Kloten completes the playoff field in the National League. Kloten also won the play-in second leg at home against Ambri-Piotta 5:4. Kloten had already prevailed 5:4 in the first leg.
10.03.2025, 22:37
10.03.2025, 23:16
SDA
This means EHC Kloten can play in the playoffs again for the first time since 2016. In the nine years since then, the team's finances got out of control, it was relegated from the National League in 2018 and was only promoted again in 2022, when the league was increased to 14 teams after Covid.
Zurich derby
Kloten will face the ZSC Lions in the quarter-finals from Thursday. Both the city of Zurich and the Zurich Oberland team are looking forward to the derby series. Kloten reckon they have a good chance against ZSC - after all, they have only lost three of the last eight derbies in the championship. The last time there was a Zurich derby in the playoffs was in 2014. Back then, the Lions won the final series 4-0. Kloten's last win in a playoff game also dates back to that season - in the semi-final against Fribourg.
The Kloten team doesn't like to bother with statistics like that. For Kloten, the four play-in games against Langnau (1:3 and 2:1) and Ambri-Piotta (5:4 and 5:4) already felt like play-offs.
90 seconds
Nevertheless, it doesn't really feel like top form in Kloten - despite seven wins from the last nine games. In the second leg against Ambri, Kloten squandered a three-goal lead, just like in the first leg. Within 90 seconds, Ambri turned a 0:3 lead into a 3:3 one, leaving Kloten trembling for 15 minutes. Goalie Ludovic Waeber had to make way for Sandro Zurkirchen. However, Axel Simic put Kloten back on course with the 4:3 in the 38th minute. Simic scored two goals and an assist in the second leg and scored a total of three goals in the mini-series.
Because Kloten punched their last playoff ticket, the SCL Tigers will face Lausanne, the qualifying winners, on Thursday in eighth place. The series between the ZSC Lions (2nd) and Kloten (7th) also begins on Thursday. The other quarter-final series between Bern (3rd) and Fribourg-Gottéron (6th) and Zug (4th) and Davos (5th) start on Friday. There is play-off ice hockey every day in the quarter-finals in the National League.
No playoffs in Ticino
But not in Ticino. For only the third time in history after 2008 and 2011, the canton of Ticino is not represented in the playoffs. However, HC Ambri-Piotta will not fall into a depression because of their failure to reach the quarterfinals. In the well-balanced National League, Ambri didn't cut a bad figure this season either - despite a few setbacks. Ambri finished 2nd in October and second to last in January. With 9 wins from the last 13 rounds, Ambri made it into the play-in at the last moment. There, the Leventines would have had to win two series. However, only one win from four games was not enough.
Telegram:
Kloten - Ambri-Piotta 5:4 (2:0, 2:3, 1:1)
6781 spectators. - SR Lemelin (USA)/Kaukokari (FIN), Schlegel/Cattaneo. - Goals: 11. Grégoire 1:0. 15. Simic 2:0. 22. (21:08) Aberg (Simic/power play goal) 3:0. 22. (21:26) De Luca (Pestoni) 3:1. 22. (21:46) Kubalik (Heed) 3:2. 23. (22:58) Kubalik (DiDomenico/power play goal) 3:3. 38. Simic 4:3. 41. (40:48) Meyer 5:3. 47. Müller (Virtanen) 5:4. - Penalties: 2 times 2 minutes against Kloten, 4 times 2 minutes against Ambri-Piotta. - PostFinance top scorers: Ojamäki; Kubalik.
Kloten: Waeber (23. Zurkirchen); Niku, Profico; Grégoire, Wolf; Sataric, Steve Kellenberger; Sidler; Ojamäki, Morley, Audette; Aberg, Ramel, Schreiber; Simic, Schäppi, Meyer; Meier, Diem, Weibel; Smirnovs.
Ambri-Piotta: Senn; Heed, Zgraggen; Virtanen, Terraneo; Wüthrich, Curran; Zaccheo Dotti; DiDomenico, Maillet, Kubalik; Bürgler, Heim, Müller; Pestoni, Landry, De Luca; Grassi, Kostner, Zwerger; Douay.
Remarks: Kloten without Steiner (injured), Aebi, Cuesta Flores, Deussen , Keller (all ) and Hawryluk (supernumerary foreigner), Ambri-Piotta without Juvonen (supernumerary foreigner). Ambri-Piotta without goalkeeper from 55:29.
