Philip Wüthrich – SCB Comfort Zone or Ambri Challenge

It can be said that Pascal Müller failed in the semi-finals. The transfer play-off final will now be between Embry and Bern for one of the most talented goalkeepers in Switzerland. Paulo Duca versus SCB Senior Sports Director Martin Plüss and SCB Junior Sports Director Patrik Bärtschi. With home field advantage SCB.

It's also a “hockey culture clash.” Without the wealth and fame of the greatest responsibilities, there is no opportunity to be number one in Bern. The challenge of a promising No. 1 matchup with Gilles Senn, plenty of hockey romance, but significantly less reward in Ambri. Philip Wüthrich earned nearly 400,000 francs on his expiring contract with SCB, making him the most expensive No. 2 player in our hockey history. If he extends his stay in Bern, he will not have to accept a significant reduction in wages. Bern's transfer funds are already full (as shown by the recent transfer of Ronald Kenings). It is also important to keep Philip Wittrich for club political reasons. There is also enough money to increase the extension offer for national team forward Thierry Bader.

A move from the comfort zone of SCB to the barren valley of Leventina always pays off for SCB talent: Marco Müller only became a dominant center forward at Embry and, after wins over Zug and Lugano, the next season Returning to the front door of SCB with great fanfare. André Heim was deemed unfit to lead the forward line at Berne, but he served as assistant captain at Ambri and is in NHL scouts' notebooks. Yannick Barron blossomed into an NFC defender in two years with Embry and now plays the second-most minutes among the Bills' Swiss defenders. Marc Gautschi, now Geneva's sporting director, only became a qualified National League defender at Embry and even served as captain.

Marco Müller benefited from his time at Ambri and will soon return to Bern.Image: KEYSTONE/Ti-Press

This special relationship between the University of Bern and Embry, between the national capital and the stimulating hockey climate in the barren valley of Leventina, between the lucrative big business of hockey and one of the last resorts of hockey romance, is of great importance. significance. Special charm. The flourishing in Ambry of people who could not play their part in Bern was also related to geographical distance: anyone traveling from Bern to Ambry had to cut the “umbilical cord”. There was no culture shock like moving to North America. But moving to the new world on the other side of the Alpine ridge required a new form of independence.

Now Philip Wuthrich faces the most important decision of his career. In other words: extend your stay in Bern and stagnate, or move to Embry and benefit from new challenges.