The Women's League ice hockey championship begins on Saturday with the game between Ambri-Piotta and Davos - with promoted EV Zug as one of the championship candidates.
The Zug team is under particular scrutiny in Swiss women's ice hockey. After a season in the "wrong" league, in which they have racked up one resounding victory after another and probably set records for eternity, they have, as expected, been promoted to the top division unbeaten.
The newly formed EV Zug women's team, for which the club had unsuccessfully applied for direct admission to the Women's League, did not have to compete in the league qualifiers because Ladies Lugano had to withdraw their team for financial reasons. The Ticino club has been a member of Switzerland's top women's league without interruption since its promotion in 2000 and, with eight championship titles between 2006 and 2021, is only surpassed by the ZSC Lions (12 titles).
Replay of the cup final
Although new to the league, the EVZ women are among the championship contenders along with defending champions ZSC Lions and last year's playoff finalists SC Bern. However, Lara Stalder - who averaged almost eight scoring points per game last season - and her team-mates will not have it that easy. A real endurance test awaits right at the start with a home game against SC Bern. SCB is the only Swiss team to have beaten Zug so far - in last season's cup final on penalties.
However, the rematch of the cup final is not scheduled until September 20. The first round of the championship takes place over two weeks. Fribourg-Gottéron is another club from the National League. Langenthal and the Neuchâtel Hockey Academy are also involved.
Mode adjustment
28 rounds will be played in the qualifiers until the end of February. The qualifying winners and runners-up will qualify directly for the semi-finals. The teams in places 3 to 6 will now determine the other two semi-finalists in a play-in (best of 3). The play-off semi-finals, the final and the play-out (between seventh and eighth) will be played in a best-of-five format.
SDA
