Switzerland: NLA 2021-2022

Eye of Ra

Grandmaster General of the International boards
Nov 15, 2008
17,966
4,454
Malmö, Sweden
Massive signing by Visp today. Linus Klasen signed with them. This is a guy who hade 42 points in 50 SHL games this season. Its becuse of family reasons he moves to Visp. He is gonna dominate NLB/SL. Another very good swede in that league is Robin Figren.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BlizzardSloth

jonas2244

Registered User
Jan 4, 2010
3,279
667
They needed to replace Diaz and Alatalo.

Roman Wick ends his career after 748 games in the NLA. Probably the right decision at the right time.
 

stv11

Registered User
Jul 29, 2004
3,187
241
Switzerland
You could even argue it was one year too late.

Great player, but I can't help but feel he could have achieved more when I remember the level he reached at the 2010 Olympics.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BlizzardSloth

Eye of Ra

Grandmaster General of the International boards
Nov 15, 2008
17,966
4,454
Malmö, Sweden
Visp with another huge signing. Niklas Olausson, a guy who had 28 points in 48 SHL games this season.
 

stv11

Registered User
Jul 29, 2004
3,187
241
Switzerland
Random trivia after the WC gold medal game:

Lindbohm is the 5th NL player to score in a WC gold medal game. Can you name the others? (one should be pretty obvious, one is easy to guess but the last two are pretty hard)
 

BlizzardSloth

Registered User
Mar 27, 2019
250
202
Zurich, Switzerland
Random trivia after the WC gold medal game:

Lindbohm is the 5th NL player to score in a WC gold medal game. Can you name the others? (one should be pretty obvious, one is easy to guess but the last two are pretty hard)
IIRC Harri Pesonen scored in the 2019 GMG when he still was part of the SCL Tigers.
 

filip85

Registered User
Feb 7, 2017
1,589
779
Random trivia after the WC gold medal game:

Lindbohm is the 5th NL player to score in a WC gold medal game. Can you name the others? (one should be pretty obvious, one is easy to guess but the last two are pretty hard)

Bykov, Khomutov ?!
 

Speyer

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
1,679
1,191
Im Wald
Any thoughts on the newly decided league reforms regarding import players?

In my opinion its not as bad as the initial proposal but I still cant say I like it. Instead of whining about the quality and salary demands of the average swiss player, the clubs should rather work together more closely to improve the development of junior players nation wide or/and finding alternative salary reduction tools such as a salary cap instead of just "outsourcing" the problems by increasing the contingent of import players. Its not just that import players block roster spots for young swiss prospects in general but that they also occupy most of the PP and PK minutes. And especially that part of the problem will increase with the new reform despite new teams potentially entering the league.
 

BlizzardSloth

Registered User
Mar 27, 2019
250
202
Zurich, Switzerland
Any thoughts on the newly decided league reforms regarding import players?

IMO everything went better than expected. The rise of import players, which was probably the main focus of the reforms, got cut to an absolute minimum. Even though I'm not happy with 5-6 import players for the same reasons you already stated (PK & PP). I also do wonder what will happen to the proposal to raise the U20 to U22 since nothing was communicated in this regard. I think this would hurt junior development in the worst way possible.

I'm quite happy and positively surprised, that there will still be relegation as long as the league holds 14 teams. Also, the introduction of the so-called 'financial fairplay' as a gentleman's agreement is a nice addition, but I doubt that it will be around for long since not everyone involved is interested in it. And as a Zurich fan, I'm particularly unhappy with Zahner's role there.
 

Speyer

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
1,679
1,191
Im Wald
IMO everything went better than expected. The rise of import players, which was probably the main focus of the reforms, got cut to an absolute minimum. Even though I'm not happy with 5-6 import players for the same reasons you already stated (PK & PP). I also do wonder what will happen to the proposal to raise the U20 to U22 since nothing was communicated in this regard. I think this would hurt junior development in the worst way possible.

I'm quite happy and positively surprised, that there will still be relegation as long as the league holds 14 teams. Also, the introduction of the so-called 'financial fairplay' as a gentleman's agreement is a nice addition, but I doubt that it will be around for long since not everyone involved is interested in it. And as a Zurich fan, I'm particularly unhappy with Zahner's role there.

As far as I understood the whole "financial fairplay" part of the reforms are extremely vague and directed towards future negotiations. I just can't see the financially more potent teams to forfeit their advantage on the player market for a more sustainable salary structure and better parity in the league. I also agree with you on the ridiculous U23 league. The NL(A) clubs are generally implementing their young players to late in the first team and should look across the border and take Germany or Slovakia as an example. The quality problems of the junior leagues should be rather tackled by trying to get better junior choaches at the youngest level and raising the player base. These problems have been identified by experts for years now but the clubs don't seem to be willing to do anything.

