Junior World Championship 2022 Team Switzerland final list
Team Switzerland has to climb a mountain at the Junior World Championship in 2022. Eventually they end up in Canada as they entered the group of fatalities with relatively few NHL prospects in their ranks. In order to avoid a place in this year’s relegation playoff, the Swiss head coach Marco Bayer needs to perfect his team’s balance from the puck drop in the first game.
If he doesn’t, Switzerland will almost certainly have an uphill battle ahead at Red Deer – and their fourth game should seal their fate. With the up-and-coming U20 squad from Slovakia, Team Switzerland is entering this year’s competition as a clear outsider. If they don’t catch Russia, Finland or the USA napping, their group game against the Slovaks will be decisive.
But the end of the world is not all in the Alps. Towering defender Lian Bichsel is a fascinating draft for 2022, while Simon Knack (NSH) and Brian Zanetti (PHI) bring valuable pedigree to the mix. Another figure not to be forgotten is Noah Meier, who is successful against men in the Swiss National League.
So the question is this. Despite the lack of top talent, do Team Switzerland have enough to fend off relegation?
Well, according to general manager Raeto Raffainer has finished his final cuts, we are one step closer to finding out.
goalkeeper
Loic Galley, Kevin Pasche, Noah Patenaude
Everything is changing for Team Switzerland online, because last year’s starter, Thibault Fatton, is too old to take part this time. As a result, there is a three-way battle for the Swiss circle before the tournament.
The Swiss-Canadian goalkeeper Noah Patenaude is currently leading the starter job. The 18-year-old has had a solid start to the season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, with a save percentage of 0.914 (SV%) in 12 games for the Saint John Sea Dogs. It is his year in Quebec and he has made significant progress and shown his most consistent accomplishments to date.
Kevin Pasche is also a worthy candidate for the number 1 jersey. He has taken positive steps in 14 games in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Omaha Lancers, claiming a .916 SV% and nine wins. Although he is only 1.70 m tall, Pasche has delivered for Team Switzerland in the past – and last year finished the U18 WJC with 0.910 SV%, even though he was on a losing team.
Loic Galley hasn’t made an appearance at the World Juniors yet – but there are reasons to believe that 2022 could be his year. This season he is 4-4-1 in 11 games in the Swiss third division with a respectable goal – with an average of 2.75.
defender
Lian Bichsel, Giancarlo Chanton, Noah Delémont, Vincent Despont, Noah Meier, Arno Nussbaumer, Dario Sidler, Maximillian Streule, Brain Zanetti
On the blue line, Bichsel is the Swiss team player to watch out for. First of all, it is worth noting that the child is massive. He is six feet tall, weighs 216 pounds, and is expected to be inducted into the first two rounds of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
As you would expect from a 17-year-old giant, Bichsel makes good use of his body – and he has not shied away from the men in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) this season either. He has a point after 12 SHL games for Leksands IF but that shouldn’t be used against him as the tape proves he is an offensive threat:
Bichsel, a former Swiss U16 captain, is said to play a more prominent role at the WJC than at the SHL. With the 2022 draft in mind, it will be interesting to see how it responds to the challenge.
Zanetti – a shocking omission from last year’s roster – is another player to watch out for. The left-firing defender, an unsigned addition to the Philadelphia Flyers, is enjoying a decent season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Peterborough Petes. He has nine assists in his first 17 games in North America and is a strong physical presence weighing 6 feet 2 and 181 pounds.
19-year-old Noah Meier knows what it feels like to play (and score) at the World Juniors. As a leftover from last year’s Swiss squad, the ZSC Lions contender starts this year in the second division Swiss League. The 5-foot-11 defender has 18 points (two goals, 16 assists) in 24 games with GC Küsnacht Lions, adding to the seven NL games he amassed in Zurich.
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Although Meier was passed over in last year’s draft, he remains a fascinating candidate with impressive skating and passing skills. On the offensive, he likes to dominate the blue line and is – in general – a sure passer-by. However, this is its defensive zone Positional play could be improved.
Finally, a comment on one of the biggest challenges for Switzerland at this year’s tournament. Bayer has an extraordinary shortage of right-handers. All Team Switzerland goalkeepers are left catchers, while only two defenders shooting right made the cut (Vincent Despont, Dario Sidler).
It will be a situation to be aware of as some players will be forced to play on the not correct Page.
Forward
Dario Allenspach, Nicolas Baechler, Attilio Biasca, Lorenzo Cannonica, Christophe Cavalleri, Keanu Derungs, Joshua Fahrni, Ray Fust, Lilian Garessus, Marlon Graf, Joel Henry, Valentin Hofer, Simon Knak, Fabian Ritzmann, Louis Robin
Switzerland will be inspired in advance by Lorenzo Canonica and Ray Fust. Although neither were drafted in 2021, they both have important roles to play in this year’s World Juniors.
Canonica, a 5-foot-11 center man, has found his score in the QMJHL this season, scoring 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 29 games for the Shawinigan Cataractes. Still, he’s more of a playmaker than a talisman – he’s a neat passer, cleverly positioned on the offensive and knows how to dangle.
Fust’s style of play is rather naive. Known for using his 6-foot-4 frame in the USHL, the Swiss-Canadian winger (playing on both sides) will play NCAA hockey for the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2022-23.
Even the unsigned Nashville Predators prospect Knak has a lot to offer. He played 50 National League games during the pandemic and scored six goals and 10 assists for HC Davos. The 19-year-old is not the most noticeable player in the Swiss squad, but his foresight will come in handy for the Swiss at important moments.
Lilian Garessus, although relatively unknown in the run-up to this year’s tournament, could be a surprise package. The 18-year-old is in the Swiss U20 league with one point per game and has played solidly in the National League this season.
Team Switzerland has a whole range of playmakers and fore checkers available on paper. However, it remains to be seen where the Bayer team’s goals come from.
Will Switzerland avoid relegation in 2022?
The prospects for Team Switzerland are rather bleak. Unless they stun the US, Russia or Sweden, their game against Slovakia will be an all-or-nothing affair. Win and a place in the quarterfinals awaits. If they lose, they are in the relegation playoff.
However, there are also reasons to be optimistic. Bichsel’s skating skills, coupled with his size and defensive skills, will give Team Switzerland a big boost. He’s going to want to impress NHL scouts, and the best way to do that is by playing solidly at the World Juniors.
Bichsel is also an offensive threat that could be useful for Switzerland in the event of a relegation to the playoffs.
Make no mistake, this year’s Swiss squad lacks top quality. But they are practiced and determined to make a positive impression anyway. Don’t count them all out.
Note: Team Switzerland confirmed its final squad on Sunday [26 December], with the announcement delayed as the squad was quarantined Thursday [23 December].
“That is of course a very difficult starting position for the start of the tournament,” said Bayer. “Even so, we have no choice but to accept the situation and make the best of it. It is important to us to consistently continue on the path we have chosen, to remain positive and to prove our mental strength for the first time. “
The Swiss then start their WJC campaign on Tuesday [27 December] against group B rivals, Team Russia.
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Luke is an award-winning UK sports writer who covers the Washington Capitals THW. He recently graduated from the University of Warwick and is currently studying for a postgraduate degree in Newspaper Journalism from the City, University of London. To keep up to date on Luke’s work, check out his tweets at @ LukeJames_32.