The EVZ can look back on a successful, albeit uncrowned, campaign in the Champions Hockey League (CHL). After two 2:3 defeats against Luleå, the dream of reaching the final has been shattered. “Reaching the semi-finals is certainly good, but it hurts when it’s suddenly over,” said goalie Leonardo Genoni, unable to hide his disappointment. The 38-year-old veteran missed the match for the CHL title for the third time in his career: Before he was on the cusp three years ago with the EVZ (against Tappara Tampere), he already had his first chance in the spring of 2016 in the jersey of HC Davos (against Frölunda HC Gothenburg).
The EVZ has been eliminated in the semi-finals of the Champions Hockey League. Experienced players have left just as much of a mark as young players.
Leonardo Genoni holds all-time records in the Champions Hockey League with 67 games and 1633 saves. EVZ players also feature prominently in the statistics for the current season. Grégory Hofmann and Dominik Kubalík are at the top of the scoring charts with 13 points each. With six goals, Grégory Hofmann is also the top scorer – tied with team-mate Tomáš Tatar and two other players. Remarkable: Tomáš Tatar only needed eight games for his six goals. He scored in both semi-final matches against Luleå, among others. Dominik Kubalík is the lone leader in expected goals with a value of 4.01. The 30-year-old, who is also a guarantor of points in the National League and EVZ’s top scorer, is up for MVP. And finally, a Zug defenceman is also at the top of the CHL statistics: David Sklenička has recorded the most checks (17).
Not only the established players have left their mark on the international stage. With Dorian Moret (2 games) and Jan Daron (1), two current players from Zug’s training programme The Hockey Academy gained experience in the CHL. In addition, four recent THA graduates – Nic Balestra (9), Loris Wey (7), Robin Antenen (4) and Mischa Geisser (2) – made their first appearance in this competition. Another EVZ junior, Nik Petrovic (8), left his mark on the European stage. “The boys did very well. The fact that they have integrated seamlessly into the team is very positive,” says Leonardo Genoni.
For him, taking part in the CHL also means the opportunity to broaden his horizons. “Of course, the focus is on sport and success. But it is and remains an experience to get to know new places that you probably wouldn’t get to so quickly otherwise, for example Grenoble. It was impressive to see how highly the CHL is valued there – the stadium was full.” Keyword spectator attendance: With an average of 4167 fans, the EVZ is in 6th place among the 24 participants.
Travelling to the CHL away games also offers the opportunity for team building. After the negative results in recent weeks and in view of the decisive phase in the National League, this is particularly valuable. “Being together for longer helps us to address certain things,” says Leonardo Genoni, adding: “Especially after the change of coach, it’s also important for each and every one of us to reflect and scrutinise ourselves.”
