The outsider Lausanne had surprisingly little to counter the ZSC in the Belle. A long dry spell is ending for several Zurich professionals.
The beginning of a lavish party night: The ZSC celebrates itself.
Urs Flueeler / KEYSTONE
When the confetti shower was over, Marc Crawford found a second to collect his thoughts. Crawford, 63, the oldest champion coach in Swiss play-off history, was asked where he places the triumph in his long career. “Right at the top,” said Crawford, adding: “These guys simply refused not to become champions. We’ve been through a lot. The loss of Malgin hit us hard. But the team got up and did the job.” It seemed as if there was an almost fatherly pride in the Canadian’s voice.
Over the last few weeks, Crawford has repeatedly tried to convey to the world in a somewhat believable way that the ZSC has endured difficult trials this winter. Professional colleagues like Luca Cereda from Ambri-Piotta or Josh Holden at HC Davos won’t have much more than a tired smile for the challenges of this team, the confident qualification winner with the most luxurious squad around. But on the final night of the season, Crawford was proven right.
Top scorer Denis Malgin was injured due to a failed check shortly before the end of the first period. And then wept bitter tears in the dugout when he realized he couldn’t continue playing. According to ZSC sports director Sven Leuenberger, Malgin, 27, suffered a knee injury. He is unlikely to be available to the national team for the World Cup starting on May 10th in Prague.
Club icon Ari Sulander saw his successor Simon Hrubec celebrate the next shutout
It’s a nightmare to lose your most important player in the most important game of the season. Not even ZSC can simply replace its first-line center. But Malgin’s teammates showed character – and Swedish striker Jesper Frödén stepped into the breach as a goalscorer. Frödén scored the winning goal against the brave but noticeably nervous Lausanne goalkeeper Connor Hughes. The NHL-proven attacker had previously failed to score in twelve games in a row.
Frödén redeemed the Zurich supporters – and also Malgin, who returned to the players’ bench for moral support. «I tried to give everything for the team. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be that I was able to play again. I tried everything to motivate the guys on the bench. I am very grateful to the boys, we are a unit. We deserve the title. Zurich deserves the title. For the city, for the fans,” said Malgin.
The ZSC offered its followers a lot in the sold-out stadium; the Zurich team set standards in terms of entertainment. Ari Sulander, the great goalkeeping legend who now works as an animal undertaker near the Arctic Circle, was interviewed during the second break. Sulander flew in especially for the game – and witnessed how his successor Simon Hrubec conjured his fifth shutout in this play-off.
Hrubec was not asked much on Tuesday, Lausanne disappointed across the board in the most important game in the club’s history. Malgin’s loss meant a golden opportunity, but the surprise finalist was too big for the challenge.
Denis Hollenstein has also finally reached his goal
The ZSC, on the other hand, withstood the pressure. It was championship title number 10 for the club, but a first for many players. Sven Andrighetto, Yannick Weber and Denis Hollenstein, for example, had not been able to celebrate any titles in their long, impressive careers. The latter left his heart club Kloten in 2018 because he wanted to become champion. He had to be 34 to reach the goal. Hollenstein was the first ZSC professional to lift the championship trophy; a privilege that is actually reserved for the captain. But Patrick Geering let his companion go first; he let out a cry of release. There was something touching about the scene. «I’ve been working towards this for so many years. Now it’s finally worked,” said a transported Hollenstein.
The players provided each other with beer during the interviews. It was just the beginning of a long, wild night of partying in Zurich.