Damien Brunner wants to finally complete herself at 37

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He runs a lot, always picking up speed. Searches, finds and creates free spaces. Trouble the Servette defense with his pace. And with his goals to make it 2-0 and the spectacular 3-2 winner 7.4 seconds from time, he is undefensible by the defense. Together with his likeable line partner Luca Cunti, Damien Brunner was the best man on the ice. The 37-year-old has already scored three goals in the first two finals.

Under normal circumstances, Brunner’s place would actually be in the media gallery. Where the injured and surplus players watch the matches. On March 21, he suffered a muscle injury in his leg in the quarter-final match 4 against Bern. The veteran was given a four-week break. These are not over yet. But his Ambri friend and old Lugano and Nati teammate Dario Bürgler sent Brunner to Ticino. Because he thought the Ambri staff could do it faster.

The long journey to the second source

Brunner was in Ticino for ten days. Worked daily with physiotherapist Emanuele Sarcinella and fitness trainer Lukas Oehen and finally made his comeback on April 5, in the fourth semi-final against the ZSC Lions, just 15 days after the injury he suffered. With the help of HC Ambri-Piotta. He still had some rust under his runners that game, but he needed it anyway. To be ready for the final. To drive like that. To put Servette in his place with his goals.

Phenomenon Damien Brunner. How many times has he delighted us during his career. For example when he was 20 in his first NLA season with Kloten in 2006/07 and scored 18 points (9 goals, 9 assists). When, after his transfer to Zug in 2011/12, he became the first Swiss top scorer since Guido Lindemann in 1982 with 24 goals and 36 assists. Then he immediately started in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings. And when, after his return and a not always easy time in Lugano, he experienced a second spring in Biel. A second spring that never wants to end.

Time and time again a spectacle for the camera

Phenomenon Damien Brunner. Always a source of plenty to talk about away from the ice. Through interviews that only he can give that then become legendary. For example, when he said to the surprised SRF reporter Johannes Keller during the 2016 playoff final with Lugano in the intermission interview: “Wotsch mi Verarsche”. Or when he really let off steam on the subject of unrecognizable offside on MySports in early January this year: “No stadium manages to have a shitty camera on the blue line.” And before coming into action against Servette in the final third on Sunday, he was only seen on MySports during intermission in underwear, socks and a T-shirt, grinning and waving cheekily at the camera (video above).

But Damien Brunner is also a phenomenon because he remains the unfinished one to this day. Such a good and such a spectacular player who has never been champion. “It bothers me and I’m always accused of it,” he told Blick before this latest series. But he’s not approaching this venture as tense as he used to be: “It’s just great that I’m getting this opportunity again at 37.”

The man from Zurich took matters into his own hands with his goals and played remarkably freely. There is always a lot of “Art on Ice” with him, with spectacular moves and tricks. Although they actually say that you should play as simple as possible in a playoff final. But Brunner thinks: “Why should we do that? We have a lot of players who can do something with the puck. We should take advantage of that.”

Source : Blick