14 teams, 14 questions about the final sprint: Is the new SCB already a title candidate?

Leader, points in 13 matches in a row – this is how the ZSC can afford a PR week with a visit to the musical crew “Lion King” and the FIFA Museum. What else will keep the Lions busy? The qualifying victory? Since the last ZSC title in 2018, only the qualifying winner has taken the bucket.

Dube solved it. The engine is running again. The play-offs are in sight. The play-offs? Dubé has only won one series (in 2022 against Lausanne). And no one has ever won the championship with Fribourg. But last season Servette broke the spell of the self-titled. Gottéron will not…

Grégory Hofmann is about to make a comeback after two months in hospital. A problem for coach Dan Tangnes because the attack is currently seething and rattling – or a big advantage because Hofmann will be in top form for the climax of the season after two months in hospital?

Now the Vaudois suddenly have three goalkeepers available for signing: Connor Hughes, Ivars Punnenovs and newcomer Kevin Pasche. Great for Coach Ward. Or not? You can also grab it next to it. Just ask Nati coach Fischer, who relied on Robert Mayer in the last World Cup quarter-final against Germany.

No one wants to compete against this SCB in the play-offs. The team plays hard, very structured, fast and fair and has a goalkeeper in Adam Reideborn, who won the title with CSKA Moscow last season. And then there is coach Jussi Tapola, who really puts a lot of effort into the training.

Even a world champion goalkeeper like Jussi Olkinuora doesn’t normally score goals, but he can stabilize the porous defense. That would take some of the pressure off the attackers, who currently have to work harder at the back than in the championship season. The theory: Olkinuora makes Servette more aggressive. Gosh.

Tactics, people skills, leadership style: you only hear the best from Josh Holden, and when – as recently – success comes, it is almost a fairytale. If everyone really gets along and puts aside the last doubts, the HCD is easily a top 6 team. Stake?

A crisis has already been overcome. And the parade line of Carr-Thürkauf-Joly made every opponent wet. But then came the injury witch – or the injury wizard. Without Carr the car no longer rolls. It must be the Hura curse. The Canadian was fired on his way to the last title in 2006 to win the series against Ambri.

Tradition, popularity and spectacle at the Spengler Cup. That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t add up to anything in everyday life in the National League. The solution? Aim for at least an eighth place at full speed, so that you can afford yourself a misstep during the play-ins without having to go on holiday immediately. It will be close.

In the beginning it was stormy: injuries, runner-up blues, bankruptcies, impending departure, tensions with Matikainen, the successor to the popular, successful coach Törmänen, who was suffering from cancer. But now at least the “Anti-Antti” is heading towards the play-ins. Or is the ‘all clear’ too soon?

You can twist and turn it any way you want: the Tigers are almost making the most of their opportunities, even if they have not always been richly rewarded so far. However, the recent phase of weakness is persistent and to end without shocks a correction is needed – as soon as possible. That means: on Friday in Kloten.

Rappi had lived above his means for three seasons in a row (semi-finals, 4th and 3rd). And this season they shone in the Champions League before the Czechs sabotaged the competition and forced Cervenka out of action. Who would be surprised if the players got tired of outdoing themselves?

Worried about relegation? Built. At best, you can finish last in this competition and still not be passed over. However, solo entertainer Larry Mitchell must take into account that the current situation is also damaging his image. A correction without outside help? Seems impossible at the moment.

Ajoie is stubborn and tireless. If everything comes together, on a good night they can beat anyone. Does this mean that coach Christian Wohlwend can finish and stay last? In recent years, Ajoie never finished last with the same coach starting the season.