For player agent Sven Helfenstein, there is a lot of untapped potential in Swiss ice hockey. He would like to see more unconventional thinking.
Helfenstein was once considered one of the greatest hopes in Swiss ice hockey. On January 26, 1999, he made his debut with Kloten at the age of 16 in the then NLA. He finished the U18 World Championship in Kloten in April 2000 as the second-best scorer with five goals and six assists in seven games. In the same year, he was drafted by the New York Rangers as number 175.
But nothing came of the great career he had hoped for, partly because back problems were his constant companion due to inappropriate strain in the gym. Helfenstein played for seven different clubs in the top Swiss league, ending his career in 2013 at the age of 30 with the then NLB club Lausanne.
Many club changes as a plus
He now works as a player agent, although he couldn't imagine doing so at first. How did it come about? Helfenstein trained as a financial planner and began advising players on financial matters. Some of them then asked him if he could negotiate contracts for them. At first Helfenstein was sceptical, but ultimately he recognized it as an opportunity. And so he is now a permanent fixture in this business in Switzerland. One of his clients is NHL star Janis Moser.
"Because I often changed clubs, I got to know a lot of people and saw a lot. That's a huge plus in my current job," says Helfenstein in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency. It also helps him to know more than just the sunny side. "I can put myself in the player's shoes better in certain situations and know from my own experience what you shouldn't do in your career. In some cases, that's almost more important than what you should do."
Talent does not exist for him
Helfenstein and his agency sign players at the age of 13 or 14, while two employees are largely limited to scouting. The reason for this is to be able to support talented players individually at an early stage, as this is not possible for a club. "We do a lot of things with them that I would have been happy to have done with me," says Helfenstein. For example, extensive physical tests are carried out - "does the player already have imbalances, what does he need, what doesn't, what could be dangerous?"
For Helfenstein, the word talent does not exist. "For me, there are prerequisites. A good package, such as lots of fast muscle fibers or a certain size, helps of course, but then there are other factors, such as how you grew up. Maybe someone lives next to an ice rink or their parents have invested a lot of time in sporting activities. Then they say they're a talent, but they've just done more than the others." And that's exactly the point. From the U15 elite level upwards, all the big clubs train roughly the same amount. That's why it's important to think about "what else I can do to progress faster. Understanding and implementing this makes a big difference."
Many without a clue at the lower levels
After winning the World Championship silver medal, NHL forward Nino Niederreiter warned that there wasn't enough young talent coming through - Switzerland had the second-oldest team at the tournament. Does Helfenstein agree? "Yes, and that's alarming for me." The reasons are clear to him: "The problem is what is being done at U9 to U13 level in this country. It's the ultimate horror." There are many militia coaches working there who have no idea.
Helfenstein also doesn't understand why training only takes place twice a week at U9 level. According to the 42-year-old, that's not enough anywhere. In the Czech Republic, they would train four times a week at this age. In North America, they are on the ice practically all year round and "we still feel we need a break from the ice in the summer," says Helfenstein and continues: "There used to be less training everywhere. That didn't have an extreme impact then. But now the gap after the U13s in Switzerland is so big that it's almost impossible to catch up."
Status quo instead of courage
For Helfenstein, the problem is that the system is not really being questioned; there is too little unconventional thinking. For example, he could imagine letting coaches share in the success and thus creating an incentive for them to do more than is in their job specification. "You should have the courage to introduce new things and not say that you don't have the money." In Zug, they had raised more than a million in sponsorship money for the women's team, so why shouldn't the same be possible for the next generation? "Too little is being done in this regard," he says plainly.
Helfenstein would also like to see players from the "U17 Elite" level upwards given the opportunity to train individually in the summer. "Because everyone needs something different, but the clubs don't want to give up control. There are so many things that make no sense. But if you come up with something new, it's usually no. Everyone protects the other, because a change could have negative consequences for themselves. That's why they prefer the status quo."
Helfenstein also has a clear opinion on the six foreigners in the National League: "How many Swiss players still get a good role in the offense? Very few. We haven't seen the effects yet. I'm very skeptical and would go down to five foreigners." For Helfenstein, one thing is certain: "There are still many construction sites."
SDA