It was the 2018/19 season when Langnau qualified for the playoffs for the last time. For the current coach, former international Thierry Paterlini (158 caps), that is now the goal for the season. There are several reasons for this.

…there are the play-ins and the pre-playoffs, which the Emmental team narrowly missed out on last season despite having 71 points. The two finalists from the previous year, Geneva and Biel, had just three points more to their name.

…six foreigners have been eligible to play since the 2022/23 season. This allows each team to put a full complement of imports on the ice for the important special teams. With six foreigners, the SCL Tigers increased their points tally in the regular season from 34 to 60!

…the Emmental were happy with their foreigners last season. Otherwise they would not be the only team, along with Fribourg, not to have made any changes at this important position. This year’s foreigners are once again five Finns and one American: defensemen Vili Saarijärvi and Juuso Rikkola and forwards Aleksi Saarela, Harri Pesonen, Saku Mäenalanen and Sean Malone. Top scorer Saarela, like Lino Martschini, produced 41 points and was chased by half the league before signing a one-year extension with the SCL Tigers.

…there is something of an ice hockey euphoria in Emmental right now. The reason is the CAMPUS stadium extension with a second NHL-sized ice rink and many sports and leisure facilities for the whole region. A CHF 22 million project that was financed almost exclusively by the company of Chairman of the Board Peter Jakob. The good preparation results (six games, six wins) match the current euphoria.

…the EVZ cut their teeth against Langnau in the 2023-24 regular season, losing their last away game 3-0 on February 25. The SCL Tigers can no longer be underestimated!