The best time of the year is about to begin for ice hockey fans: the playoffs are just around the corner. Reto Suri tells blue Sport his favorites in the quarter-finals and reveals what has been the biggest surprise of the season so far.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The Swiss ice hockey playoffs begin on Thursday.
- In an interview with blue Sport, former professional ice hockey player Reto Suri explains what makes the playoff games so special and sets them apart from the qualifiers.
- The 35-year-old also looks into the crystal ball for blue Sport and names his favorites in the quarter-finals.
Reto Suri, before we talk about the playoffs: What has been the biggest surprise for you so far this season?
I think it's definitely EHC Kloten. They've played an incredible season. On paper, they didn't have the best conditions, but they've been incredibly stable and solid. Above all, they had an attractive style of play. That's why Kloten was the positive surprise for me. It was also very cool to watch them.
And were you surprised that Servette and Lugano missed out on the playoffs?
Yes, at the other end of the scale, Lugano and Geneva are definitely the two big losers this season. Geneva had an incredible run, winning the championship (2023) and the Champions Hockey League (2024). On paper, Lugano had made big upgrades. But that's the great thing about sport, that in the end it's not about the paper. That has certainly been confirmed once again in these two cases.
Now the playoffs begin. Which series can neutral fans look forward to in particular?
I think all of them. A Zurich derby, a Zähringen derby, a rivalry duel with Davos and Zug and then Lausanne against Langnau, where Langnau has also played a very good season, earned the playoff spot and is now going into a series in which it has absolutely nothing to lose. I think all series are very attractive in a different way and we can expect a field hockey spectacle in the next few weeks.
Lausanne and ZSC have now had a short breather, while Langnau and Kloten are already in full playoff mode, as they had to take the detour via the play-ins. Could that be an advantage for the two outsiders?
I can imagine. The rhythm certainly doesn't hurt. You've already experienced the thrill and all the things that were involved in these all-or-nothing games. And both come out of it with a positive experience. That's why it can certainly be beneficial at the beginning. On the other hand, of course, you don't know what kind of injuries the players have already suffered in these games.
Is field hockey in the playoffs actually very different to the 52 league games beforehand?
Sometimes you have such intense and tough games in the regular season that have a playoff character. But when the playoffs start, every single match is like that. Now it's all back to square one. It's all about who wins four times first. The constellation makes it all tougher and more intense. You create a foundation for yourself as a team in the qualifiers, in which you want to prepare for what comes next.
And it's all coming thick and fast ...
That's why it's the best time from a player's point of view, because you can play every other day. In between you have short training sessions, eat, sleep, recover. It's a good atmosphere, full stadiums, there's a lot at stake and you do the 52 rounds for that and invest everything off the ice. The consistency of intensity is certainly higher in the playoffs.
Finally, we'd like your quarter-final predictions. Who will come out on top and why? Let's start with Lausanne (1st) against Langnau (8th).
I think Lausanne will prevail against Langnau. The qualifying winner is certainly one of the top favorites for the title and has played an incredible quality and consistent season.
ZSC (2nd) or Kloten (7th)?
Zurich will prevail against Kloten because of the breadth of their squad and the individual class they have. I have the feeling that they can play to their strengths.
Bern (3rd) or Fribourg (6th): Who will win the Zähringen derby?
Bern vs Fribourg will be extremely close. But my money is on Fribourg. They've had an extreme run since the change of coach. They're really on a roll. That's why I think this will be a very close series and if I had to go out on a limb, I'd put my money on Fribourg.
Will Andres Ambühl write a fairytale with Davos (5th) or will Zug (4th) prevail?
Zug against Davos, I'll leave my sympathies for the fairytale and bet that Zug will progress.