Harrington , fresh with the extraordinary gold medal conquered with the American national team at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid . But they disappoint both the fans and the team and remain in Lugano for a championship only ; Pavelich will then move to the New York Rangers and result one of the best . The Lugano club returns to the National League A at the end of the 1981 - 82 season . For the adventure in Series A , the Lugano club engages an American defender , Bob Hess , with more than 300 games in the NHL and the greatest promise for Swiss hockey : Jörg Eberle from Canton Appenzell . However , with the sixth final place , the championship of the black - and - whites isn ' t really memorable . At the end of the season , an author of the scaling of the black - and - white team in National League A finally and definitely gives up ice skating : Alfio Molina . In order to give a turning point to the whole environment , the president Mantegazza gives way to a real technical revolution and calls a new coach from Sweden : John Slettvoll . With him , inflexible in and outside the ice , arrives a player destined to become the Resega ' s favourite : Kent Johansson . The 1983 / 84 season is very regular : the team ranks in 4th position . In order to face the 1984 / 85 season , Slettvoll further strengthens the Lugano club with two essential players : Mats Waltin and Fredy Lüthi . For the whole season , HCL team chases the champions of the Davos club , concluding its best season by conquering the second place . Slettvoll prepares the 1985 / 1986 recruiting two new players of great promise : Sandro Bertaggia and Andy Ton ; there ' s also Jörg Eberle , who returns from Davos with two national titles . 1 March 1986 , the Lugano club is for its first time Swiss champion : captain Kaufmann receives the cup in the Davos ' ice rink . In the 1986 / 1987 season , the Lugano club is always at the top of the league and it is launched in Europe . Successful at first in East Berlin , it eliminate what – until then – had been considered the strongest western team absolutely : the Köln club ! Never before had a Swiss team been able to reach its aim of playing in the European Cup ' s final phase . During the championships , the Lugano club confirms itself wonderfully and conquers its second national title in the play - off finals against the Kloten team . In order to replace the various departures , the following in 1987 / 1988 season arrives in Lugano the Finn Kari Pekka Eloranta . Lugano club confirms itself as the championship ' s leader and , after its dominance in the regular season , it attains its third title in a row in the play - offs , at the expenses of the Kloten team . During this season the European Cup took place in Lugano in an enthusiastic Resega ; the guests of honour are no less than the legendary CSKA Moscow ( with the legendary Larionov , Makarov , Krutov and Fetisov ) and the teams Färjestad and Košice . However , the Lugano team has no power whatsoever against these sacred monsters of European hockey . The Lugano team of John Slettvoll and Geo Mantegazza conquers the first place in the regular 1988 / 1989 season but the bears in Berne wake up from their dormancy and the men in the federal capital pinch the Lugano team ' s title at the Resega . For the first time after the introduction of the play - offs , the Lugano team leaves the national title to an opponent . In order to re - launch the Lugano team in the 1989 / 1990 season , the " wizard " Slettvoll decides to call a small Japanese - Canadian to Lugano for the play - offs , Steve Tsujiura . In the final , the Lugano team takes its revenge for the previous season by winning in four games and conquering the title in the impressive Allmend ice rink , absolutely swarming with black - and - white fans . Once again , the Lugano club enters its name in the Swiss Hockey ' s roll of honour . A success that basically closes the " Era of the Great Lugano Club " and that of a well - loved president , Geo Mantegazza . The " presidentissimo " , in fact , leaves the team in the hands of another of the Resega ' s favourites : Fabio Gaggini . The 90s . Gaggini and Slettvoll trust in two Swedish stars for the 1990 / 1991 season : Magnus Svensson and Mats Näslund . The season closes with the second place in regular season and the defeat in the final play - off against the usual Berne team in four games . However , the Lugano team crowns its