Schweiz gewinnt in Nordamerika an Aufmerksamkeit!!

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Hockey a hot ticket in Switzerland
By Bill Meltzer | NHL.com correspondent
April 6, 2006


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The Swiss fans arrived early at the Torino Esposizioni. With Team Switzerland fresh off a stunning 3-2 upset win over the Czech Republic, they were in a jovial mood.

No matter what happened on this day against the powerhouse Canadians, the Swiss contingent was determined to have a good time; singing soccer-style fight songs, jeering the officials and waving the Swiss flag. Many of the Swiss jersey-clad fans even painted their faces red and white.

Down in the Team Switzerland dressing room, with Swiss partisans' chants of "Hop Suisse! Hop Suisse!" ("Go Swiss! Go Swiss!") and "Schweiz! Schweiz!" ("Switzerland! Switzerland!") barely audible, the mood was quite different.

The players sat in quiet determination as head coach Ralph Krueger readied his troops to take the ice. "I reminded the players we needed to play a smart defensive game and make Canada earn their chances," the Winnipeg-born Krueger told the media afterwards.



The win over the star-laden Czech side gave the Swiss players the self-confidence to know it could at least give Canada a tough match. Even so, few believed in their hearts this undersized team with just three NHL players on the roster (goaltenders David Aebischer and Martin Gerber and defenseman Mark Streit) could defeat gold-medal favorite Canada.

Asked later if he thought beforehand a victory was possible, Swiss forward Flavien Conne laughed. "Are you crazy, man? With the players they have, it would be impossible," replied the 5-foot-9 Conne, an eighth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2000 Entry Draft.

Strong hockey tradition

When most people in North America think of Switzerland, they think of decadent chocolates, Gruyere and Emmentaler cheese, precision watches and Swiss army knives. If they've visited the country, they probably recall the natural beauty of the Swiss Alps, the placid lakes, the cleanliness of its largest cities and the bicyclists in the picturesque countryside.

They probably don't think of hockey. In major international play, Switzerland has historically been a second-tier team, superior to the likes of Italy or Austria and competitive with Germany, but a step behind the elite powers. And while the Swiss Nationalliga has had 39 players selected in the NHL Entry Draft through 2005, relatively few have earned places on NHL rosters.

Nevertheless, hockey has long been a popular sport in Switzerland. The Swiss Nationalliga was founded in 1915 and has crowned a champion every hockey season since the 1915-16, with the exception of 1939-1940.

"There's a very strong hockey tradition in Switzerland, especially here in Bern," says SC Bern representative Rolf Bachmann. "The ticket prices are very attractive and there's a large cult following that would never miss a match."

SC Bern, which was founded in 1931, set a new single-season European attendance record in 2005-2006, averaging 15,994 fans per game (95 percent capacity). This surpassed the team's 2004-2005 attendance, highest in all of Europe, when a host of NHL players played in the Nationalliga due to the lockout. Likewise, the teams in Davos (home of defending champion HC Davos), Lugano and Z?rich enjoy rabid fan support.

Long-time NHL star Brian Propp discovered the Swiss' passion for hockey when, in 1992-93, he signed to play with HC Lugano at the invitation of his former Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota North Stars assistant coach, Andy Murray (recently fired as the Los Angeles Kings' head coach).

"The fans in Switzerland are absolutely amazing. They sing and chant for hours on end, like they're at a soccer game, and the die-hard fans really know the game. Their team loyalty is fierce, too. In Canada and the U.S., fans boo the other team and you'll see fights in the stands sometimes, but usually it's more or less of a good-natured thing. When I played in Switzerland, they had to keep rival fan clubs physically separated on opposite sides of the arena," recalls the eight-time NHL 30-goal scorer, now a Philadelphia Flyers' radio analyst.

For the most part, however, a party atmosphere prevails at the games.

Propp, who often played on a line with legendary center Igor Larionov, remembers how the Lugano fans serenaded Larionov every time he hit the ice, from the time the open faceoff was dropped until the final horn sounded.

