National League
Fribourg-Gotteron
In 59 days, Fribourg-Gottéron will play its first official match of the 2022/23 season. On Thursday September 1, the Dragons will host Ilves Tampere for their first Champions Hockey League (CHL) game. They will play four games (twice against Stavanger, twice against Ilves) before facing Ambrì-Piotta on September 16 for the opening of the championship.
We know that Christian Dube is rather a follower of stability, he is not the style to inflate a contingent too much and then make a few cuts. The advantage, in a way, of being both a coach and a manager. We will say that the case Yannick Herren is a hiccup, but a solution should emerge by the end of the month.
Less than two months from his first important game of the season, Gottéron is almost complete. With 23 players, the team seems well armed, with the exception of the 6th and last foreigner whom Dubé had not really considered at first (question of budget), but who went back when noticing the buying fever of its competitors.
It is therefore for the time being with five imports that Gottéron will start the season, Dubé giving himself time to find the player who is worth it. There is no urgency and if the market for the Swiss player begins to dry up (although by putting the means into it – and here we are thinking of Baumgartner for example …), the possibilities of obtaining a quality mercenary will still be great in the coming months.
A well-balanced training
In goal, nothing to worry about with the excellent Reto Berra. Its lining Connor Hughes gained experience last season. In defenseJuuso Vainio will complete the American Ryan Gunderson who happily stayed in Fribourg, just like the striker David Desharnais who welcomes the duo Jacob of the Rose–Marcus Sörensen. The sixth foreigner, when he arrives, should be an attack-oriented player.
And then, Gottéron struck a big blow with the commitment until… 2029 of Christoph Bertschy, the element that may have been missing a few weeks ago to go further in the playoffs. It was necessary all the same that to digest the departure of Chris DiDomenico in Bern.
Even more striking is the average age of the team of the BCF Arena: almost… 30 years! This is a lot (but a bit younger than in the 2021/22 season) and we will see that the five French-speaking National League formations are among the eight oldest formations (out of 14), Bienne occupying 2nd place and Ajoie the 3rd. The only team to have known only the elite since the 1980/81 season (!), Friborg is indeed the most experienced team in the championship.
Among the new heads of Gottéron, no player under 27 years old. Once again, we relied on experience. And like every year, some will say: “it’s the last one that rings!”. Hear: to finally win the title. Not false, each passing year plunges the current Gottéron into an increasingly complicated situation given the few young players from his junior movement. This season: none, so far.
It could work out if Dubé decides to lengthen his bench a bit. Today, eight defenders and twelve attackers are in the contingent. The 13th striker should be the last outsider. But starting the 2022/23 season with two objectives (Champions Hockey Ligue and National) will push the Friborg leaders to promote one or two juniors, but also continue to probe the market of free players.
Among the new figures, only two Swiss: the top-transfer Bertschy and the promising Joel Scheidegger. To the BCF Arena, there are only two elements under the age of 25. It should be possible to remedy this annoying imbalance if we project ourselves two or three years from now. At the end of this 2022/23 season, half of the team (one goalkeeper, five defenders and six attackers) will be out of contract. And of the remaining eleven, alone Loic Galley et Benoit Jecker will be under 30 years old.
This means that Gottéron, who has the right to be very ambitious again this season, is at a crossroads.
The movements of summer
Arrivals: Joel Scheidegger (D, SUI, Olten), Christoph Bertschy (F, SUI, Lausanne), Juuso Vainio (D, SWE, Växjö), Marcus Sörensen (F, SWE, Djurgardens), Jacob de la Rose (F, SWE, Färjestads)
Departures: Philippe Furrer (D, SUI, retreat), Jordann Bougro (F, FRA / SUI, Kloten), Adrien Lauper (F, SUI, Ticino), Jeremie Kamerzin (D, SUI, ???), Timo Haussener (F, SUI, ???), Yannick Herren (F, SUI, ???), Chris DiDomenico (F, CAN, Berne), Daniel Brodin (F, SWE, Djurgardens), Otso Rantakari (D, FIN, ???)