Team Switzerland

I think it's a bad year for talent in this team.

The best players would be Julien Sprunger (prospect from Minnesota) for the offensive and Rafael Diaz for the defensive.

Between the pipes, it's strange because the two goaltenders play in the same team in the second division in Switzerland. Berra and Genoni

I don't look a lot potential this year.

The team:

Goalie (2): Reto Berra (GCK Lions), Leonardo Genoni (GCK Lions).

Defensemen (7): Claudio Berchtold (Langenthal), Eric Blum (GCK Lions), Alessandro Chiesa (Lugano), Raphael Diaz (Zug), Simon Lüthi (SCL Tigers), Patrick Parati (Rapperswil-Jona), Yannick Weber (Bern).

Forwards (13): Matthias Bieber (GCK Lions), Dario Bürgler (Zug), Jérémy Gailland (Kloten Flyers), Mathias Joggi (Biel), Steve Kellenberger (Kloten Flyers), Fadri Lemm (St. Moritz), Stephan Moser (SCL Tigers), Christopher Rivera (Genève-Servette), Juraj Simek (Kloten Flyers), Nico Spolidoro (SCL Tigers), Julien Sprunger (Fribourg-Gottéron), Janick Steinmann (Kamloops Blazers), Julian Walker (Basel).

Head Coach: Jakob Kölliker. Coachs: Andy Ritsch, Goalie Coach: Alex Reinhard

The best players would be Julien Sprunger (prospect from Minnesota) for the offensive and Diaz for the defensive.



I was gonna pick Diaz in the last round of my pool but you HAD to bring awareness didnt you ;) . I love those two players, i Have 'em both now!

Switzerland actually has a chance to go down this year, the cupboard is pretty bare. If Norway can get enough offense they could sneak by the Swiss, Latvia may have even more talent than either - can they get the goaltending?

Switzerland actually has a chance to go down this year, the cupboard is pretty bare. If Norway can get enough offense they could sneak by the Swiss, Latvia may have even more talent than either - can they get the goaltending?

I thought Switzerland was one of those up and coming nations churning out better prospects. Is this a bad year, or could it be like this for awhile?

bad year. Where's Wick anyway?

I was gonna pick Diaz in the last round of my pool but you HAD to bring awareness didnt you ;) . I love those two players, i Have 'em both now!Hey, I had already picked Sprunger! :)

bad year. Where's Wick anyway?

he was born 30th december 1985

I think it's a bad year for talent in this team.

The best players would be Julien Sprunger (prospect from Minnesota) for the offensive and Rafael Diaz for the defensive.

Between the pipes, it's strange because the two goaltenders play in the same team in the second division in Switzerland. Berra and Genoni

I don't look a lot potential this year.

The team:

Goalie (2): Reto Berra (GCK Lions), Leonardo Genoni (GCK Lions).

Defensemen (7): Claudio Berchtold (Langenthal), Eric Blum (GCK Lions), Alessandro Chiesa (Lugano), Raphael Diaz (Zug), Simon Lüthi (SCL Tigers), Patrick Parati (Rapperswil-Jona), Yannick Weber (Bern).

Forwards (13): Matthias Bieber (GCK Lions), Dario Bürgler (Zug), Jérémy Gailland (Kloten Flyers), Mathias Joggi (Biel), Steve Kellenberger (Kloten Flyers), Fadri Lemm (St. Moritz), Stephan Moser (SCL Tigers), Christopher Rivera (Genève-Servette), Juraj Simek (Kloten Flyers), Nico Spolidoro (SCL Tigers), Julien Sprunger (Fribourg-Gottéron), Janick Steinmann (Kamloops Blazers), Julian Walker (Basel).

Head Coach: Jakob Kölliker. Coachs: Andy Ritsch, Goalie Coach: Alex Reinhard

Both late 87 born forwards Simek and Burgler are good prospects.

Hey, I had already picked Sprunger! :)
I picked him 36th in my pool. I had him before :p: :D

I thought Switzerland was one of those up and coming nations churning out better prospects. Is this a bad year, or could it be like this for awhile?
The well has temporarily gone dry , we'll see what the under 18's have this coming year.

Congratulations to Berra for his great game vs USA.

In normal time, he 's the back up. But i hope that Genoni will play the next game....

The Swiss have been so courageous, hard nosed and fearless. They need only a tie to get through to the quarters. Kolliker downplayed their chances . I saw a weak group of players on paper but they have tremendous spirit and heart.