Overall the reforms are definitely not as bad as they could have been. Its certainly a sign and shows that the CEO's can't just do as they please.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BlizzardSloth

BlizzardSloth

Registered User
Mar 27, 2019
250
202
Zurich, Switzerland
With the first games only one week away, any thoughts on the 21/22 season? Any favourites to win the playoffs? Any predictions about how Ajoie will do, and who will be the 14th team next year?

My personal guess is that Zug is gonna do it all again. I think they will stay the top contender for some years. They lost Hofmann but made good reinforcements on the defensive side.

Zurich could challenge them and I think Lugano and Lausanne have good enough rosters to compete as well. Will be interesting to see McSorley with HC Lugano.
 

Speyer

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
1,679
1,191
Im Wald
With the first games only one week away, any thoughts on the 21/22 season? Any favourites to win the playoffs? Any predictions about how Ajoie will do, and who will be the 14th team next year?

My personal guess is that Zug is gonna do it all again. I think they will stay the top contender for some years. They lost Hofmann but made good reinforcements on the defensive side.

Zurich could challenge them and I think Lugano and Lausanne have good enough rosters to compete as well. Will be interesting to see McSorley with HC Lugano.


I would say Zug wins the regular Season. Despite loosing Hofmann they are very deep up front and got another great forward in Herzog who will probably mitigate Hofmanns departure. The also have clearly the best goaltending tandem unless Genoni starts to decline. I am not as excited about their depth on defense, but the two new Swedes should help there eating the most important minutes and make up for loosing Alatalo and Diaz.

The "Z" will probably be their first pursuer but they are a bit more reliant on their star players than Zug.

Bern has made some quality upgrades on offense and might ad another quality import in Kahun but they are still to weak to play for the title after the short-lived Neubaur/Schelling rebuilding adventure. Goaltending is also average at best unless Wüthrich can make a major developmental jump.

Lausanne has good all around depth but they had a lot of roster turnover and lost most of their game breaking talent, I don't see them going all the way this year.

Lugano and Biel are probably the darkhorses for the title even though I am not sold on Biels goalies. Lugano infused a lot of quality into their lineup but they don't have the same forward depth as some of the other top teams. Overall I also don't agree with the reputation McSorley has with the swiss media and fanbase, I think he is a decent coach but I don't see him on the same level as the likes of Grönborg or Tanges at this point.

So overall my rating for the playoffs would be:

1. Zug
2. Lions
3. Lugano
4 Biel
 
Last edited:

Eye of Ra

Grandmaster General of the International boards
Nov 15, 2008
17,966
4,454
Malmö, Sweden
I would say Zug wins the regular Season. Despite loosing Hofmann they are very deep up front and got another great forward in Herzog who will probably mitigate Hofmanns departure. The also have clearly the best goaltending tandem unless Genoni starts to decline. I am not as excited about their depth on defense, but the two new Swedes should help there eating the most important minutes and make up for loosing Alatalo and Diaz.

The "Z" will probably be their first pursuer but they are a bit more reliant on their star players than Zug.

Bern has made some quality upgrades on offense and might ad another quality import in Kahun but they are still to weak to play for the title after the short-lived Neubaur/Schelling rebuilding adventure. Goaltending is also average at best unless Wüthrich can make a major developmental jump.

Lausanne has good all around depth but they had a lot of roster turnover and lost most of their game breaking talent, I don't see them going all the way this year.

Lugano and Biel are probably the darkhorses for the title even though I am not sold on Biels goalies. Lugano infused a lot of quality into their lineup but they don't have the same forward depth as some of the other top teams. Overall I also don't agree with the reputation McSorley has with the swiss media and fanbase, I think he is a decent coach but I don't see him on the same level as the likes of Grönborg or Tanges at this point.

So overall my rating for the playoffs would be:

1. Zug
2. Lions
3. Lugano
4 Biel

kahun to bern is not done deal i think.

intresting that u say grönborg and tagnes are good coaches, both of them are from sweden, we are not exactly famous for having good coaches.
 

Speyer

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
1,679
1,191
Im Wald
kahun to bern is not done deal i think.

intresting that u say grönborg and tagnes are good coaches, both of them are from sweden, we are not exactly famous for having good coaches.

Yes you are right Kahun is still looking for an NHL contract and is practicing with Bern right now, maybe signing there if things don't work out in North America. So bern might ad him like I said but nothing is a done deal yet.

As far as the Coaches go, I would argue that the two of them are considered the best or at the very least among the best NLA coaches right now. Grönborg hasn't won a title yet in his two year tennure but there is a very big chance he would have in the 19-20 season if the playoffs hadn't been canceled due to covid. He also seems to have a lot of credit internationally and was even a potential candidate to take the coaching position of the New Jersey Devils, as the frist european NHL coach since Ivan Hlinka. Tanges on the other hand helped to make Zug into a perennial contender for the league title and enabled the team to win the first championship in the 21st century last year. Zug is considered by some people one of the best european hockey clubs now, outside the KHL of course.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->