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These are stories that are mainly known from North American ice hockey. A player unsuspectingly drives to practice in Vancouver – and is told by the general manager that his place in the locker room is now taken by a competitor and that the plane is already waiting at the airport to take him to the farm team on the East Coast transport .
Or an entire club is kept in check – for strategic reasons, in a straightforward manner and without taking emotions and sensitivities into account. Rumors are currently swirling that the Arizona Coyotes could soon find themselves in Quebec, Canada.
It is generally quieter in Switzerland. Transfers are relatively transparent and well-organized processes; the main participants have at least a veto. It cannot be ruled out that an ice hockey professional wakes up in the morning in Kloten and goes to bed in the evening (unintentionally) in Geneva with a new employer.
The most abrupt restraining action
The Thurgau India Ladies players had such an experience – almost certainly. Until last season, her sports center was located in Kreuzlingen, in northeastern Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Constance. Now they will enter the championship as HCD Ladies in the colors of HC Davos at 1600 meters above sea level.
Overnight you became the highest-ranking ice hockey players in Switzerland. In between, probably the most spectacular and abrupt braking action in local sporting history took place.
It was in the fall of 2022 when history took on a previously unimaginable momentum. Cooperation between the clubs from Thurgau and Davos already existed – and integration of the Thurgau Ladies into the traditional club from Graubünden was at least considered. But no one expected it to happen so quickly. The ‘deal’ was initiated by Andreas Staub, the president of the Thurgau India Ladies.
His daughter, 21-year-old striker Ladina Staub, is one of the team’s top performers. She remembers the moment the parade was opened to her and her colleagues: “It became quiet in the locker room. There was an atmosphere between disbelieving amazement and a degree of overwhelm. No one expected that.”
About half of the players came to the conclusion that a move to Davos was not an option for them. The changes would have been too big – especially from a professional perspective.
Almost as quickly, however, the ‘other’ part of the team realized that this was probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After all, in the lap of the record champions and the most famous club in the country, the chances are greater in every respect than in the manageable Thurgau. Coach Andrea Kröni, one of the co-founders of the Thurgau women’s team, sees this exactly the same: “In Davos we can benefit from the entire package of the club – from infrastructure, logistics, medical care and media work.”
And financial conditions suddenly improved significantly. All players are (at least) 20 percent employed by the club and receive a percentage of the legal minimum wage (3,749 francs per month – against 100 percent). By comparison, at Thurgau the players still had to pay an annual fee of 1,000 francs.
A huge organizational task
But women in Davos cannot make a living from sport either. That is why a job was sought locally for everyone. This was a huge organizational job, says HCD Ladies media manager Violanta Rominger, but thanks to the club’s network of relations and the efforts of Andreas Staub, a solution was found for all players.
The newcomers now work at Davos Tourism, for the primary school community or for the high mountain clinic. The only one who could keep her old job was Ladina Staub: “I work for an IT company mainly at the home office – and it doesn’t matter whether I am in Davos, Weinfelden or somewhere else.” Most of them live in shared apartments with other teammates.
From a sporting point of view, the difference with last season is omnipresent. Almost overnight, Staub and her colleagues found themselves in a different world: “We were not used to such professional training. Everything is there: shooting range, weight room, training range – we even have our own cabin.” And the women of Neo-Davos can also benefit from the men’s coaching staff from time to time.
For example, former PostFinance top scorer and current HCD assistant coach Glen Metropolit gave the striker valuable tips during a training session. “It’s fantastic to benefit from his experience,” says Ladina Staub.
Audience record expected
Everyone involved now looks to the future with great confidence: “We have the opportunity to write a new chapter in the history of HC Davos,” says coach Kröni. A look at the game plan shows that the HCD is doing a lot to ensure that this actually happens. The ladies play and train almost exclusively in the legendary hall.
And in the context of the Spengler Cup, a very special performance is reserved for them. The championship match against the HC Ambri Piotta Girls will take place on December 30. Since the Leventiners (with the men’s team) will be in Davos all week, a large number of spectators can be expected – and a new crowd record for women’s ice hockey in Switzerland. It should not be the only record that the HC Davos women’s team has set.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