year with a new participation in the European Cup ' s final round in Düsseldorf , where it will be on the verge of its exploit with the Finnish champions of the Turku team . Season 1991 / 1992 , signs the end of the Slettvoll era . Second place in the regular season and , immediately after the Olympic Games , the bitter elimination by the Zurich club led by Arno del Curto at the play - off quarter - finals . For the first time in the play - offs ' history , the Lugano team isn ' t present in the final . However , HCL partecipates to the Spengler Cup : it wins against the Mannheim team , it beats the Malmö team in extra time , loses by a single goal against Team Canada and beats the legendary CSKA Moscow at the penalty shots ! ! The following day , during the conclusive action , the Russian masters impose themselves 5 to 2 . At the end of the season , John Slettvoll leaves the Lugano club . The Canadian Andy Murray is engaged as the team ' s leader for the 1992 / 93 season and with him , a legendary figure arrives in the Lugano club : Igor Larionov . And to support him there is the Czech Petr Rosol . In December the club is forced to dismiss Murray and to call back Slettvoll . The greatest news of the 1993 / 1994 season , however , is the temporary rink called Reseghina . In fact , the legendary , old Resega is in the course of being demolished , so that a new and modern facility can be built . From 1992 to 1996 Lugano is eliminated in the first phase of play - offs . The 1995 / 96 championship starts the inauguration of the Resega ' s new ice rink on 25 September 1995 ( Lugano v Lausanne team ) . The HCL ' s defender Pat Schafhauser ' s sad fate , in the evening of 5 December 1995 , will slam violently against the balustrade in the Davos ice rink , thus severely damaging his spinal cord ; he will be forced in a wheelchair . After this sad accident , the Lugano club establishes the " Fondazione Pat Schafhauser " , with the aim of creating a fund for possible sports accidents . This foundation organises the famous Swiss All Star Game each year . For the 1996 / 1997 season , Lugano club hires a new coach : Mats Waltin . Another great Swede arrives with him , Michael Nylander , who leaves the Calgary Flames ( NHL ) . The 96 / 97 season ends in the play - off semi - final . For the following season there are new arrivals : the Canadian Todd Elik , the Swedish pluri - champion Peter Andersson and the Swiss brothers Geoffrey and Julien Vauclair ( drafted by Ottawa Senators ) . In November Waltin is substituted by Jim Koleff , who had come to Lugano as sports manager . In order to help the defence and Lars Weibel , there ' s also the first foreign goalkeeper in black - and - white history : Cristobal Huet . The Lugano club beats Davos and Zug in the play - offs and prepares itself to confront the Ambrì club , the protagonist of a record regular season , in a derby final . Thanks to a better freshness and experience , the Lugano team , edition 1998 / 1999 , conquers its fifth national title on 5 April 1999 at the Valascia , by beating its cousins in five games . 2000 - Present . In the 1999 / 2000 season Lugano club dominates the regular season but the real exploit is attained in the Euroleague , when the black - and - white team finally reaches the semi - final round thanks in particular to Philippe Bozon , Christian Dubé , Oliver Keller and Wes Walz . Lugano disputes the Top Four Final , the final phase of the European championship : the Russians of the Metallurg Magnitogorsk team , led by Gomoljako , beat the Sparta Prague team in the final . The play - offs begin with the easy victories over the Fribourg and Ambrì teams , but not so with the ZSC Lions ( Zurich ) team : Lugano team loses the play - offs at the Hallenstadion in " contest 6 " when , 10 seconds to the whistle , Plavsic gets the 4 to 3 goal . The 2000 / 2001 season , the HCL ' s 60th birthday , faithfully follows the previous season in some things . The great final with the Zurich team is extremely intense , often unfair , polemical and , unfortunately , with an extremely bitter end : on the 7 April 2001 , " Game 7 " at the Resega , Morgan Samuelsson scores the championship winning goal in the extra time . In the season 2001 / 02 , an ex player of the " Great Russia " arrives as coach of the Lugano club : Zinetula Bilyaletdinov . With him come new players : Petteri Nummelin , Ryan Gardner and Mike Maneluk . Continental Cup elimination leads