2023 World Junior Championship Preview: Team Switzerland
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Switzerland’s history at the World Junior Championship is an intriguing one.
After the team won gold at 2009’s Division I tournament to earn promotion the next year, they came up just short in the bronze medal game after an unlikely heroic performance from Nino Niederreiter. Since then, they’ve been teetering on the border of the quarterfinals and relegation, outside of a surprising fourth place finish in 2019.
Unfortunately, with Slovakia and Latvia hoping to make big steps this year, Switzerland is in for a rough time in Group B. They still have a legitimate shot at third place, but it’s a group many Swiss fans aren’t too high on right now.
Let’s take a look at the team’s chances this year as the tournament draws near:
Goaltenders
After serving as starter during the summer, Kevin Pasche is back for his second crack at it. He struggled with an 0-3-0 record with a .900 save percentage, although it was far from his fault. Pasche has had a rough go with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers, one of the worst teams in the league, so he’ll be battle-tested in time for the team’s first game against Finland.
Backing him up will be Mississauga Steelheads goaltender Alessio Beglieri and Davos’ Mathieu Croce. Beglieri was Switzerland’s guy at the U-18s last year, while Croce already has experience with the U-20 team. Beglieri has a lot more playing time, but Croce does have experience against men in the second-tier Swiss league.
Either way, this is a significant weak point for the Swiss. If someone can stand out, excellent, but this is where things could fall flat.
Defensemen
After not having a good relationship over the past few months, the Swiss federation and top defensive prospect Lian Bichsel are finally friends again. And that’s a great thing, because the 6-foot-5 Dallas Stars prospect is easily one of the best defensemen to come out of the country in a while. He has spent nearly the entire season in the top Swedish league, with ice time varying from night to night. Still, that experience is important, regardless of results, and his real value will be in bringing energy and hatred to every shift. He’ll be the busiest defender on this roster this year, and one all Stars fans will be keeping a close eye on.
He’ll be joined by the only other NHL-drafted prospect, Brian Zanetti. The Philadelphia fourth-rounder has had little offensive impact with Peterborough this season, but he moves the puck well and is reliable defensively. When paired with a stronger offensive threat, Zanetti can be the defensive backbone the team needs, and they’ll need it in Moncton.
Dario Sidler is a notable returnee who’ll fit nicely inside the top four. An alternate with the team over the summer. Sidler is a speedy, skilled 5-foot-7 defenseman currently in his first full season in the top National league back home. He proved with the EVZ Academy last year in the second-tier league that he can cause damage when given chances, something he hasn’t had much with Lausanne. However, playing against his age group, he should do just fine.
Another returning player is Maximilian Streule, who doesn’t have a ton of numbers to show for despite being a key piece of Switzerland’s blueline at various levels dating back to 2018. He’s currently with the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada after leaving the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice, but the Armada have been utterly dismal this season. Streule is not a big defenseman, but he’s got an edge to him and is generally hard to play against.
Switzerland’s blueline will be mighty busy in Group B play, and they’ll need to be the most important position. With a soft crease, Switzerland’s defense core will need to establish an identity, which might be physicality.
Forward
Without a big-name scorer on this roster, opportunities are abound. Attilio Biasca, who led the squad with four goals in the summer and is set for his third tournament appearance, has had a good season as captain with the Halifax Mooseheads, sitting at just under a point per game. He’ll be doing a lot of the heavy lifting again this year, and he can surely handle the pressure,
Jonas Taibel, currently in his second year with the QMJHL wildcats, will feel at home in Moncton. Taibel had a good summer WJC and has generally played well with the U-20 team, even in a small sample size. He played on the first line against Canada in pre-tournament action and likely will remain high up in the lineup.
There’s a lot of Swiss talent in the QMJHL – it helps that Quebec and Switzerland both have deep French ties – and Louis Robin is yet another. He’s had a solid season between Val-d’Or and Shawinigan and he’s bringing speed and skill to Switzerland’s top six. Despite the Swiss getting shut out against Canada, Robin had a few looks. He’ll need to pot a few goals here if Switzerland is going to stand a chance.
From there, the Kusnacht Lions get some strong representation on the second line. Joel Henry is a familiar name for fans of the national team program, having played big roles with the nation since 2018. After a decent short stint in the U-20 Swiss league, he has spent the rest of the year in the second-tier league where he has established himself as a solid setup guy. Livio Curdin Truog has been more of a goal-scorer on the same team, and he even has some experience with Zurich’s top team, as well. Nicolas Baechler is the third notable voice with Kusnacht, but he brings a bit more strength to the group.
NHL draft watch
Switzerland doesn’t have a single first-year eligible prospect of note, Biasca, the team’s top forward, has had a good enough season to have some scouts talking about the double overager. His top speed has improved over the past two years and consistency has come with age, but he likely wouldn’t be picked in the first half of the draft if he did get picked up.
Projection
It’s going to be a rough year for Switzerland, who hasn’t made much forward progress over the past half-decade. They have a pair of NHL prospects, but both are still project players and not the impact skaters they need. Switzerland’s game against Latvia on Dec. 27 will be critical to avoid relegation, and if that goes well, then the Dec. 31 meeting against Slovakia could give them a higher spot ahead of the quarterfinal. Losing one, or both, could be detrimental with the bottom half of Group B looking stronger than usual.
Schedule
Dec. 26 vs. Finland – 11:00 AM ET
Dec. 27 vs. Latvia – 4:00 PM ET
Dec. 29 vs. USA – 4:00 PM ET
Dec. 31 vs. Slovakia – 11:00 AM ET