“Niederreiter should join us next week”

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Patrick Fischer, how are you feeling a week before the start of the tournament?
Very good. We’ve had a great week of training. It was important to integrate the new players who joined us earlier this week. I feel like everyone is doing well and you notice that the World Cup fever is slowly building up.

It is already your seventh World Cup as national coach. Are you still nervous about the tournament??
The excitement is still there, that’s for sure. But at the same time everything goes so fast and you have to be ready on day X. But ever since I got this job, I’ve said it time and time again: it’s the best time of the year for a national coach. The anticipation is just as great as for my first World Cup. The automatisms with the staff are well established and everything becomes easier when you have a work routine.

Have the tournaments against top countries Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic helped the team compared to previous years?
To an extent you may not even be able to imagine. These games are ideal for us to develop further. In the last 12 months we have played many games against these excellent teams that we otherwise only see at World Cups. It’s a huge benefit to measure ourselves and see where we stand in our preparation.

And where is your team?
We worked hard for three weeks. This week we focused more on the upcoming competitions as we included the finalists from Geneva and Biel. I feel that the group is in good shape and that the boys learn quickly. Last week we played a very bad game against Latvia. Otherwise I am satisfied. It also showed us that it doesn’t work if we’re not 100 percent there.

How did you experience the play-off final?
It was a really cool story. Both teams had a sensational season. It was absolutely deserved to see them at this level. It’s good for our league to have a new champion. It also shows how balanced the competition has become. All in all it was a great final.

You’ve decided to call back Tanner Richard. He said he thinks you don’t have him in your head anymore.
Last year we had a good conversation. And then it was clear that the middle position was too well filled to guarantee him a spot. Denis Malgin and Pius Suter were there for example. But I always told him that if he played good hockey, he would get a chance. And when you look at his play in these playoffs, he really deserves to be called up.

Speaking of NHL players: do you already know more about possible reinforcements?
Of course I am in constant contact with them. At the moment we need to keep an eye on the health of Denis Malgin, Kevin Fiala and Roman Josi. All three are slightly injured and have not yet received the green light from their clubs to join us. So it’s still up in the air what’s on her mind.

But not with Nino Niederreiter?
He should join us next week. But before he can play, his club still has to give the green light.

This week, New Jersey qualified for the second round of the playoffs. This means that Nico Hischier, Jonas Siegenthaler, Akira Schmid and Timo Meier are not available. You were a fan of the New York Rangers, their opponent, weren’t you?
(He smiles) No, I’m a fan of New Jersey and the way they played all season and especially in the playoffs. It really deserves that they qualified. As a national coach, my heart was inevitably in two different places. But I’m happy for our players there.

Can the calendar still play into your hands?
Yes, if the Devils lose to Carolina, there’s still a chance they’ll be called up. So I’m not ruling out that possibility, even if it’s not current at the moment.

Source : Blick