Strong start to the season EHC Kloten is flourishing - Captain Steve Kellenberger puts things in order

A lot has happened at EHC Kloten. After a horror season, the traditional club has managed to impress in the first quarter of the season. But captain Steve Kellenberger warns: "We're still nowhere."

New coach, new sporting director, new goalie and half of the foreign personnel replaced: hardly a stone has been left unturned at EHC Kloten this summer. The Zurich lowlanders, who employed three coaches last season in Gerry Fleming, Larry Mitchell and Stefan Mair, are in the process of reinventing themselves. The village club, which achieved something in the nineties with four championship titles in a row that no one in Swiss ice hockey has managed since, is longing for stability in its third season since being promoted again.

Steve Kellenberger is something like the epitome of consistency. The 37-year-old defenseman has long been Kloten's record player. With the exception of a two-year stint at Biel, he has always remained loyal to the club and has now played well over 800 games. Kellenberger is currently in his 18th professional season with Kloten, his seventh as captain.

Best start to a season since promotion

As such, he is also an important figure in the rebuilding process. This was necessary after the disappointing last season (with 13th place and the worst goal difference in the league) - once again. What began with a radical overhaul after relegation in the spring of 2017 has been an ongoing process to this day, a coming and going on many levels. As far as the team is concerned, Kellenberger is now the last remaining player from the relegation season after the recent departures of Marc Marchon and Patrick Obrist.

Kloten wants to stay out of the relegation zone in the future. The club has managed to do this quite well in the first quarter of the championship. At the beginning of the month, Kloten even led the National League for the first time in eleven years. With 22 points from its first 14 games, the team is currently in fourth place, its best start to a season since being promoted again.

No coincidence for Kellenberger. "The chemistry in the team is right," he says in an interview with Keystone-SDA. "We've already had a good preparation and have started the season with a lot of self-confidence." And, just as importantly: "The new additions don't just work on the ice, they also fit into the team as people," says the captain.

On the same wavelength

North American returnee Ludovic Waeber in goal and the new Finnish offensive defenseman Sami Niku as top scorer are proving to be the reinforcements they had hoped for. However, Kellenberger attributes the successful start to the season above all to the changes in the staff. "The coach, sporting director and team are on the same wavelength and want to work together. It fits very well."

The new Finnish head coach Lauri Marjamäki has obviously managed to find his feet in the Swiss league better than Gerry Fleming did a year ago during his first stint abroad. The Canadian was dismissed after just two months.

At the end of the season, the departure of sporting director Larry Mitchell was also inevitable. Ricardo Schödler, who had worked for the Swiss federation for ten years, most recently as manager of the national teams, was installed as the German-Canadian's successor in May. For Kellenberger, the 36-year-old from Zurich is a good choice: "He knows how things work in Kloten and is familiar with Swiss ice hockey. That's an advantage." The National League was new territory for Mitchell.

Schödler has a clear idea, says Kellenberger. "It is now important that we can stick to the path we have chosen." Due to the many changes in management, this was not possible in the past.

Puck possession as a recipe for success

Consistency on and off the ice is the goal. Despite the good start, the captain warns against getting sloppy: "We're not anywhere yet." The three consecutive defeats against Ajoie, Servette and Ambri-Piotta have shown how quickly things can go wrong "if we're not one hundred percent focused and don't stick to our game plan".

With new head coach Lauri Marjamäki, a lot has changed tactically in Kloten's game. "He puts a lot of emphasis on puck possession," explains Kellenberger and says: "The system suits us, everyone plays along." He describes Marjamäki as "very communicative for a Finn". The 47-year-old has made a name for himself as a coach in his home country; he won the championship twice with Kärpät, was promoted to national team coach and later managed Jokerit Helsinki in the KHL. Now he was looking for a new challenge abroad. He found it in Kloten, with the aim of staying longer. If things continue to run smoothly, his one-year contract is likely to be extended soon.

Kellenberger's future open

And what will happen to Steve Kellenberger, who turns 38 in February? His contract also expires at the end of the season. Marjamäki asked the players in a questionnaire before the start of the season where they see themselves in three years' time. Kellenberger's answer: "If I stay with the club until then, that would be cool. If I was still playing then, that would be even better." He wants to sit down with the club in November or December to analyze the situation. "As long as I still enjoy field hockey, I want to keep going."

But his focus is on the here and now. The goal for the season is clear. "We want to distance ourselves from the last two places as quickly as possible, create a cushion to the relegation zone and then see what's possible," says Kellenberger. The key is to "score points in every game. Then we'll see where we're heading and whether we can continue after qualifying or not."

For now, Kloten must build on last weekend's performance with the derby win at home against the leaders ZSC Lions and the one-nil victory in Langnau. After five days off, the away game in Bern awaits on Friday, followed by two more guest appearances in Lausanne and Fribourg. Three real endurance tests for the resurgent EHC Kloten.

SDA