"They turned Igor's name into a song. If I close my eyes, I can still hear it my head," says Propp, with a grin. "To the tune of 'London Bridge is Falling Down,' the fans would sing, 'I-I-I-gor Lar-i-o-nov, Lar-i-nov, Lar-i-nov, I-I-I-gor Lar-i-o-nov, Igor Larionov!' all night long."

Similar chants and songs still exist today in honor of teams' most popular players. As for the quality of the hockey itself, the Swiss play classic European hockey.

"Our league emphasizes speed; it's high-gear hockey, very tactical and very technical," says Bachmann.

Propp, who scored 21 goals in 24 games for Lugano, agrees. "I was impressed by how fundamentally sound the league was. Players have to be responsible defensively. As a player, I liked the up-tempo style and to push the offense, so I fit in, but it was an adjustment from the NHL style of the time to a more defensive game on the bigger rink."

Where Switzerland falls a bit short of the elite hockey countries is in its general lack of home-grown offensive talent. There are 25,000 licensed hockey players currently in Switzerland, a decent ratio for a country of 7.4 million people. But while Swiss-born and trained players comprise the majority of most Nationalliga rosters -- unlike the import-heavy DEL in Germany -- the top offensive performers on most Swiss teams are almost inevitably foreigners.

This year was no exception. Import players led 10 of the Nationalliga's 12 teams in scoring. The top producers in 2005-2006 were former NHLers Glen Metropolit (23 goals and 65 points for Lugano), Hnat Domenichelli (35 goals and 59 points for Ambri-Piotta) and Sebastien Bordeleau (24 goals and 54 points for SC Bern).

Among Swiss born players, only former Chicago Blackhawk Reto Von Arx (14 goals and 48 points for HC Davos) and 13-year Nationalliga veteran Patrick Fischer (21 goals and 53 points for Zug) paced their clubs' offense this season.

Something special brewing

On the heels of a sensational 40-save performance by goaltender David Aebischer (now with the Montreal Canadiens) in the shocking upset of the Czechs, Carolina Hurricanes' goaltender Martin Gerber was even better against Canada.

"We knew the first 10 minutes were crucial," said Gerber told the international media after the game. "We had to be perfect in the first 10 minutes and not let them take control or they would just run over us."

Despite coach Krueger's exhortations to stay out of the box, the Swiss players continually took minor penalties trying to contain the bigger, more skilled Canadian players. But every time the Canadians knocked on the door in the first period, Gerber had the answer.

"After a while, when a goalie makes saves like that, you start trying to make the perfect play instead of keeping things simple," said Team Canada left wing Simon Gagne (Philadelphia Flyers) several weeks after the Olympics. "Gerber was so good for the Swiss team, I think that happened to us a little bit. He gave his whole team confidence."

Meanwhile, the Swiss received timely offense from a somewhat unlikely source. At the 18:19 mark of the first period, center Paul DiPietro snapped a stick-side shot into the net past New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur.

The small, gritty DiPietro, a 35-year-old Sault Ste. Marie native scored just nine goals for Zug this season as the former top Nationalliga scorer (he once scored 38 goals and 82 points in 45 games) adapted to a somewhat less prominent offensive role. A quick glance at his resume reveals DiPietro is a player who has been around the block a few times.

A veteran of 192 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadians and Los Angeles Kings, DiPietro scored just 31 goals at the NHL level. The highlight of his NHL career was playing for the 1993 Stanley Cup-winning Canadiens. He scored 13 points in 17 playoff games that year.

Primarily, the 5-foot-9 DiPietro was known as a solid minor-league player. He bounced around the American Hockey League and the now-defunct International Hockey League with stops in Fredericton, St. John, Las Vegas, Cincinnati and Phoenix. He then established a second career for himself in Europe, occasionally playing for the Canadian national team in International Ice Hockey Federation tournaments. Now in his ninth season in Switzerland, DiPietro, who is married to a Swiss woman, seized the opportunity to play for the Swiss in the Olympics.

