Wallmark explains why he’s on the run from the ZSC Lions

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Friborg has completed its contingent of foreigners for the coming season. After Lucas Wallmark canceled his contract with the ZSC Lions on Wednesday, he signed with Gottéron. “I actually thought I would wait until the World Cup or until the summer,” says sports director and coach Christian Dubé. “But when I heard it might be on the market, I didn’t hesitate for a second.”

The 27-year-old was selected for the all-star team at the 2022 Olympics just a year ago. How come such a player is coming to Friborg when he signed a three-year contract in Zurich last summer? “I had a good start to the season until Christmas, although I had to get used to a new competition. Then there was the change of coach. Nothing was the same for me as before,” Wallmark explains.

On December 28, Rikard Grönborg was released from ZSC. “I decided to sign with the Lions because I knew the staff at the time. I had worked with him in the Swedish national team and it is no coincidence that I got off to a good start under him,” said the striker.

After that nothing or almost nothing worked anymore. Under Marc Crawford he only scored one more goal. His performance went from one point per game to 14 points in 27 games. “That’s why I contacted sports director Sven Leuenberger,” says Wallmark. “I told him it would be better for all of us to find a solution and I’m glad he listened.”

Wallmark: “It was a vicious circle”

Of course, what did the striker, who was an extra foreigner in the last two playoff games against Biel, throw away? “It was a vicious circle,” says Wallmark. “I couldn’t find my game anymore and lost my confidence. My playing time was getting shorter and shorter. Rarely in my career have I found myself in a situation like this. I’m an attacking player and like to play with the puck. The new system was mainly based on sending pucks forward. I’ve never really found my niche. It’s normal for a coach to want to impose his style and it’s up to the players to adapt. That’s why I’m happy with the solution we found .”

Next is Gottéron, where he signed for two years. “I have played against Fribourg several times and I thought that the way they play is more in line with my qualities,” says the Swede. “Christian Dubé is a coach with a very tight defense system, but the players have a lot of freedom in attack.”

Dubé says of his move: “He’s an excellent player for Europe. He’s succeeded everywhere he’s been. I was looking for a center that could shape the game, be defensive and good in face-offs. to all these requirements.”

Sorensen and De La Rose made Gottéron palatable to him

Before signing, Wallmark naturally asked his compatriots in Fribourg, Jacob De La Rose and Marcus Sörensen, with whom he played in the Swedish national team. “They helped me a lot by telling me about the atmosphere on the rink and in the club. That’s when I felt like joining them to make a fresh start.”

It seems clear that Wallmark will become center number 1. “Offensively, yes. Defensively, I think De La Rose also has a prominent role,” says Dubé, whose transfer activities have now been completed.

Source : Blick