to the drastic decision of dismissing the coach : Jim Koleff takes his place once again until the end of the season . Cristobal Huet also leaves the Lugano club to join the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL . In the 2002 / 2003 season , Larry Huras arrives as new coach . At the end of a very balanced regular season , the Lugano club comes in fourth . Ahead of it in the ranking there are the following teams : Davos , ZSC Lions and Berne . Lugano team manages to dominate rhythms and timing , thus attaining the qualification for the final beating both Kloten and Zurich teams . In the final against Davos team , the current champion , in six matches Lugano team brings the black - and - whites ' sixth title to the shores of Lake Ceresio . For the 2003 / 2004 season , in the Swiss black - and - white team , arrives a legendary Finnish hockey player , Ville Peltonen , and the great Sandro Bertaggia ( who closes his career after six titles in Lugano ) is substituted by Steve Hirschi . In January , the team conquers a new bronze medal in the Continental Cup ' s Superfinal in Gomel , Belarus . On 22 February 2004 , the Resega lives an afternoon of intense emotions . In a mood of great collective participation , Alfio Molina ' s jersey nr . 1 , Sandro Bertaggia ' s jersey nr . 2 and Pat Schafhauser ' s jersey nr . 4 are officially collected . The last - named is connected " live " by satellite from Minneapolis . Lugano ' s season has an apical moment in the play - offs semi - final against the ZSC Lions team disallowing three matchballs on the part of the Zurich team : Lugano team eliminates the Lions and is in the final . But the black - and - white team loses the " best of five " final in the extra - time of the fifth games with a goal by Marc Weber . The season 2004 / 2005 will be registered into the annals of Swiss Ice Hockey history as one of the most interesting ones and for the HC Lugano as one of the strangest . The reasons are obvious : For once the lockout in the NHL . World stars such as Joe Thornton , Rick Nash , Niklas Hagman and Martin St . Louis showed their skills on Swiss ice fields . Owing to the lockout , the HC Lugano committed the Swiss NHL Goalie of the Colorado Avalanche , David Aebischer and in the Resega the NHL stars replace another : Kimmo Timonen , Jason Blake and above all Alex Tanguay . HC Lugano drops out the championship during the quarter finals against the actual Swiss Master SC Bern . At the end of the season JJ Aeschlimann ends is career after 14 successful seasons with the HC Lugano . The new championship 2005 / 2006 begins : Glen Metropolit ' s arrival from Jokerit Helsinki allows Lugano to improve its game . Jason York , with more than 700 games in the NHL , reinforces the defence and Lugano is on the top of the league standings . Before Christmas the club announces that Larry Huras won ' t be the technician of the future . The new leaders , head coach Harold Kreis from partnerteam Chur and co - coach Ivano Zanatta dispatched the responsibilities and asked the players , their brains , hearts and balls ( the three " C " , from italian : Cervello , Cuore e Coglioni ) in order to remount the series against Ambrì - Piotta team in quarter - final . Lugano turns the series from 0 - 3 to 4 - 3 , in semi - final knocked down Kloten and joins Berne in final . When the 13th of April 2006 , the final siren rang at the Resega , the HCL people was at the seventh heaven for seventh title . Afterwards , the NHL knocked at Metropolit ' s door , and just some time later , at Nummelin ' s , Peltonen ' s and York ' s too : Never did a Swiss club lose four players in the same time , for a more prestigious scene . On the 29th of November 2006 , due to the magistrate ' s investigation on the illegal payments , the restructuration of the board of directors take place : Beat Kaufmann and of Fabio Gaggini resignes from their respective functions and they are substituted by Fausto Gianini and Paolo Rossi . For the new season , the Swedish player Dick Tärnström get hired . On the forward front , the new foreigners who signed with the club are Landon Wilson and the second Swedish man , the playmaker Rickard Wallin . Meanwhile , in January 2007 the HCL family lived another unforgettable international experience . More than two hundred fans followed the team to Saint Petersburg for the Super Six tournament with the National champion teams of the six strongest European nations . Lugano climbed on a fully deserved podium by defeating Färjestad ( 3 - 0 ) , before bowing , with the same result , in front of Ak Bars Kazan , the Russian team with a financial potential worthy of the National Hockey league . Then the team get to the playoff where the quarter finals ' adversary was Kloten Flyers of Rintanen , Pittis and Hamr . Lugano defeats the series but with regret of clamorous mistake made by the referee Prugger who whistled while the puck was still in movement invalidating the equalizer . The approach of the 2007 / 2008 season is positive , the arrival of the experienced Canadian defenseman Yannick Tremblay and Timo Helbling compensate the departures . Forward Canadian playmaker Marty Murray is also recruited . The 18th of October 2007 , Jukka Hentunen , HCL top scorer , leaves Lugano after being confronted with the extraordinary occasion of an extremely lucrative contract with the Russian team of the Ak Bars Kazan . As substitute , the managers sign up the NHL star Anson Carter which starts with three goals in three games but he gradually disappears from the scene . Between November and December , Lugano faces a new crisis forcing Ivano Zanatta out of the team . After a short parentheses with coach Kent Ruhnke , the 9th of January John Slettvoll makes a clamorous come back . However , for the first time after twenty - two years , Lugano had to take part in the playout against Basel . Continuity , at least at the balustrade , was the key word of the season 2008 / 2009 with John Slettvoll renewing his contract , hiring of Ambrì - Piotta team leader Hnat Domenichelli and the Petteri Nummelin ' s come back . Revelation of the season are the sniper Brady Murray ( son of Andy Murray ) and the Norwegian player Patrick Thoresen . On the 7th of January 2009 , at a derby ' s eve , Slettvoll abandoned the team : Hannu Virta , ex coach of TPS Turku is called from Finland to direct the team . In the quarter - finals Lugano defeats in seventh games against Davos . Logo . On 22 June 2006 in the course of a press conference the Hockey Club Lugano presented its reshaped trademark . In the future , two HCL logo versions will be placed side by side : an institutional version and a sportive version . The logo that will represent the HCL in the institutional contexts is similar to the old emblem but without the stars . The most important change concerns the sportive logo and therefore all the game jersey and the merchandising . It represents till now a picture that can be interpreted in different ways . Some saw an owl , some a tiger , others saw the crossing of two sticks , two pucks and the goalkeeper mask . From now on , this image will definitely and unequivocally be seen as a panther , which reveals - according to the press conference - the valours of the Hockey Club Lugano : strength , class , agility , cleverness , speed , aggressiveness , elegance , beauty and grit . The company name , the team name or the official colours of the team never changed since the club has founded . With the new logo , a new official Mascotte is born : the black panther " Giazzy " . Resega . The Resega is an hockey arena in Lugano , Switzerland . It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of HC Lugano , HC Lugano Ladies Team , HC Lugano - Ceresio and HC Porza . It was build in 1995 , after the demolition of the old glorious one . The Resega holds 8 , 000 people . The stadium has also 9 locker rooms , a conference room , a restaurant and 10 buvettes . In 2007 the Resega is the first ice rink in Switzerland provided with a new and important element : thanks to the collaboration of the Dicastero Sport of Lugano , the Federazione Ticinese Integrazione Andicap ( FTIA ) and the Hockey Club Lugano , a new platform for disabled persons has been realized . This is situated on the first level ( E zone ) and it allows an excellent view and accessibility for people on wheelchairs and for their helping escorts . Under the roof of Resega are hung the 7 Swiss Champions banners along with the 2 Swiss Chamipions banners of the Ladies Team and the 3 retired jerseys . Team records . Franchise individual records . Best players of the HC Lugano history . HC Lugano records . HC Lugano records in the Swiss National League A . Ladies Team . The women ' s team , called " HC Lugano Ladies Team " , won the Swiss Championship on 2006 , 2007 and qualified for the final round of the Women ' s IIHF European Champions Cup 2007 .