With Canada on 5-on-3 disadvantage, DiPietro struck again. A deflected shot pinballed to DiPietro in front of Canada's wide-open net. The veteran made no mistake.

Canada's frustrations grew. At the 12:30 mark, Canadian winger Todd Bertuzzi slipped the puck into the Swiss net, but the play was whistled dead before the puck went in because the big Vancouver Canuck was parked in the crease. No goal.

Two-and-a-half minutes later, Gerber made a spectacular glove-hand grab of a shot off the stick of Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets. From some video angles, it appeared the Swiss keeper pulled the puck back from over the goal line. From others, it was impossible to conclusively overrule the on-ice decision that the puck never completely crossed the line. After an interminable video review, the verdict came: No goal.

The Swiss fans went delirious, as heads started to drop on the Canadian bench. With the Swiss team outworking the Canadians on every shift, scoring two to tie or three to win became an overwhelming task.

"Amazing what great goaltending will do for a team. It's hockey's big equalizer, and it gives the entire club energy and confidence," Propp said. "Good defense and great goaltending keeps any team competitive, night after night. The Swiss team definitely has that to build from, now and in the future."

Growing international acclaim

During the NHL lockout of 2004-2005, 43 NHL players signed to play for Swiss clubs. The ranks included the likes of the NHL's defending Hart Trophy winner, Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning), star center Joe Thornton (now with the San Jose Sharks), and the-up-and-coming Nash.


Sharks' superstar Joe Thornton played for HC Davos in Switzerland during the lockout last year.
Thornton, Nash and Niklas Hagman (now with the Dallas Stars) played crucial roles in HC Davos' Swiss championship. In the 2005 playoffs, Thornton dished out 21 helpers to go along with his four goals in 14 games. Nash and Hagman, the main beneficiaries, combined for 19 goals.

"Having such great players come to Switzerland really brought our league greater international interest. But, in reality, it only made our strong hockey culture that much stronger," says Bachmann, whose Bern club featured the Ottawa Senators' Dany Heatley (14 goals, 26 points in 16 games before leaving to play for Kazan in the Russian Super League) during the lockout. This year, Bern bowed out to the Kloten Flyers in six quarterfinal games.

Some North American observers were surprised so many top NHL players opted for Switzerland during the lockout. Propp wasn't. Recalling his own stay in Switzerland, Propp said the country affords foreign players a wonderful life experience that goes far beyond hockey.

"Switzerland is a beautiful country and the league has a much more relaxed schedule than the NHL. My wife and I both loved living there? the food, the people, everything. Whenever we had a free day, we'd get in the car and explore. On a nice day, we'd go out in the countryside. If it rained, we'd go to the cities and visit some of the museums. Playing and living abroad lets you really take in everything a country has to offer," says Propp, who also spent a year as a player-coach in France after retiring from the NHL.

Another significant factor that drew NHL players: money. While far from NHL-level revenue, the Swiss league has some of the best-funded teams in Europe. Like other European leagues, Swiss teams rely heavily on corporate sponsorship money rather than ticket sales to drive revenue.

Virtually every inch of players' uniforms and much of the playing surface is covered by sponsors' logos. It's an eyesore for purists, but a lifeline for teams. And the Swiss club executives are among Europe's very best at lining up corporate partners. The result has been that Switzerland has long been an attractive latter-career destination for top foreign players, while clubs also have the resources to fund the hockey development programs that graduated the majority of Nationalliga players.

Even with its NHL stars back in North America after the lockout, Davos has cruised to return trip to the finals, needing just five games apiece to take out EHC Basel and Rapperswil. Davos' final opponent, Lugano, has had a much tougher road. Trailing Ambri-Piotta three games to none in the first round, the second-ranked Lugano team dug deep to take four-straight games. The club then dispatched Kloten in five relatively easy semifinal tilts. Swiss hockey officials expect packed houses in both Davos (its arena seats 4,285) and Lugano (6,308) for the finals.

