2023-09-07 21:12:00
Ice hockey resumes its rights in Switzerland on Wednesday with an enticing Friborg-Lausanne on the program. After a thrilling 2022-2023 season which ended with a historic outcome, the long summer break allowed the Romans to let their emotions go down. To immerse yourself in the deep end of the National League, RTSsport.ch offers you a complete overview of the forces involved.
GENEVE-SERVETTE
The Swiss champion managed the feat of not losing quality despite the departures of Linus Omark and Henrik Tömmernes. If it seems impossible to truly replace “King Henrik”, as the Swede is unanimously considered the best defender playing outside of North America, the Geneva defense still looks formidable offensively with a Sami Vatanen (32 years old ) author of around one point per game since his arrival in Switzerland and a Theodor Lennström (29) whose record was similar last year at Färjestad (32 points in 37 games).
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In attack, if the departure of the whimsical Swede when he still had a year of contract at Vernets could have been a real tile for Marc Gautschi, the Servettian sports director has, once again, recovered wonderfully in engaging Sakari Manninen. The 31-year-old Finnish center was notably the line partner of Teemu Hartikainen for 3 seasons on the side of Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL). The GSHC therefore seem just as solid as last season and, despite the fact that the Champions League is also an objective for the club, the Garnets can reasonably have ambitions of a double in the National League.
BIEL
Despite a historic season that took them to the climax of a dantesque final, the Seelanders had to make major changes to their workforce. Although they may have the best goalkeeping duo in the country, the Biel residents lost Viktor Lööv, who suffered a serious neck injury in the last minute of the playoffs and whose career continuation is uncertain. To replace him, Martin Steinegger pulled out the heavy guns by recruiting the Finnish Ville Pokka (29) who was titled in KHL, in Finland, at the Olympic Games and at the World Cup. Just that! Biel had one of the best contingents of foreigners in the championship with also the young striker Aleksi Heponiemi (24 years old), but the serious injury of the latter just before the recovery comes to reshuffle the cards somewhat.
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However, a question arises for the gang. With the departure of the emblematic Antti Törmänen for health reasons, it is not just a change of coach, but a small revolution in Seeland, the Finn having affixed a very specific philosophy where each player knew his role perfectly and where the young people integrated the workforce position for position when it was necessary to replace an absentee. His compatriot Petri Matikainen arrives with a CV and a reputation that speak for him, but any change of technician carries risks. Will the Matikainen sauce take? If so, all dreams are allowed for Bienne.
OTHER FAVORITES
ZUG: The former double Swiss champion may have lost his crown, but he still appears as one of the tenors of the National League. The German Marc Michaelis has joined sure values in attack like Brian O’Neill, Jan Kovar and Grégory Hofmann. The arrival of the small Swedish winger Andreas Wingerli (it is not invented) would go almost unnoticed, but it brings an additional touch to an already very dense offensive. His compatriot Lukas Bengtsson will replace him post for post Christian Djoos in defense. Tired of their long run in the Champions League last year, the Bulls will be hungry for revenge and look like a serious candidate for the title.
ZURICH: The Lions have signed one of the most significant transfers of the summer with the return to Switzerland of Denis Malgin. At 26, the Swiss international drew a definitive line on his NHL career and signed until 2027-2028 on the banks of the Limmat, despite 72 games played with Toronto and Colorado in 2022-2023 (21 points). An electrifying player with powerful skating, the Solothurn had had brilliant seasons in the jersey of Lausanne (2020-2021) and Zurich (2021-2022). Can he single-handedly dispel the doubts surrounding Marc Crawford’s aging management? The exact rank of the “Z” in the top-4 will largely depend on it.
Bastien Trottet – @BastienTrottet
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