Login

Rancidbudgie · 05-24-2021, 01:32 PM

Word Count: 1800 (Double Media Bonus)

Hello Everyone! It is with great pleasure and privilege that I announce the S59 IIHF roster for the nation of Switzerland!

The Forwards:

Nicolaj Muller (S47) @esilverm - 1123 TPE

Muller returns for yet another tournament, being one of the few staples left on the Swiss side to have played in every one of their tournaments since the nation’s inception to the IIHF competitions. Tied for being the eldest forward of the squad, the Specters winger will be relied on once more for their veteran presence and two-way play.

Slap McShotty (S47) @bbjygm - 1913 TPE

The leader for all nations in Round Robin points for the S57 IIHF tournament with 20, McShotty enters as the top center for the Swiss once again this tournament. A top-tier forward in the SHL currently representing the New England Wolf Pack, McShotty reappears once again to show the new generation of Swiss Centers how it’s done with their spectacular offensive and defensive play.

Nick Connoly (S48) @shutdown - 1562 TPE

Enjoying a successful regular season and playoff campaign with the Chicago Syndicate, Connolly has established himself as a constant offensive threat in the SHL, as well as in the IIHF, scoring 9 points in 12 games in last season’s tournament. The S47 Four Star Cup and S57 Challenge Cup winner now has one last medal to claim for the triple gold club - hunting for an IIHF gold this tournament, you can expect the physical winger to be even hungrier than usual.

Elijah Jones (S49) @Toivo - 2087 TPE

The leading scorer for the Swiss last tournament, and coming off of a remarkable 84-point campaign for the Steelhawks in the SHL, Jones has been a perennial powerhouse in the offensive zone for Switzerland, and at over 2k TPE shows no signs of slowing down yet. This season Jones was 3rd in the SHL in goals and 4th in points, continuing to cement his status as one of the top players in the league today.

Mitchell van der Heijden (S51) @bluesfan55 - 1928 TPE

The Swiss star of the Steelhawks scored 10 points during the Round Robin last tournament, and is back to play major minutes for the Swiss in a prime pivot position. Van der Heijden has scored 118 points over the last two seasons for Hamilton, just under a PPG pace at the SHL level, and is looking to add to his trophy case, having won two Challenge Cups with two different SHL teams in his career so far.

Cal Labovitch (S52) @Mutedfaith - 1800 TPE

A leader on the ice for his SHL club the Minnesota Monarchs, Labovitch was a top scorer for the team this season as well with 62 points in 66 games, as the Monarchs bounced above their projected position in a statement season. Labovitch was also tied for 2nd on the Swiss squad in points last tournament, with 11. The prime playmaker is still well into his prime as a player, and is only improving as a two-way force as time goes on.

William Hartmann (S53) @boom - 1583 TPE

With 111 points in the last two seasons, Hartmann has established themselves as a dominant two-way player in the SHL. Currently playing for the Edmonton Blizzard, Hartmann plays a reliable defensive game while being all over the ice, whenever needed. Still very young and in the prime of his career, Hartmann looks to be a leader on the Swiss side looking for their first gold medal.

INTRODUCING! Frederick Wanesly (S53) @Mediocre_Fred - 1094 TPE

A recent transfer from a deep Great Britain nation, Wanesly is making his senior IIHF debut for the Swiss this season. A terror at the WJC level, Wanelsy scored 29 points over his three-tournament WJC career, leading the BI team in scoring in his final WJC tournament in S55. The big winger currently crashes through opponents in the SHL for the Seattle Argonauts, and will be expected to bring his trademark defensive physicality to the Switzerland squad this tournament. A member of the inaugural Argonaut team of S56, Wanesly netted 20 points in this most recent season for the club in the SHL.

INTRODUCING! - Justin Keahi (S54) @MyLittleHexx - 1276 TPE

The Swiss netted a big international fish - from international waters, somewhere in the Pacific. The native Pacific Islander did not fall under the jurisdiction of traditional SHL IIHF nations, and waited until they had established themselves as a regular SHLer with the Tampa Bay Barracuda before choosing to transfer for Swiss eligibility. A rough and tumble winger, Keahi made his debut for the Barracuda as a young player, spending only a short couple of seasons in the SMJHL before making the jump, recently scoring 27 points for the overall young Barracuda team. This IIHF senior tournament marks Keahi’s first, and the Swiss will be proud to show that their debut has been worth the wait.

Luukas Lilja (S57) @retuperkele - 830 TPE

Making their debut for Switzerland’s senior squad last tournament, Lilja will once again be doing double duty internationally this offseason, representing DACH at the juniors level, as this season was his last for the SMJHL’s Carolina Kraken, and the senior Switzerland team for the IIHF tournament. Looking for increased minutes and a more responsible workload, expect a breakout from the young Finnish-born forward.

