With defensemen Nic Balestra, Ludvig Johnson and Leon Muggli as well as forwards Robin Antenen and Loris Wey, five Zug players are in the squad for the U20 World Championship preparation in Brockville, Canada. No other club has as many players in Head Coach Marcel Jenni’s squad as EVZ. If you include Christian Kirsch, there are even six – the goalie played the last four years in the EVZ youth program and moved to North America this summer. In addition, goalkeeper Santo Simmchen, defender Mischa Geisser and forward Colin Lindemann are three more Zug players on the picks list.
Five EVZ players have been called up for the World Championship preparations in Canada.
The fact that so many players from the EVZ organization are in the (extended) World Championship squad of the U20 national team shows once again how well and sustainably the junior players and The Hockey Academy training program are working. Robin Antenen, Nic Balestra, Mischa Geisser, Ludvig Johnson, Santo Simmchen and Loris Wey will complete The Hockey Academy in the summer of 2025, Leon Muggli a year later. Antenen, Balestra, Geisser and Wey also signed their first professional contracts with EVZ, Johnson with Fribourg-Gottéron. Muggli already has an entry-level contract for the NHL – he was drafted 52nd overall by the Washington Capitals in the summer.
The EVZ players will join the national team on Wednesday, December 11 and then travel to Canada. Two test games against Canada and Latvia will take place in Brockville, Ontario, on December 19 and 23. The squad will then be reduced and the final World Cup squad is expected to be announced on December 24. The U20 World Championship in the capital Ottawa starts on December 26.
The matches of the Swiss U20 team
Thursday, December 26, 2024, 17:00: Czech Republic – Switzerland
Friday, December 27, 2024, 13:00: Switzerland – Slovakia
Sunday, December 29, 2024, 12:00: Switzerland – Sweden
Tuesday, December 21, 2024, 12:00: Kazakhstan – Switzerland
Thursday, January 2, 2025: Quarterfinals
Saturday, January 4, 2025: Semi-finals
Sunday, January 5, 2025: Finals
