In one of the last friendlies before the World Cup, Switzerland beat Olympic champions Finland. And the coach Patrick Fischer offers six players from the play-off finalists Zug and Zurich, but prominent players are missing.
Prestige victory in Finland: Switzerland with 22-year-old striker Nando Eggenberger.
Thanks to a strong performance, the Swiss national ice hockey team defeated the World Cup hosts Finland 3-2 in Tampere on Thursday. It was the third last test match before Italy awaited the start on May 14 in Helsinki. At the weekend, the Swiss meet Sweden and the Czech Republic in Stockholm. They are tests against top nations – and yet these games only provide limited information. Defensemen Dean Kukan (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Janis Moser (Arizona Coyotes) are the first to join the overseas players. Figureheads like Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils) and Timo Meier (San Jose Sharks) are not yet available. Accordingly, there will be a number of changes in the squad, and coach Patrick Fischer is facing a few tricky decisions.
The prominent absences are called Weber and Hofmann
It has now been leaked which players will be called up by the play-off finalists. The strikers Dario Simion and push from the master train Fabrice Herzog as well as the goalkeeper Leonardo Genoni to the team. From the ZSC Lions defender Christian Marti and forwards Sven Andrighetto and Denis Malgin. That also means: There are prominent absentees. They include 33-year-old ZSC defender Yannick Weber, who was a seed at the Olympic Games in Beijing in February, as was Zug winger Grégory Hofmann. Hofmann, 29, has never really found form since his abrupt return from the NHL, but he’s actually one of the very best forwards in the league; its absence is therefore a surprise. But the truth is that given the large, high-profile competition up front, it would have been difficult to find him a key attacking role.
The subsequent nominations and non-calls are not yet official, Fischer and the general manager Lars Weibel have not justified them accordingly. Weber’s absence could be the next chapter in the national team’s renewal process, which has not been sufficiently justified so far. A few weeks ago, Fischer justified the clumsily communicated ouster of long-time captain Raphael Diaz, not least by saying that the 36-year-old Diaz was no longer an option for the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan. At the same time, however, the 38-year-old striker Andres Ambühl and the goalkeepers Leonardo Genoni (34) and Reto Berra (35) are part of the squad.
??? This is how we travel to Finland on Wednesday for the Beijer Hockey Games!
Welcome Dean + JJ! ?Thank you to all players leaving the squad! ?
The Swiss team for the Beijer Hockey Games.
La squadra svizzera per le Beijer Hockey Games. #RoadtoHelsinki ? pic.twitter.com/g24JkNKXDV— Swiss Ice Hockey (@SwissIceHockey) May 2, 2022
Coach Fischer’s willingness to take risks has increased
One thing is certain: after several disappointing results since the World Cup silver medal in Copenhagen 2018, the willingness to take risks on the part of those responsible at Swiss Ice Hockey seems to have increased; Coach Fischer, who is tied until 2024, does not shy away from unpopular decisions. It is an edge transition that has not been well received everywhere, especially in the case of Diaz. An attractive result at the World Championships in Helsinki would therefore be all the more important.