"It was more than sport - it was an event for the history books"

Why was it not enough for Switzerland to win gold? CH Media in particular explores this question in Monday's comment column. "Anyone looking for technical or tactical explanations or even scapegoats will not find an answer," writes the media outlet. The Swiss failed against an opponent who neither wore helmets nor laced up their skates: "The weight of expectation, which has never been so high."

Nati voices on World Championship silver

"We can't thank the fans and Switzerland enough"

In the previous four finals, there was the certainty that the next opportunity would certainly come. "Especially in 2026 in our own country," writes CH Media, adding: "If this team doesn't manage to win the first World Cup title - then probably not for years to come." For the time being, there is no new "golden generation".

"One last hurrah"

"With an average age of 29.6, Switzerland had by far the oldest team at the tournament," wrote the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. The carefree weeks in Zurich up until the final felt like their last hurrah. "The constellation will hardly ever be as favorable as it is now. There was this symbiosis between the crowd and the team."

The "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" goes far in its search for a reason why it still wasn't enough to win the world title: "It's a bit like a perfidious fantasy author with an overly expansive imagination coming up with ever more abstruse plots in a serialized novel to make the Swiss fail."

Newspapers in French-speaking Switzerland also agree that the prospects have rarely been so good. The fifth defeat is no longer even annoying, writes "Le Nouvelliste". The hunt for the Grail was downright frustrating for the national team. Ultimately, according to "La Liberté", it was probably simply down to what sport can also be: brutal.

"The most beautiful home world championship"

The explanations show: It wasn't down to the performance. Blick also praised the Swiss performance. The Swiss national team took the nation on a journey and dispelled any remaining doubts. "Despite bad news à gogo, the team with new coach Jan Cadieux is on its toes on May 15, the groundbreaking performance against the defending champions USA will be the can opener for a spring fairytale," writes "Blick" in an editorial.

Trip to Thessaloniki

Swiss airplane flies a heart for the national ice hockey team

Young and old, big and small were carried away by the festival. "This was the most beautiful home world championship in the history of home world championships", summarizes "Blick". Even if sport has no sense of "win-win", for once everyone won. "This was more than sport. It was an event for the history books," summarizes "Blick".

Also thanks to Fischer

The Tamedia newspapers also call the home World Cup a spring fairytale. Written by the golden generation, their coach and his predecessor. "Fischer stayed away from the World Cup after his dismissal, but his spirit continued to blow in the dressing room," says Tamedia. He had created an atmosphere in which only the team mattered. Fischer "had spread the big thinking and shaped the culture in the team. World Championship gold would also have been his achievement."

Cadieux knew how to preserve this atmosphere. He was well positioned for the future, according to the Tamedia newspapers. However, the supply of talent has come to a standstill. "Clubs, associations and leagues are called upon. They must finally work together again to lead Swiss ice hockey into the future," demands Tamedia. There is more to the home World Championship than just the pain of a missed happy ending. "It was a celebration, a promise - and a reminder that even golden generations don't shine forever."