Switzerland is entering the U20 World Championships in Ottawa, which begin on December 26, with a very promising team. The task now is to bring their potential to the ice.
26.12.2024, 10:00
SDA
Marcel Jenni is head coach of the team for the second time in a row. At the U20 World Championships a year ago, little was missing for the Swiss team to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2019, losing in the quarter-finals in overtime to finalists Sweden after coming back from 2-0 down in regulation time.
This time, the squad promises a lot. No fewer than 15 players have played in the National League this season. The 18-year-old Jamiro Reber is an integral part of the HV71 Jönköping team in Sweden's top league. "It helps enormously that we have players who are on the professional circuit," says Jenni in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency. "We're a bit broader this time and have a lot of options in the line-up."
Minimum goal of the quarter-finals
As every year, the minimum target is the quarter-finals. The Swiss will face the Czech Republic (Thursday), Slovakia (Friday), Sweden (Sunday) and Kazakhstan (Tuesday) in Group B. To reach the knockout round, they must finish at least 4th in the preliminary round.
In the first three games, the Swiss are "still in an outsider's role" (Jenni). The Czechs have a lot of size and power, are strong defensively and have a lot of drive on goal. The Slovaks are a little weaker than the world champions' juniors, but they do a very good job of developing young talent. It's not for nothing that they produced a total of five first-round NHL draftees in 2022 and 2023. Sweden is always one of the medal contenders at the U20 World Championships. Meanwhile, a win against the difficult Kazakhs is a must.
"Our goal is to challenge every opponent and give ourselves the chance to win," says Jenni. Apart from age-related details, the team plays practically the same system as the senior national team. The identity is also the same. "Team spirit is our most important value. We have to help each other and tear each other apart. That's not just an empty phrase, but character traits that we look for during the selection process. We need players who leave their ego out of it, otherwise it will be difficult for us to be successful."
Mental preparation "fundamentally important"
Jenni will not be assisted by Tommy Albelin this time, who has been working in the same role with the New York Islanders since this season. Depending on the outcome, the senior national team may also have to make do without him on the boards at the World Championships in May. As a replacement for Albelin, another Swede with a lot of experience, Rikard Franzén, who works for Genève-Servette, has been recruited for the U20 World Championship.
National team coach Patrick Fischer and performance coach Stefan Schwitter will also join the team on December 25. "We are in a very good position," says Jenni. Schwitter works with the players on focus and mindfulness. "The whole mental preparation is fundamentally important," emphasizes Jenni. Nothing should be left to chance.
