Aleksandar Andjelic behind the bench during a game in the Netherlands.
photo: Robert Bos
Serbian coach Aleksandar “Alex” Andjelic, an Olympian for Yugoslavia and long-time hockey coach in several countries, passed away at the age of 80.
Born on 16 October 1940 in Backa Palanka, Andjelic started his hockey career with Partizan Belgrade and represented Yugoslavia internationally including at the 1964 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck. In 1967 he moved to play in the Netherlands where he would end his career in 1975 and launch his long coaching career.
Andjelic was coaching clubs in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Serbia. He was a national team coach of the Netherlands’ U20 national team, of Yugoslavia / Serbia-Montenegro and was last season also helping out as an assistant coach for Turkey. He also went to North America for clinics and was involved with the Toronto Maple Leafs and their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies.
During his lengthy career he called legends such as Anatoli Tarasov, Alexander Ragulin and Sven “Tumba” Johansson his friends and was until recently still head coach of Zoetermeer in the Netherlands, the country that became his second home.
Last October he celebrated his 80th birthday, for which we published a lengthy story on his career.
A COVID-19 infection a few weeks ago affected his health and he passed away in a hospital in Belgrade last night due to complications.
Born on 16 October 1940 in Backa Palanka, Andjelic started his hockey career with Partizan Belgrade and represented Yugoslavia internationally including at the 1964 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck. In 1967 he moved to play in the Netherlands where he would end his career in 1975 and launch his long coaching career.
Andjelic was coaching clubs in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Serbia. He was a national team coach of the Netherlands’ U20 national team, of Yugoslavia / Serbia-Montenegro and was last season also helping out as an assistant coach for Turkey. He also went to North America for clinics and was involved with the Toronto Maple Leafs and their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies.
During his lengthy career he called legends such as Anatoli Tarasov, Alexander Ragulin and Sven “Tumba” Johansson his friends and was until recently still head coach of Zoetermeer in the Netherlands, the country that became his second home.
Last October he celebrated his 80th birthday, for which we published a lengthy story on his career.
A COVID-19 infection a few weeks ago affected his health and he passed away in a hospital in Belgrade last night due to complications.