INTRODUCING! - Anton Mihailov (S57) @Mr. Finland - 862 TPE

The smooth-skating playmaker has been downright impressive in the WJC career, netting 25 points in the last 3 tournaments for team DACH, and winning a silver medal with the club last tournament. Mihailov is also double-dipping this offseason with the expected 1st-line position on DACH this season, and emerging as a rookie at the senior IIHF level. Mihailov’s time is completed with the SMJHL’s Detroit Falcons, and the Vatican City native is expected to jump right into the SHL level for S60.

INTRODUCING! - Yan Dolff (S58) @lordbolo - 591 TPE

Another member of the Swiss team that will be pulling double duty for the international scene, Dolff recently emerged as a star for DACH, jumping to the first line last tournament and was second on the team with 13 points during their silver medal run. Expected to pull top-line minutes once again for DACH, Dolff will also be making his debut for Switzerland at the top level of the IIHF, looking to add a speedy game and a hard shot to a deep forward core.

The Defense:

Mathias Seger (S46) @Segi - 1873 TPE

The old man himself, Seger was the foundational blueline piece on the inaugural team Switzerland in S46, and has not let up from there. The face of Swiss SHL hockey was recently traded to the Los Angeles Panthers after their longtime service to the Minnesota Monarchs, once again providing a healthy dose of stability and excessive blocked shots. This will be Seger’s 14th senior tournament for the Swiss, and once again will be tasked with shutting down opposing nation’s top players with his rock-solid defensive skill.

FR Finn-Rhys (S49) @FinnRhys - 1970 TPE

The S57 Scott Stevens winner has emerged as one of the top defenders in the SHL these past couple of seasons, and the Swiss star will once again lead the charge from the back end for the team. Moving from Edmonton to New England this last season, Finn-Rhys relied much more on his defensive skills, amassing 33 points and a whopping 302 blocked shots for the Wolfpack.

Ursin Zimmermann (S50) @UrsinZ - 1898 TPE

The stalwart of the North Star’s blueline, Zimmermann struck well above his career high in points this season with 39. Although Toronto missed out on the playoffs (The Great Lakes, am I right?) Zimmerman was all over the ice, doing the heavy lifting in all categories for a team that finished with a 44-17-5 record, 5th in the league for points. The Swiss boast incredible blue-line talent, and Zimmermann gets to display his offensive acumen with big minutes for this IIHF tournament.

Elias Kierkegaard (S54) @Count Chocula - 1256 TPE

The puck-dishing Dane has been increasing his point totals in each IIHF tournament, with the S58 performance resulting in 9 points (all assists). Not only his offensive output has increased however, as Kierkegaard has been given more and more responsibility in his emerging role on the Swiss rearguard. Look to see the Great Dane emerge further on Switzerland’s second pairing this tournament.

Arsene Leclerc (S57) @spooked - 865 TPE

Leclerc stunned scouts with his SHL-ready game during his SMJHL days, and jumped to the SHL playing for the Minnesota Monarchs in S58 - much earlier than his peers. Not to be outdone on the IIHF level, after scoring 11 points in 12 round robin games for DACH in S57, Leclerc was given the nod for the senior IIHF squad the following offseason. Last tournament, Leclerc made his debut for the Swiss, and the young blueliner did not disappoint, with 4 goals and 5 points. The quick and agile defenseman is looking to show off his wheels once again for his sophomore IIHF tournament.

INTRODUCING! - Narboza Manyhands (S58) @nyumbayangu - 589 TPE

Switzerland’s youngest (in terms of human hockey eligibility) player of this tournament, and the league’s favourite alien, Switzerland is proud to be the first nation to present a Shardangian superstar on their IIHF roster in Manyhands. Boasting dual-galaxy citizenship, Narboza Manyhands has been patrolling the blueline of the Vancouver Whalers of the SMJHL for the last few seasons, greatly impressing both scouts and biologists alike with his strong two-way play. Not only does Manyhands look to make his IIHF debut for Switzerland, his crash-landing site turned home, but they will also be doing double duty at the WJC as well, once again representing DACH with increased responsibility on a very deep defensive squad.

Goaltending:

Markus Tegernako (S50) @KlusteR - 2009 TPE

The franchise goaltender of the Minnesota Monarchs will once again take the starting position for the Swiss this tournament. This season, Tegernako became only the second goaltender in SHL history to eclipse 2000 TPE (Harry Carpet being the first). Tegernako finished this most recent season on a high note, ending the season with a 0.921 SV% and a 79 GR while leading all netminders in the league in Minutes Played.

Nicolae Antonescu (S55) @Rancidbudgie - 1218 TPE

Coming in for his 3rd IIHF tournament, Antonescu currently holds a stellar 9-1-0 record at the senior IIHF level, sporting SV%’s of 0.935 and 0.928 in his previous two appearances. The Romanian born goaltender followed up his Jesster Award runner-up finish last season with a campaign where he finished first amongst all SHL starters in S59 with a 0.926 SV%, while appearing in 53 games for the San Francisco Pride.

With a high mixture of top-end talent and phenomenal young players cracking the lineup, Switzerland is on the hunt for a medal once more, and is looking to make this IIHF tournament one of the most exciting to watch in SHL history

Go Switzerland!!!