EVZ ice hockey coach Michael Liniger has to go

The never-ending downward spiral has turned out to be the last straw. The EV Zug men’s ice hockey team and Michael Liniger will not be continuing their partnership any longer. Canadian Benoît Groulx will take over as head coach until the end of the season.
 

So it's finally happened! After just over six months, Michael Liniger is no longer the coach of the EVZ men’s ice hockey team. The club is parting ways with the 46-year-old with immediate effect. The team lost for the tenth time in a row across all competitions on Tuesday evening, and is still without a win this calendar year.

EV Zug issued a statement at 9:51 am on Wednesday, 21st January. In it, CEO Patrick Lengwiler is quoted as saying: "We supported Michael Liniger as best we could. Ultimately, however, as head coach, he was responsible for the team and its performance. Unfortunately, he was not sufficiently successful in moving the team forward and giving it stability."

Benoît Groulx will now take over as head coach until the end of the season. The 57-year-old Canadian is expected in Zug on Thursday.

The new coach Benoît Groulx                Instagram Screenshot
Michael Liniger has to leave EV Zug             Photo: Mike Wiss/Freshfocus

Full statement from the EVZ on Instagram (translated from German)

Benoît Groulx is taking over as head coach until the end of the season

The EVZ is parting ways with Michael Liniger with immediate effect. The 57-year-old Canadian Benoît Groulx will take over as head coach until the end of the season.

The EVZ National League team has not performed well in recent weeks. In addition to a string of defeats, the team's performance has increasingly failed to meet EVZ's expectations. As a result, the EVZ has decided to relieve Head Coach Michael Liniger of his duties with immediate effect.

EVZ CEO Patrick Lengwiler: ‘We have supported Michael Liniger as best we could. Ultimately, however, as Head Coach, he was responsible for the team and its performance. Unfortunately, he was not sufficiently successful in moving the team forward and giving it stability.’ The EVZ would like to thank Michael Liniger for his commitment and wishes him all the best for the future.

In light of the difficult situation in which the EVZ finds itself, Benoît Groulx has agreed to take over as head coach until the end of the season. The Canadian was head coach in the American Hockey League for many years, including for the Syracuse and Rochester teams., He was the head coach of Canada's U20 national team in the 2014/15 season, and the team won the world championship under his leadership. Most recently, he was head coach at Traktor Chelyabinsk up to November, leading the team to the final in the 2024/25 season. Benoît Groulx is expected in Zug on Thursday, and will then take over as head coach.