The 39-year-old will replace Manuele Celio, who left the federation after the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship on home ice in Zug and Lucerne and coach the U20 team of the ZSC Lions Zurich organization instead.

Paterlini was most recently coaching third-tier team EHC Bulach while doubling up as an assistant coach of Glen Hanlon at the men’s national team, a role he will keep for the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in the Czech Republic. In 2013 he was also assistant coach of the U17 national team.

As a player Paterlini represented Switzerland in nine IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships (eight in the top division) and two Olympic Winter Games. He played 158 games for the men’s national team and 857 games in the Swiss NLA before ending his career in 2013.

Paterlini also represented his country as a junior himself, at the 1993 U18 European Championship B-Pool, at the 1994 World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic and one year later at the U20’s B-Pool.

He already the U18 national team during several exhibition games and the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament earlier this season and will lead the team the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship in Grand Forks, USA.