SC Langnau Tigers: Tradition meets talents in the new campus

SC Langnau Tigers: Tradition meets talents in the new campus

The SCL Tigers, a traditional ice hockey club from Langnau in the Emmental, are not necessarily because of their sporting glossy performances, but because of their continuous youth work and the remarkable resilience. Founded in 1946, the Tigers celebrated their greatest success in 1976, the championship. Nevertheless, it was the ascent and descent in the past few decades that shaped the character of the club. After several attempts, in 2015, returning to the highest league, where the team continued to fight for the playoff places last season.

The sporting development of the SCL is subject to certain fluctuations. In recent years, the coaching bench has passed various known faces. Prominent names like Jakob Kölliker, Bengt-AK Gustafsson and Benoit Laporte were in charge. Thierry Paterlini is currently heading the team and is now going into his third season. The goalkeeper position seems to be stable, because Luca Boltshauser and Stéphane Charlin continue to form a balanced duo. In the defense, Claudio Cadonau, who recently followed Sebastian Schilt in the direction of another club, took on a central role. Cadonau brings valuable experience to Langnau because he was already active in the SCL jersey between 2017 and 2020.

new talents and proven forces

In defense, Langnau can fall back on Phil Baltisberger. With three national championship titles on the account, the 28-year-old Baltisberger is an experienced player. On the other hand, Brian Zanetti, who was only in his second professional season at the age of 21, is only in his second professional season and was previously drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers. In order to further strengthen their defensive, the team kept the Finnish players Juuso Riikola and Vili Saarijärvi. Both members of the defense block were among the best scorers of the Tigers last season.

In the attack, a Finnish offensive can be observed: Saku Mäenalanen, Harri Pesonen and Aleksi Saarela are the creative minds, with Saarela as an internal top scorer with 41 points. They are supported by Julian Schmutz, who scored 21 goals, Dario Rohrbach and the American Sean Malone. This shows that the Tigers not only rely on proven forces, but also give opportunities for young players like Jiri Felcman, who was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks. The two Latvians, Oskars Lapinskis and Darel's ducture, also show that the SCL is also active in the area of youth promotion.

The new campus in Langnau

Another important step towards the future is the opening of the new campus in Langnau, which was inaugurated with a friendly against the Adler Mannheim. This sports center includes a newly built ice area and a modern athletic hall. It is a sign of the commitment of the Tigers to continue to act as an outstanding training center for young hockey players.

In the current test game phase, the team has already achieved remarkable results. After four test areas, the Tigers can look back on victories against Basel (4: 3 n.p.), Biel (5: 2), Rapperswil (3: 2 N.P.) and Davos (4: 2). These results give the tigers' followers hope that a successful season is imminent that may also end in the playoffs.