I dont think that Winterthur will play NLB hockey in the near future. They became "Amateur-Champion" last winter but couldnt make the step into the NLB because of financial issues. they've lost a few key players bc of retirement as well this year. remember almost nobody play professional hockey here, and when u become a dad (for instance) u just have other priorities.
Competition is tough here aswell, who's gonna go watch a NLB or 1. Liga game when he could also watch NLA in Zurich (twice), Rapperswil or Zug (both less than an hour drive as well) so i dont think that'll change soon. The Development Center is still nice tough, as it will give a few synergies for training etc.
The only way i could see them playing in the NLB is to host a lot more concerts at the Deutweg than now, and give all that income to the hockey club (which is not the owner of the arena). I think we residents wouldnt mind
and bc im already predicting:
HCD vs SCB in the final, HCD in 7.
Biel vs Lausanne, and we get a second team from the romandie next year in the A.
Winterthur is a difficult place for sport, especially getting the finances. We have NLB-soccer, NLA-Handball (men and women) and NLA-floorball (men and women). And all teams have difficulties to get enough money. FC Winterthur is completly dependent on their president which spends a lot of private money each year to secure their budget for the NLB. I don't think that it is possible to find the funds for NLB-hockey in Winterthur right now.
I didn't know that Zurich was so dense in hockey teams !
ZSC, Flyers, Rappi and Zoug in less than 1 hour drive for a 2 million metro area ! and Winterthur's situation ... which talks in favour of gain in popularity !
Good for Swiss hockey .... in the west we are not their yet however it is good to point out that hockey clubs are mushroming and in winter, many communes (gemeinde; no idea in english !county ? ) are installing open air skating areas.
Also some new arenas are being built.
In Switzerland hockey is OK
i agree for the final Davos - SCB ... and to say Davos in 7 ? remainds me history with Genoni in the role of Hiller !!
But i predict with 100% confidence that Genoni will calm down ... and SCB in 6 !
Amen
i'm a little bit disapointed in our swiss tv-station. last year, the rsi, tsr and sf showed diffrent matches, it was pretty cool to zapped through these stations. this year, they show exectly the same match! is that a new rule by teleclub? today they have all davos-fribourg and all the stations will show at 5th march the berner-derby
that is le prénom : 7, 7 to 0.
family name is : 3, 3 to 0 !
why they fired Pelletier again ?
Matte will soon be échec et mat !
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Good that Genoni is amazing ... he is taking in his reservoir of success. Which will be empty when they will face SCB in final.
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Flyers are still flying ... but rasemotte !
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The Tiger is gone, only remains the Medved ! (Medved in Russian = Bear)
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Servette ... when Tobias is not 100% of stephan ... Servette is in trouble.
a nasty game word would be : Zug = train
le train passera 4 fois ... the train will pass 4 times.
(when SCB winns, and nobody is at home to hommer and brag ... i write on hfboards !)
I don't know about a new Teleclub rule, but usually public TVs show the series most likely to be over in 4 or 5 games first.
that's right, but as much i can remember, tsr normally showed games where fribourg or genf plays, as long they still in the playoff (and today,it can be that fribourg will be out) and today they bring bern-langnau ... of course, somethimes they bring the same match on tv, but they show exectly the same matches, that's why I'm wonder ... or is it just cheaper for the the srg ssr when all channels show the same match?
I think it was part of the Teleclub contract that only one game was available for all three public channels, but it was back when they started Swisscom TV in 2006. I'm not sure if it's still the case (I know it's not for the Champions' league, but maybe they have a different contract for hockey).
EV Zug (3) - HC Geneva-Servette (6) 2-2
5-8, 6-2, 3-1, 2-3 aet
The closest of all
GSHC are always dangerous ... Mc Sorley is one hell of a magician
and to tell you the truth, i am a bit disapointed by Zug. I even felt they had a chance to become champions this year.
For their first playoffs, the Tigers didn't have a chance against local rivals
I have definitely share the same feeling ... medias tended to say that the Tigers played well, played their heart out ...
But to me, what the Tigers could was simply not enough against a Bern that plays OK (not more than OK !) ... if they play like this in the next round ... it will be difficult !
I hope Huras can pump some juice into them.
If Larry Huras can bring them to a good level ... they should make the title. If not ... unless a surprise takes place ... our friends Swissexpert and Peachy should be happy with HCD becoming champion another time.
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Bienne - Ambri : 2-2 good to see Bienne come back (i am from Bern !) ... on the other side Ambri can be impressive from time to time ... in all cases none of them should go down.
Lugano - Rapperswill : 4-0 happy for Lugano ... although i expected more from them at the beginning of the season. As per Rapperswill, they put together some better players ... but it seems to be unsuficient so far. Maybe another effort.
I definitely expect Rapperswill to face the LNB champion.
Rapperswil still has some some players like Manzato, Geyer, Blatter, Burkhalter or whoever they dress as a second import who are better than anything the NLB champion will throw at them.
I except them to stay in the top league, even though Lausanne are so streaky that you never how well they could do after solid playoffs.
Looking forward to the Zug v Geneva game tonight, should be good! Will be the last game I get to watch this series as I'm flying back to the UK on Thursday but I will be straight on the internet when I get to my parents' to check the score! Hopefully Zug can wrap it up by then but I get the feeling that this series is going the distance.
EV Zug - HC Geneva-Servette 4-3 pen. 3-2 in the series
EHC Kloten Flyers - Zurcher SC Lions 3-2 a.e.t. 4-1 in the series
NLA playouts
EHC Biel/Bienne - HC Ambri-Piottà 2-0 3-2 in the series
NLB playoffs
EHC Olten - Lausanne HC 3-2 2-3 in the series
HC Chaux-de-Fonds - EHC Visp 7-1 (Charpentier scores 4, including two 9 seconds apart!) 3-2 in the series
1.Liga
HC Sion - HC Red Ice Martigny Verbier 2-4, 0-2 in the series
EHC Arosa - PIKES EHC Oberthurgau 3-2 aet, 0-2 in the series
Huttwil Falcons - EHC Zuchwil Regio 5-1, 1-0 in the series
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