Jamiro Reber is only 18 years old, but is already making a big impression in Sweden's top league. Now he wants to use the U20 World Cup as a platform.
25.12.2024, 05:00
25.12.2024, 08:28
SDA
Jamiro is not a common name in Switzerland and is said to have Indian origins. The choice has no special background, the parents simply liked it. However, Jamiro Reber is one of the hopes of the Swiss U20 national team. In October, the 18-year-old signed his first professional contract, valid until 2026, with SHL club HV71 Jönköping, where Kevin Fiala once played.
Reber started his career with Langnau, but after finishing compulsory school, he wanted to move abroad, as he saw more potential for optimal development there. He considered a North American junior team or a move to Sweden. Together with his family and agent, he opted for the latter because the training there enjoys an excellent reputation.
Opportunity seized
Reber completed a three-day tryout at HV71. He liked it there very much and because he made an impression, he was given a junior contract. In his first season, he played mostly in the U20 team, for which he scored eleven goals and 30 assists in 48 games. Skills training took place every morning from Monday to Wednesday. Five to six coaches were available for the strikers alone. Prior to this, they worked on their athleticism from 6.45 to 7.45 am. There were also team training sessions.
This summer, Reber was allowed to complete his preparation with the HV71 first team. He made the most of the opportunity. He has now played 25 games in Sweden's top league, playing anything but a supporting role. With seven goals and seven assists, he is the team's number 3 scorer. On average, he is on the ice for 15:34 minutes per game. "My goal for this season was to play a few games in the SHL, but I didn't think I'd get so much confidence straight away," he says in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency.
Father was a professional ice hockey player
He was born into ice hockey, so to speak. His father Jörg played 610 games for Bern, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Rapperswil-Jona, Kloten, Biel and the SCL Tigers in the top Swiss league (without qualifying for the league). "It's nice to have someone at your side who has experienced all of this," says Jamiro Reber, who played football and floorball at the same time until he was around twelve years old.
Reber describes himself as a fun, focused, hard-working and down-to-earth person. The latter underlines his statement about the many scoring points: "That's cool, but certainly not the most important thing for a young player like me." Nevertheless, he always has the puck with which he scored his first goal in the SHL with him, as it's in the toiletries bag he takes with him to the dressing room.
Where has he developed the most? "In the two-way game. Especially in defense, I was able to take another step forward." This is no coincidence, as Sweden places great value on good structure and discipline in the game. He sees the greatest potential in his shooting, which he is working on intensively.
Disappointment quickly digested
Although Reber was just 17 years old when he moved to Sweden, he lived alone right from the start - his mother was there for the first two weeks. He now understands the language pretty well, especially when it comes to ice hockey. "But speaking it is difficult," says Reber.
The fact that he was not considered in the NHL draft at the end of June was a disappointment for him. "But I quickly focused on getting better again." In any case, he is someone who finds it easy to switch off when things don't go as planned. Ottawa is now giving him an ideal platform to push himself for the NHL, as many scouts are on site at a U20 World Championship. Jamiro's name could soon be more familiar in Switzerland.
