Ice Hockey: Why Did Coronavirus Get Us World Title?

Eismeister Zaugg

Criticism of Max Frisch – or 2020, the year that got us the world title

Today, the Swiss against Russia opened the 2020 World Cup in the sold-out stadium at 8:20 p.m. But the Ice Hockey World Championships in Zurich and Lausanne do not take place. The virus crisis has robbed Switzerland of the best opportunity in history to become world champion.

A melancholic look helps us to better understand the present. In February 1933, the NZZ sent a student named Max Frisch to the World Ice Hockey Championships in Prague. Later he would become a famous writer (“Biedermann und Arsonist”).

Max Frisch wrote about the Swiss who finished the tournament in fifth place: «At a press banquet, I heard this judgment about our team repeatedly: they played the best ice hockey in Prague, their combination is unique and also technical. The Swiss striker perfectly. Although Switzerland brought the smallest people with it, it is without a doubt the fastest of all European teams. If people were physically heavier, they would be invincible. Recognized as the most dangerous storm in Europe, our storm could never fully develop because it could not rely on defense. Torriani and the Cattinis soon became popular in Prague for their talented play and youth. Why our Swiss did not reach the final? They lack the spirit of struggle. Either because of their physical inferiority or because they lacked a motivating audience: in any case, they seemed to be very weak fighters: some saw it too much as a family trip ».

The Swiss have been world class since winning the European Championship in Davos in 1925. At the 1935 World Cup in Davos, they were closer to the World Cup title than ever until 2018 in Copenhagen. They probably lost the crucial title game against the Canadians just because a flu virus had taken over the team.

Always brilliant strikers

It was the great moment of the “storm -ni and -er”, by Bibi Torriani, Pic and Hans Cattini, as well as by Heini Lohrer, Herbert and Charly Kessler. The Swiss game culture reminded Russians a bit that they should dominate world ice hockey starting in 1954: They focused on playful brilliance, speed, and agility, not American toughness. In the 1928 Olympic tournament, they played with shoulder pads for the first time and complained about the lack of mobility.

The Swiss remained on top of the world until 1953. After the “ni line,” they brought another storm line to the ice with Aroseans Hans-Martin Trepp and brothers Gebi and Ueli Poltera, who was one of the best outside the NHL. Ueli Poltera even won the World Cup goalscorer ranking in 1950 with 17 goals in London. Bibi Torriani scored 55 goals in 49 World Cup games, Hans-Martin Trepp 29 World Cup games 32 goals. Truly offensive titans of world hockey.

An intermediate low and a return to world class.

Then the decline began. In 1961, 1971 and 1990, the Swiss were not even in Group A at the World Cup in their own country and in 1998 only because the number of participants had expanded to 16 teams and the host had been established. In the course of these years of stagnation, which led the Swiss (1969, 1974) to relegation to the C-WM at the Australian level (which was defeated 20-0), only our goalkeepers reached a high international level.

But 1998 was the beginning of a return to world class. Switzerland reached the World Cup final in 2013 and 2018. In 2018, the World Cup title against Sweden was only lost in the penalty shootout. We are good enough to become world champions.

Can we even compare the “golden years” between 1925 and 1953 with the present? Hasn’t it become much more difficult today? Today, the Swiss have to prove themselves against NHL professionals at the World Cup. Until 1977, Americans only played with amateurs in title tournaments.

That’s true.But until 1966, the NHL consisted of only six teams, today there are 31. Many of Canada’s World Cup heroes made the leap to the NHL. The then president of the NZZ Boston Bruins said of the storm Arosa with Hans-Martin Trepp and brothers Gebi and Ueli Poltera that they could easily play in the NHL.

Even in the 1960s, father David Bauer, longtime manager and coach of the Canadian national team, Michel Turler would have been an NHL superstar if he had grown up in Canada. Perhaps the most elegant striker in our history reached the top scorer (7 games / 6 goals / 4 assists) and the best player of the B-WM 1971 in Bern, La Chaux-de-Fonds and Lyss.

Switzerland now has everything you need

And that brings us back to Max Frisch. His analysis in the “NZZ” tells us that in the “golden years” the Swiss were obviously “just” difficult and difficult to win the title.

Meanwhile, our stars have conquered the NHL. First the goalkeepers and now the forwards. The lack of physical robustness that Max Frisch had criticized is no longer a problem. And there is no longer a lack of passion and fighting spirit. Or, to put it populistically: For the first time in history, we are strong enough to become world champions.

For the first time since the early 1950s, the Swiss can again play aggressively at eye level with the best in the world. And unlike the “golden years,” they have a defense they can trust. Defender Roman Josi was even on the All-Star team at the 2013 Silver World Cup and was the most valuable player (MVP) in the tournament.

Most of our NHL stars could have played in the World Cup. It is as it is: the virus crisis has deprived the Swiss of the best opportunity in history to become world champions.