Lugano magician John Slettvoll and Bern master maker Bill Gilligan: They fought against each other, united – now they look back

Gilligan is coming – Slettvoll has competition

Still, Slettvoll expects a fairly short intermezzo in the south of Ticino, because the quality of Swiss ice hockey initially does not convince him at all. But a deep bond developed between him and Lugano, which lasted a total of fifteen years. The northerner gave the club the most successful years in its history. After his first championship title in 1986, he followed with two more titles, was nicknamed the ‘Magician’ and his team became the ‘Grande Lugano’.

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But in 1988, SC Bern presented four-time Austrian champion coach Bill Gilligan as their new coach. A new era begins with the then 34-year-old American. «I was lucky to be able to fulfill this position, even though I was still very young. The starting position and timing were optimal,” says Gilligan. With him in Bern, Lugano suddenly has a challenger. “That was a good thing, because otherwise it would have been uninteresting. This new competitive situation was also important for the development of Swiss ice hockey and made the national team better,” says Slettvoll. SCB won the title in 1989 with wonder coach Gilligan, Lugano van Slettvoll hit back in 1990, Bern triumphed in 1991 and 1992.

And everyone’s looking at Gilligan and Slettvoll. These big, different coaching personalities. Here the excellent American psychologist, there the great Swedish strategist. They duel and sometimes fight. What will never be forgotten is how they collided and almost came to blows during a third break in 1989. “Bill complained to the referee and I asked him to concentrate on his team’s performance. To which he asked me if I thought I was Mister Swiss Ice Hockey,” says Slettvoll, who can now laugh when he thinks back. When Gilligan hears these comments from his former opponent, he also has to smile: “John has a better memory than I, I can’t remember exactly. But it’s entirely possible that I wasn’t very nice.”

Yet mutual respect was always great. And that’s why, when Slettvoll took over the national team part-time in 1992, he absolutely wanted Gilligan as an assistant coach. “That really made me appreciate Bill as a person. We did it together as a duo on equal terms,” says the Swede. “We had a lot in common, a similar sense of humor and laughed a lot together. “I have nothing but fond memories of John,” Gilligan adds. Sensationally, the national team reached the semi-finals of the World Cup with the spectacular team in what was then Czechoslovakia.

The common descent as a stain in the beautiful book

A year later the shock came. The national team is relegated from the World Cup in Germany. This time with the roles reversed, Gilligan as head coach and Slettvoll as assistant coach. “The communication between us was not optimal the second time, neither of us got it right,” says Slettvoll. And Gilligan? “I take full responsibility for this. Some of the decisions I made as head coach were not good. Jan can’t do anything about it.” This shame is a stain on the record for both of them. As their statements today show, they are still at peace with each other.

As different as Gilligan and Slettvoll are, they also have a lot in common. Which they themselves emphasize time and time again. Both came to Switzerland and revolutionized local ice hockey. Both have since returned to where they originally came from. Slettvoll to Umea in northern Sweden, Gilligan to Beverly near Boston. And although they are both now of retirement age, they are still in great shape and look much younger than 79 (Slettvoll) and 69 (Gilligan).

“Always being able to work with young people has kept me young,” Gilligan says. He still does that today: he occasionally cares for children who have difficulty getting an education at a school. “I always say I was born old,” explains Slettvoll, who keeps fit through sports and other activities, jokingly. “Today I shoveled snow for four hours,” he reports. He was last in Switzerland in December when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame by HC Lugano. “That was fantastic,” he says enthusiastically. Gilligan’s last trip to Switzerland was several years ago, “but I said recently that I would like to come back soon – before it’s too late.”

National League 23/24

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		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	HC Fribourg-Gotteron	39	44	81
	2	ZSC Lions	37	44	80
	3	EV train	38	46	74
	4	Lausanne HC	39	23	68
	5	SC Bern	39	-6	62
	6	HC Lugano	39	15	61
	7	HC Davos	37	13	57
	8th	Geneva-Servette HC	38	-11	56
	9	EHC Biel	38	2	54
	10	HC Ambri-Piotta	38	-7	53
	11	SCL Tigers	39	-41	45
	12	SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers	38	-30	43
	13	EHC Kloten	38	-53	34
	14	HC Ajoie	35	-39	30