Splendid Team Switzerland!

Oh man, I really hope that the Swiss make it to the quarterfinals. And this is coming from a Finnish guy. ;)

:amazed: Splendid Team Switzerland!

Oh man, I really hope that the Swiss make it to the quarterfinals. And this is coming from a Finnish guy. ;)
:amazed:

Hats off to Swiss.. They scare the shwit out of me. I would not want to play them in clutch game.

Good luck to the Swiss, impressive play from an "underdog" I hope they make it to the quarterfinals. And this is coming from a Canadian guy ;)

Before the game started, US radio was talking about how rapidly Swiss hockey is improving. Probably not realizing how on-target the comments were about to become.

To paraphrase Herb Brooks, "they're playing better all the time, and right now they're playing like its next month".

Congratulations Switzerland. Good luck the rest of the way.

How good is Julien Srunger?

The Swiss have looked great this tournament. Congrats to the program, I really hope they are able to consistently stay in the top 8. I'm rooting hard for them to steal a victory from the Finns and get into the medal round.

Go Suisse Go!

They played terrific tonight. Their defense and work in the dirty areas was great, and has been all tournament. I came out of the Canada Switzerland game thinking the Canadians were a bit lazy and should have been winning way more battles in the corners, on the walls, etc, and although I still think that to some extent, I feel a whole lot better about it after seeing the Swiss do the same things to the Americans. They might not be the most aggressive forecheckers, but their 1-2-2 made it really tough for the Americans to come through the neutral zone tonight and they did a great job of taking away passing lanes. This team has heart, grit, hustle and quality team defense. I will cheer for them until they meet Canada.

I really like the Swiss netminder Berra. While he allowed a poor goal last night against the States, he was generally solid against both Canada and USA.

Any information on the guy from those that have seen him play more closely? I hope for his sake that he takes the Swiss as far as they can go, as I've become an instant fan.

I really like the Swiss netminder Berra. While he allowed a poor goal last night against the States, he was generally solid against both Canada and USA.

Any information on the guy from those that have seen him play more closely? I hope for his sake that he takes the Swiss as far as they can go, as I've become an instant fan.

The swiss are the first euro team that I've seen in a long time that stood up to physical play of the canadians. Nobody bailed on that team. everyone took hits to make plays and even dished out some hits of their own.

I wish this Swiss PP unit would fly over to montreal and show the habs how its done ;)

How good is Julien Srunger?

About the game vs USA or in overall?


I saw Sprunger in about 20 games this season. I was very talented. It's a lanky player with some great vision on the game, especially to guess
any action of play. He don't afraid to play physical. But he must to improve his strengh on the skate, bu he has a great grit. He'sthe great problem? I'd had some concussions in his young career (about 5-6).

But i think he would like to go in Minnesota (in AHL frist) in the next year.

His team : http://www.fribourg-gotteron.ch/teams/fr/teams_profile.jsp?PlayerID=53

I really like the Swiss netminder Berra. While he allowed a poor goal last night against the States, he was generally solid against both Canada and USA.

Any information on the guy from those that have seen him play more closely? I hope for his sake that he takes the Swiss as far as they can go, as I've become an instant fan.


I was very surprised that Berra wasn't drafted.

He wowed the scouts at the U18 4 Nations in Ann Arbor last year, posting great games against far superior teams.

The swiss are the first euro team that I've seen in a long time that stood up to physical play of the canadians. Nobody bailed on that team. everyone took hits to make plays and even dished out some hits of their own.

I wish this Swiss PP unit would fly over to montreal and show the habs how its done ;)

I might be wrong, but I seem to remember reading something long ago that said the Swiss hockey program was modelled more on the North American style than the European style.

I might be wrong, but I seem to remember reading something long ago that said the Swiss hockey program was modelled more on the North American style than the European style.
Structurally yes, but from a style of play not so much. I've seen a few Swiss teams in the past 6 years get run over physically. This team has been very tough in the corners and along the walls.

I will also say that there are reasons Berra may not have been drafted. I am not convinced he is aware of where he is in his net. He tends to overplay some plays around his net and his angles have been off alot. That may have been what kept him off draft boards but I can say this. he is playing big and he is stopping the puck which is the bottom line for a goalie. There is a good chance someone will take a look at him. I hear he backs up Genoni in the Swiss second division. From what i've seen of Genoni is an athletic goalie with the penchant for bad goals at bad times. He must be doing something right to be keeping Berra behind him over there.