The player market is blocked, and sports directors face the risk of embarrassment

Jakob Lilja used the “wrong” number on his debut for Friborg.Image: trapezoid

Those holding a Swiss license can make such rapid changes at any time until January 31, and those holding a foreign license until February 15. Rapid change—that is, a high degree of flexibility—may actually help. Anyone who no longer fits in the wardrobe can be replaced. In the NHL, this kind of swap has been institutionalized, and contracts are just exchanges. In our case, the contract is usually terminated and the player negotiates a new contract with the new club. The same goes for Chris DiDomenico and Jacob Ligia. The two signed new contracts with Ambri and Gottéron respectively.

Trades can make it easier for teams to rebuild and help balance the league. At first glance, the National League is now more balanced than ever. But a second look reveals that the true hierarchy remains firmly in place. Since the introduction of the playoffs, the Giants have consistently won championships with deep pockets – Master Kloten, who won four consecutive championships in the 1990s, was also a box-office juggernaut at the time.

The player market has become more competitive: even so-called “small players” are paid better wages and have excellent infrastructure. Now, athletic directors pursue stability and maintain “tops” and “bottoms” through “pension contracts,” and this need is stronger than the dynamics of the free market. The annual salaries of expensive Swiss players have dropped with multi-year contracts, sporting directors and players' agents have been spared the hassle of negotiations (i.e. work) for years, and the agents' commissions are still due each year. The trend is: Negotiate and extend contracts early and for longer periods. In this trend of blocking the player market, “money giants” have the upper hand.

It wasn't like this before. In 2019, SCB caused a league-wide sensation by extending Tristan Scherway's contract seven years in advance to 2027. The response to “pension contracts” these days is simply: “So what?” because they are part of everyday league life. Examples: Lucas Flick is still defending in Lausanne but has signed a contract in Davos until 2030; Dario Simien is still fighting in Zug and has signed a contract in Lugano until 2031 contract. Sven Jung recently extended his contract with HCD until 2031, Damien Riat with Lausanne until 2030 and Sven Andrighetto with ZSC Lions until 2029. SCB has secured the services of Marco Lehmann until 2029. Christoph Bertschy will return to Gottéron in 2022 and has signed a seven-year contract until 2029; Andrea Glauser also Will return to Gottéron next summer and sign a seven-year contract until 20232. Dean Kukan has signed a five-year contract with ZSC Lions after returning from North America in 2022, and Grégory Hofmann has extended his contract with Zug after his NHL adventure failed (2021/22) to 2028.

The contract signed by Tristan Scherwey with SCB in 2019 is valid for three years.Image: trapezoid

Sven Leuenberger, ZSC sporting director and architect of five championship teams in Bern and Zurich, believes the lack of a real market is the reason for the preference for long-term contracts: a game-changer with a Swiss license – i.e. Players who could decide the championship – are almost no longer available, if you have them, try to keep them for the long term. “The Swiss still on the transfer market can at best make up for the depth of a championship-winning team.”

Ideally, a handful of Swiss leaders could be retained and flexibility maintained in terms of “followers” ensuring squad depth. Financially powerful teams – now also including Gautron, who are aiming for a first-ever title – secure the services of Switzerland's best players through long-term contracts, sealing off the market and consolidating the league hierarchy. Teams with limited budgets and no realistic chance of winning the championship can develop Swiss players and make them better, but when their potential is recognized by the giants, it will be difficult for them to retain them with long-term contracts, thus remaining at the bottom. For example, if they managed to keep Simon Moser, Joel Genazi, Yannick-Leennat Albrecht or Andrea Glauser, where would Langnau be?

Anyone trying to rebuild a team, like Bills athletic director Martin Stanegger, would have to bake smaller bread and appeal to Bern's Thierry Bader or Langnau's Dario Rohrbach. The last transfer to change or even shake up the league's true hierarchy was Leonardo Genoni's move from Bern to Zug in the summer of 2019. A five-year contract was signed. To date, Standard Chartered has not recovered from the transfer. But this is a transition from one money giant to another, and it does not change the true hierarchy of the league.

Leonardo Genoni's move from Bern to Zug shook up the true hierarchy of the league.Image: trapezoid

More trades and blitz moves will only benefit entertainment value, the balance of the league, and player careers. Servet's capable sporting director Marc Gautschi would be better off swapping Alessio Bertaggia (five-year deal until 2027) for a cheaper, more effective striker , he will definitely be happy. However, bartering also carries a significant risk of embarrassment. Nowadays, people almost forget that the brilliant careers of Romain Leffel and Damien Brenner were only exchanged during the season: Zug brought in Damien Brunner from Kloten in exchange for Thomas Walser, while Servetus managed to swap Gotron Jeremy Kamerzin for Roman Loffel.

Chris DiDomenico provided an assist in his first appearance for Ambri (2:3 vs. Zug), while Gottéron matched up with Jakob Lilja ) won together at Beale (4:1). However, it became increasingly clear that Gottlund's sporting director Gerd Seehauser would be the loser in the swap deal: Jakob Lilja was no longer able to motivate Gottlund in his second appearance Long, and had a miserable performance in the 2-3 home loss to Kloten (no points scored, negative 2 balance). This could lead to controversial reflections on whether, in the end, the problem for Gothelon is not just the coach and the foreigner, but also the sporting director.

• 7

  A leader who can decide games and make his team better on and off the ice.

• 6-7

  A talented player who can decide a game on a good night and is a leader.

• 5-6

  A good NL player: usually a rainbow butterfly of talent, sometimes a serious worker who brings out a lot of talent.

• 4-5

  Players on the third or fourth block, veterans or newcomers.

• 3-4

  The future is still ahead of you, or the future is already behind you.

• The rating is based on the North American Hockey Grading Scale, ranging from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). There are no levels below level 3, because those who play in the top leagues are at least barely adequate.