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This season Sven Bärtschi plays in the National League for the first time.
Marcel AllemanReporter ice hockey
Expectations were high. With the signing of Sven Bärtschi, SC Bern sometimes wanted to document its spirit of optimism. But so far, the first National League season is proving to be very complicated for the former NHL forward. So far he has just 4 goals and 10 assists on his personal account. For a man with his offensive qualities, that’s not really exciting.
EV Zug vs. SC Bern: Will the master find his way back to winning ways?(01:11)
“At first I had trouble getting used to the way we play here. It took me longer than I thought,” says Bärtschi. He may have become a little impatient as a result and then put himself under too much pressure, “which wasn’t really helpful either. When things finally got better, I got sick and later injured myself. So it was difficult to get into a good rhythm,” the 30-year-old sums up and admits: “I have different expectations of myself.”
“I feel like I’m gaining momentum”
But it is also simply the case that the National League is an extremely good league, “there are many players who could easily play in the NHL”. However, for Bärtschi, hanging his head because of his own difficult situation is not an option. That doesn’t correspond to the mentality of a player who has fought his way through North America for 12 years. “The best thing I can do is look ahead.”
On today’s cracker against EV Zug and the remaining twelve qualifying games: “I can feel that I’m gaining momentum. Now I also want to play good hockey and help bring the team in the right direction.” With the right direction, Bärtschi means a rank in the top 6, which means direct playoff qualification. The SCB is currently in 7th place.
Became a father for the second time
Bärtschi has slipped down in the team hierarchy this season. While he formed the parade storm with Kahun and DiDomenico in the previous season, he is currently in the third line and has less ice time accordingly. “Of course it would help me if I had more ice time. But you have to earn it. It’s now up to me to make a statement with good performances.”
As demanding as his professional life is at the moment, luck is smiling down on him in his private life. On December 20th little Emmy saw the light of day and son Callan (3) got a little sister. “There’s a lot going on in the Bärtschi household,” says the striker with a big smile, “Becoming a father can’t be compared to anything else”.
Reversed roles: SCB striker Bärtschi shows the parade of the month(00:26)
Found the woman of life at 19
He met his wife Laura (32) in Portland when he was 19 when he was starting his NHL career there in the WHL. “It certainly wasn’t the plan to find the woman of your life so young, but what do you want to do when you fall in love? It just worked,” says Bärtschi. “She was a world-class friend, is now a world-class wife and world-class mother.”
The American has settled in well in Switzerland, “she loves it,” says Bärtschi. But where his base will be after his hockey career, he leaves open: “Maybe it will be a 50:50 solution.” But that can wait. Bärtschi has a contract with SCB until 2025 and still has a lot planned as a hockey player. That starts tonight in Zug.
National League 22/23
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11 |
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12 |
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13 |
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14 |
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