Reportedly, European scouts from most NHL teams have been present through much of the regular season and playoffs. Few of the 39 Swiss players drafted by NHL teams to date have gone on to make a mark in North America. Most notably, Davos right wing Michel Riesen, the Edmonton Oilers' first-round pick in 1997 struggled to rise above the AHL level and failed to light the lamp in 12 games for Edmonton during the 2000-2001 season. Nevertheless, it's an encouraging sign that, since 2000, four or five Swiss players per year have typically been chosen in the NHL Entry Draft.

Goaltenders, of course, have been Switzerland's top export to the NHL. Gerber has been a revelation for Carolina, which has already clinched the Southeast Division, while Aebischer played very solidly for Colorado in 2003-2004, before struggling with inconsistency this season for the Avalanche and Canadiens.

More Swiss goalies may be on the way. Kloten's Tobias Stephan, the Dallas Stars' second-round pick in the 2002 Entry Draft, has become a Nationalliga starter and, at 22, has just started to come in his own. Meanwhile, the Central Scouting Service ranks 19-year-old Z?rich prospect Reto Berra second among European goalies for the 2006 Entry Draft. Scouts are impressed by Berra's size (6-foot-4) and quick glove hand.

Among Swiss position players, 6-foot-4 Fribourg left wing Julien Sprunger, the Minnesota Wild's fourth-round selection in 2004, is arguably the scoring prospect closest to being ready to make the jump to North America. The 20-year-old Sprunger scored 19 goals in 38 games this season.

Foundation for the future

As time ticked down in the third period, the Swiss players' resolve grew by the minute. Bouyed by Gerber's impenetrable goaltending and the loud chants of the Swiss fans, the Team Switzerland players skated all out on short shifts, got the puck deep into the Canadian end and went off on line changes.

"Coming back late in games is hard when you're down two goals," said Gagne. "They were really rolling their lines and had lots of energy. Whether it's the NHL or the Olympics, the teams are all very good now."

Given a four-minute power-play opportunity after an inadvertent high stick cut Colorado Avalanche center Joe Sakic, the Canadians desperately needed a power-play goal to claw within a goal. Instead, Edmonton Oilers' defenseman Chris Pronger drew a slashing penalty when he chopped at Gerber while hunting for the puck near the crease.

Thoroughly frustrated, Canada came unglued, taking a string of penalties. The distraught Canadian fans sat in stunned silence. Meanwhile, the Swiss fans literally danced in the aisles, singing in unison. As the game clock ticked under three minutes, a deafening cheer went up as fans unfurled a large Swiss flag.

The Swiss players closed out the game in style, in firm control of the puck. As the final horn sounded, Team Switzerland mobbed Gerber, who finished with a remarkable 49 saves in the 2-0 shutout.

With back-to-back miracle victories in the books and a trip to the medal round secured, the Swiss players rejoiced.

"For me, it doesn't get any better," said Montreal defenseman Streit, Switzerland's scoring star against the Czech Republic. "I can't believe it. Everything is possible in sports. The two goalies were wonderful. We've played a lot of times against Canada but never won. For little Switzerland, this is not so bad."

Although Switzerland ultimately lost to eventual gold medalist Sweden in the medal round quarterfinals, the Swiss players left with the 2006 Olympics with the feeling they finally belonged on the major international hockey stage.

"What we did in the first round was really a good foundation. It was really a big team effort. That's something we have to build on for the future. We have to push it further. We now know how to qualify for the quarterfinals. Now, we just have to find a way to win those (medal round) games," says Gerber.

Few expect the Swiss to routinely duplicate their Turin success. But it's equally clear the nation that once lost 33-0 to Canada in the 1924 Olympics can no longer be taken lightly by any opponent.

"From a physical standpoint, we still have to get nearer in touch with the top international level," says Bachmann. "What I foresee is that we'll consistently continue to climb our way up. We have a hard-working program and the foundation is in place."

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