Krueger eyes Olympic quarter-finals

Krueger hopes to lead his men into the world's top eight Keystone Archive

Switzerland ice hockey coach Ralph Krueger is hoping to steer his team towards a place in the world's top eight at the upcoming Winter Olympics.

With the best players from North America’s NHL league taking part in the Salt Lake City Games, the Swiss are bound to find things tough. Boasting just one NHL player of their own (Colorado goaltender David Aebischer), Switzerland will have to come through a four-team qualifying group if they are to realise their dream of a spot in the quarter-finals.

Although renowned for the emphasis he places on positive thinking, Krueger knows that Switzerland’s medal chances are extremely slim.

“We are definitely outsiders for that sort of a dream,” the Canadian-born coach told swissinfo shortly before the team’s departure on Thursday for the United States. “For us it will be just a dream to be part of the top eight, because that would be the biggest stage Swiss hockey has ever played on.”

The Swiss can in fact lay claim to two Olympic ice hockey bronze medals, although Krueger’s assertion still holds true when one considers that those medals were won on the home ice of St Moritz and date all the way back to 1928 and 1948.

Ten year absence

The world of ice hockey has certainly changed a good deal since then with the Salt Lake City Games marking Switzerland’s return to Olympic competition after an absence of ten years.

More dauntingly perhaps this year’s Olympics could see the Swiss pitted against the cream of the NHL for the first ever time.

“The Olympics have changed big time since the 1998 Games in Nagano (when the NHL clubs first allowed their players to compete),” Krueger points out, “and following the Czech Republic’s success in Nagano with 12 non-NHL players, the NHL guys will want to show that they can adapt to the European game and play as a team.”

In order to earn their place in the limelight against one of the world’s “Big Six” (Canada, the United States, Russia, Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic), Krueger’s men must first overcome the slightly smaller three that await them in the preliminary round. But despite being tipped as favourites to see off France, Ukraine and Belarus, the Switzerland coach is warning against complacency.

“We know France’s game very well and will expect them to sit back, play defensively and wait for us to make mistakes,” Krueger says. “They also have a great goalie in the shape of Lugano’s Cristobal Huet.

“Ukraine were probably the biggest surprise of the last world championships, pushing into the top 12 with a strong team-orientated game and Belarus have always been difficult opponents for us so the qualifying round certainly won’t be a honeymoon.”

Captain Streit

Before leaving Switzerland, Krueger announced the appointment of Zurich Lions defender Mark Streit as the team’s new captain. In what has become something of a tradition for Krueger ahead of major tournaments, Streit becomes the fifth man to skipper the side in the past four years.

Following his own short-lived bid to make a living in North America, the 24-year-old captain certainly feels he has a point to prove in the Olympic city.

“It’s a big tournament for all the players,” Streit told swissinfo, “but for me especially because I was in Salt Lake City playing for Utah for about two months. It’s a big thing for me to be able to go back there and show those people what I’ve learned in the last two years. The main thing for me though is not just for me to play well, but to be successful with the whole team.”

Following their arrival in the United States, the Swiss team are due to play two warm-up matches against Slovakia on February 3 (in Boise, Idaho) and on February 5 (in Logan). The squad then head for Salt Lake City to prepare for their opening game against France on February 9.

by Mark Ledsom

Swiss Olympic ice hockey squad

Goaltenders: David Aebischer (Colorado Avalanche, USA), Martin Gerber (Färjestad, Sweden), Lars Weibel (Davos), Marco Bührer (Bern)

Defenders: Martin Höhener (Kloten), Olivier Keller (Lugano), Edgar Salis (Zurich Lions), Mathias Seger (Zurich Lions), Martin Steinegger (Bern), Mark Streit (Zurich Lions), Patrick Sutter (Lugano), Julien Vauclair (Grand Rapids Griffins, USA)

Forwards: Jean-Jacques Aeschlimann (Lugano), Björn Christen (Davos), Flavien Conne (Lugano), Gian-Marco Crameri (Zurich Lions), Patric Della Rossa (Zurich Lions), Patrick Fischer (Davos), Sandy Jeannin (Lugano), Marcel Jenni (Färjestad), Martin Plüss (Kloten), André Rötheli (Zug), Ivo Rüthemann (Bern), Reto von Arx (Davos)

Olympic schedule:

February 9, Switzerland v France
February 11, Switzerland v Ukraine
February 13, Switzerland v Belarus
February 15, start of final round
February 20, quarter-finals
February 22, semi-finals
February 23, bronze medal match
February 24, final