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Kloten coach Jeff Tomlinson (right, talking to assistant coach Kimmo Rintanen) has a feel for his players.
Unbelievable, but true: The climber is classified seventh, just ahead of the master. Kloten also won the direct comparison against Zug 4:2 on Sunday.
EHC Kloten – EV Zug 4:2: Three power play goals – Kloten turns the game in 15 minutes(05:58)
If you’re looking for the reasons why the airport townsfolk have soared, you can’t get past coach Jeff Tomlinson. The Canadian has a feel for the player – and the people. As with the rise with the SCRJ Lakers, he has to deal with a squad that is too large. But the 52-year-old knows how to find the right role for each individual and how to convey its importance. He does this authentically and transparently, conveying his system and philosophy in such a way that every player believes in them. A positive dynamic has developed.
That is why Tomlinson, who is forced to withdraw from the gang due to health problems, is to remain with the club beyond this season in an as yet undefined form and is involved in the search for a successor.
Bärtschi still had a good hand …
Someone who is no longer there also has a share in the success: ex-sports director Patrik Bärtschi, who put the team together and managed to sign some high-class foreigners at reasonable prices.
Jonathan Ang (Ka), who also played in the Swiss League (near Thurgau) last season, is also an attraction in the top division and has already scored 17 goals. Striker Arttu Ruotsalainen is getting better and better. His Finnish compatriot Miro Aaltonen is a gifted playmaker. Defender Lucas Ekestahl-Jonsson (Sd) is worth his weight in gold, especially on the power play. And the little goalie Juha Metsola (Fi) is ready to stand on his head as long as those in front also step on the gas.
What was decisive for the atmosphere in the club, however, was that Bärtschi parted quickly. Shortly before the start of the NL, it was announced that he would be leaving at the end of the season. And at the latest after a TV interview by Bärtschi, it was clear that the relationship with the club management around boss Mike Schälchli was broken. Before Bärtschi’s departure in mid-October, the newly promoted player scored 0.73 points per game, and then 1.75.
Schälchli is adamant about the new club philosophy. Even if you have a broad financial basis, you no longer want to touch things with a big trowel. Tyler Moy or Dominik Schlumpf have been waived and Jesper Pelton can move to Lugano. People don’t just talk about giving boys a chance, they actually do it. The best example is the Austrian David Reinbacher (18), who lures NHL scouts en masse to Kloten.
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 |