This historic opportunity will not arise again any time soon

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A victory is still missing up to the Swiss hockey paradise. In the Finalissima in Geneva on Thursday, Servette and Biel want to take the final step towards the championship title. One will ascend the throne, while the loser will mourn an opportunity that may not present itself again soon.

The figures show how large the historical dimension is. On the one hand, there is Servette, the eight-time runner-up, who failed in the playoff finals in 2008, 2010 and 2021 and has never become champion. The Geneva team could also be the first club in 50 years (series winner HC La Chaux-de-Fonds) to take the championship trophy to French-speaking Switzerland.

The residents of Biel, who are in a playoff final for the first time, have already become champions three times. But from that time only black and white photos can be found in the photo archive. It has been 40 years since the EHCB last won the trophy. There were no playoffs then. And after the 9-6 win against Davos, captain of the opponent Jacques Soguel was the first to drink from the cup.

But it’s not just the long wait for a title that gives this game the “now or never” rating on both sides. On the one hand, one or the other club with the great sporting and economic resources from Zug, Zurich, Bern, Davos and Lugano, which have won all titles since 1996, should recover quickly.

On the other hand, both Servette and Biel have a team with an early expiration date. In Geneva, thinker and driver Henrik Tömmernes (32) returns home to Sweden after six years. The magician Linus Omark (36) has also been circulating for weeks with rumors about an early departure, which he does not deny. The future of Finnish helmsman Valtteri Filppula (39) is uncertain. The Canadian Daniel Winnik is already 38 years old. And the Swiss-Canadian Marc-Antoine Pouliot, the man who scored the important goals in the play-offs, also celebrates his 38th birthday on May 22. The top class foreigners at Servette are unlikely to be as replaceable.

The clock is also ticking for the Seeländer team. The main counter for the current edition of EHC Biel should not be open longer than Thursday evening. Defender Beat Forster is already 40, goalgetter Damien Brunner 37 and Luca Cunti 33, although the two strikers have been struggling with injuries for years. For example, Brunner failed to win early in the middle third on Tuesday with back problems.

A season like this cannot simply be repeated

In addition, it is still completely unclear how the team’s master builder will continue: Antti Törmänen (52) was again startled by a cancer diagnosis at the start of the playoffs.

It would be naive to assume that the citizens of Biel could easily repeat such a great season and make the playoffs next season. Servette missed the playoffs in the season after reaching the final in 2021.

Now or never it is time for the people of Geneva and Biel to seize the opportunity to win the historic title and immortalize themselves in the sport. Especially since both are convinced that they can beat the opponent if they show their best hockey.

Source : Blick