Willy Riedi is a symbol of what the ZSC Lions organization is all about. On Thursday, the Zurich team can become Swiss champions for the eleventh time with a win in Lausanne.
23.04.2025, 13:46
SDA
Willy Riedi is a late bloomer, partly because he was still one of the smallest players in the novices (now U17), which is hard to imagine given his height of 1.90 m. As a junior, he did not always play in the highest performance category and was never called up for a national youth team.
Nevertheless, the 27-year-old striker had no doubts. "I saw other players and thought, if they can do it, why shouldn't I be able to do it too. If you set yourself a goal, you have to keep at it, no matter what obstacles are put in your way." This attitude paid off. Willy Riedi has had a professional contract since the 2021/22 season.
He is now an important piece of the puzzle in the playoffs, with ZSC just one win away from successfully defending its title. With five goals and three assists, Riedi is No. 4 on the team's internal scoring list, although he doesn't get a chance on the power play. On average, he has been on the ice for 12:23 minutes per match so far. Why is he doing so well? "The playoffs suit my style of play. But I don't look at the points, they're secondary. Otherwise you break. It's the journey that counts, not the result."
Not just ice hockey on his mind
Riedi is a player who thinks outside the box. He completed his vocational baccalaureate at the beginning of the year and wants to start studying in the summer. Which one? "I'm still a little undecided, but because of ice hockey there aren't that many options, so it will probably come down to studying business," says Riedi.
He had previously trained as a fitness coach and nutritionist. "At some point, the time will come after ice hockey. You have to be ready for that too, the sooner, the easier it will be." Speaking of nutrition. Riedi always has dark chocolate and honey before games. "Honey contains a lot of good things that give you energy. Black chocolate has lots of healthy fats and is good for blood flow to the brain," explains Riedi. He had previously sworn by oatmeal. "I was always looking for something even better. For now, I'm satisfied."
Many in their prime in ice hockey
Riedi is a good example of the functioning pyramid in the Lions' organization, which is the only team in the National League that can afford a real farm team - it's not for nothing that ZSC has the broadest roster in Switzerland. Riedi scored the important 1:0 in Tuesday's 3:1, the 16th home win in a row in the playoffs. The goal was preceded by a capital mistake by Lausanne defender Lukas Frick. He played the puck in front of his own goal, where only ZSC forward Vinzenz Rohrer was standing. After that, Riedi had an easy game. "Yes, it wasn't that difficult to score. But it was a goal that showed what makes us successful. It was emblematic of the good work we do in forechecking," said the 99 kg giant.
Is the team even more solid than when they won the championship the year before? "That's a difficult comparison. Last season we certainly had a bit more experience with Schäppi and Bodenmann. Now we have a lot of youngsters who were there a year ago and have seen how it works. Having already won the championship title once helps everyone."
On the home series, Riedi says: "We players don't even realize that." How did he experience the change of coach at the end of December from Marc Crawford, who stepped down for health reasons, to Marco Bayer, who is working as head coach in the best Swiss league for the first time? "It was certainly a special change, but we're a well-coordinated team. You don't have to do that much anymore without taking credit away from our coaches. We have a good structure, a lot of players are in their prime and know how to be successful."
You can see that. In any case, it is hard to imagine that Lausanne can still turn the series around. The Lions will have their first opportunity to become Swiss champions again on Thursday away from home. Then the late bloomer will be looking to strike again.
