Patrick Fischer and his players would have had a unique chance this year. Image: KEYSTONE
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Eismeister Zaugg
No Ice Hockey World Cup – Patrick Fischer’s lost dream
The organizers will not lose much money due to the cancellation of the 2020 World Cup. But a unique sporting opportunity is over and never comes back.
All problems that we solve with money are not problems. That may be chatty, but it basically affects the consequences of the canceled ice hockey world championships in Zurich and Lausanne (May 8th to 24th).
Mammon is not the problem in this case. A budget of CHF 50 million has been budgeted for the global hockey spectacle. The sum insured with which the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the organizers are insured is CHF 60 million.
Around 300,000 tickets worth 24 million have already been sold. The money will be refunded minus a small processing fee. The direct economic consequences of the World Cup cancellation are no problem for the organizers (IIHF, our association and the marketer Infront).
The lost dream, on the other hand, cannot be compensated for with money and gold. National coach Patrick Fischer personified this dream. In his own way, the charismatic Zuger has been talking about the big goal of winning the world title since taking office.
It would the first ever for Switzerland in the two major team sports ice hockey and football. To date, the World Cup title has been played ten times in Switzerland: 1928, 1935, 1939, 1948, 1953, 1961, 1971, 1990, 1998 and 2009. 1928 and 1948 were also about the Olympic victory.
When ice hockey looked a little different: the 1935 World Cup in Davos. Image: PHOTOPRESS ARCHIVE
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The Swiss never had a realistic chance of winning the title. They came closest to the great triumph in Davos in 1935 with second place behind the overpowering Canadians.
Now would be the Swiss competed for the first time in their own country with real chances for the world title. The two goalkeepers Reto Berra and Leonardo Genoni are still in their prime at 33 and are among the best outside the NHL. Almost certainly would be most NHL stars – Roman Josi, Mirco Müller, Yannick Weber, Kevin Fiala, Timo Meier, Nino Niederreiter, Nico Hischier or Gaëtan Haas – were available.
What almost succeeded in 2018 – the Swiss lost the World Cup title against Sweden in the final only in the penalty shootout – would have can now become reality in the Zurich Hallenstadion in 2020.
Switzerland could have counted on a lot of NHL reinforcements this year. Image: KEYSTONE
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The chances are good – around 80:20 – that the IIHF Congress (the general assembly of representatives of all hockey countries) will approve the postponement by one year and that the 2021 World Cup can still take place in Zurich and Lausanne from May 7th to 23rd. With the same participants and even with the same game plan. A new start, new happiness, a new dream for Patrick Fischer. Not quite. The uniquely favorable constellation of 2020 will no longer exist in 2021.
The world virus crisis has also brought gaming operations in the NHL to a standstill. It is becoming apparent that the most important league in the world with sales of around five billion dollars wants to crown the champion (Stanley Cup winner) and may play well into the summer and start the next season late. In this case, the NHL stars will not be available for the 2021 World Cup.
This also applies to the competition. But the Swiss are much more dependent on their few NHL stars than the Swedes, Finns, Czechs or Russians. And even a Canadian and American World Cup team without NHL stars is competitive.
However we turn it around – by canceling the 2020 World Cup, Patrick Fischer has lost the dream of winning the World Cup. The current generation of players may no longer find such a good starting position as 2020 – in front of our own audience, our ice hockey as competitive as never before in history, a charismatic Swiss national coach.
How big will the euphoria be next year? Image: KEYSTONE
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Money may not be the problem for the World Cup organizers. But our ice hockey will lack the momentum of a World Cup in their own country. In football, a title tournament keeps the whole country in suspense even when our national team is embarrassed. In ice hockey, a World Cup only becomes a national sporting event if the Swiss are successful (like 2013 and 2018) or can compete in their own country (like 1998 and 2009).
It was now possible for the first time to combine success and the World Cup in their own country – and enthusiasm for hockey would have created a stimulating climate that would have made it easier for clubs to find new advertising partners and sell season tickets.
Would, could, could – The three words really do not only shape our hockey in these times.
All playoff top scorers since the 2002/03 season
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