Blick does the coaching check
After 5 layoffs: have the coach changes paid off?
There are already five newcomers to the band this season: Marc Crawford in Zurich, Toni Söderholm in Bern, Luca Gianinazzi in Lugano, Julien Vauclair at Ajoie and Geoff Ward in Lausanne. A first balance sheet.
1/11
Impeccable record from the start: The new ZSC coach Marc Crawford.
Stephen RothDeputy Head of Ice Hockey
There have already been five coaching changes this season. And how do the new brooms sweep? The ZSC Lions celebrated two straight away wins under returnee Marc Crawford (61). However, the master coach from 2014 did not take over a team that was in a desolate state. When Rikard Grönborg was fired after Christmas, Zurich was in third place.
Grönborg most successful fired
There have already been five coaching changes this season. This is the record season 2017/18, when there were seven, on the trail. At that time, the decisions led to very different results: The ZSC Lions became champions under Hans Kossmann, who replaced Hans Wallson after Christmas. And Kloten was relegated after Kevin Schläpfer came on for Pekka Tirkkonen in October before he had to make way for André Rötheli ahead of league qualifiers against SCRJ Lakers.
ZSC coach Rikard Grönborg got third place this season. A novelty. In this millennium, no coach in the top 3 had ever been sacked during qualifying. In 5th place, Larry Huras (2011, Bern) and Sinetula Biljaledtinow (2001, Lugano) lost their jobs, while Christian Weber (2005, ZSC) and John Slettvoll (2009, Lugano) in the same place lost a timeout without returning or the hat had taken.
Johan Lundskog was also fired in Bern from a place that had previously provided a certain degree of job security. Before that, only Serge Aubin (2019) and then master coach Larry Huras (2001) had been fired in sixth place with the Lions.
There have been 95 coaching changes since 2000 – not counting temporary solutions. The hottest classifications were places 12 (24 changes) and 10 (17). (sr)
There have already been five coaching changes this season. This is the record season 2017/18, when there were seven, on the trail. At that time, the decisions led to very different results: The ZSC Lions became champions under Hans Kossmann, who replaced Hans Wallson after Christmas. And Kloten was relegated after Kevin Schläpfer came on for Pekka Tirkkonen in October before he had to make way for André Rötheli ahead of league qualifiers against SCRJ Lakers.
ZSC coach Rikard Grönborg got third place this season. A novelty. In this millennium, no coach in the top 3 had ever been sacked during qualifying. In 5th place, Larry Huras (2011, Bern) and Sinetula Biljaledtinow (2001, Lugano) lost their jobs, while Christian Weber (2005, ZSC) and John Slettvoll (2009, Lugano) in the same place lost a timeout without returning or the hat had taken.
Johan Lundskog was also fired in Bern from a place that had previously provided a certain degree of job security. Before that, only Serge Aubin (2019) and then master coach Larry Huras (2001) had been fired in sixth place with the Lions.
There have been 95 coaching changes since 2000 – not counting temporary solutions. The hottest classifications were places 12 (24 changes) and 10 (17). (sr)
Under Crawford, Zurich may be a little more committed again, but the ZSC have not yet ignited any fireworks in the new year. At most, there are signs of the dynamic switching game that the Canadian has in mind. There were two wins at home against Biel (2:1) and Bern (3:0).
Despite the defeat against the Lions, SCB coach Toni Söderholm (44), who inherited the job of the ousted Johan Lundskog after the national team break in November, was satisfied with his team’s performance. “I saw a good game from us,” said the Finn, while another injured player, Sven Bärtschi, limped into the dressing room. “We’ve played worse and won.”
SCB number 1 in December
Söderholm sees himself and his team on the right track. Although their record (1.64 points per game) is only marginally better than that of Lundskog (1.55), SCB appear more solid and, after initial difficulties in the first month under Söderholm, were the most successful team in the league in December.
On Friday (live on Blick TV) Söderholm will face the next duel with a coach who only took office during the season: Lugano’s Luca Gianinazzi. Even under the former junior coach, the performances of the Ticino are subject to violent fluctuations. However, the 30-year-old’s record (1.39 points per game) is better than that of his predecessor Chris McSorley (1.12).
There were also two changes in Romandy: sports director Julien Vauclair (43), who, like last year, went to the gang, was able to stop Ajoie’s black series after 14 defeats. And after four games he has a far better point average (1.5) than the dismissed Filip Pesan (0.67).
The results at Lausanne have also improved. Albeit not to the extent hoped for. While John Fust, who is now back as head of sports, scored an average of 1.05 points, it is 1.21 under ex-NHL coach Geoff Ward (60, Ka).
ZSC Lions – SC Bern 3:0: DiDomenico gift enables Zurich’s first win against SCB(04:40)
ZSC Lions – EHC Biel 2: 1: Azevedo deflects the puck unsustainably to ZSC victory(04:32)
SC Bern – HC Ambri-Piotta 4: 2: SCB defender Untersander shines with hat-trick gala(06:45)
National League 22/23
|
team |
SP |
TD |
pt |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
8th |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
9 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
10 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
11 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
12 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
13 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
14 |
0 |
0 |
0 |