Rikard Grönborg is a punctual man. But on Thursday morning he postponed the Meeting with the Team that was scheduled at 9.15 am, first, a quarter of an hour, then several times for a further ten minutes. The ZSC-Cracks waited in the wardrobe, in anticipation of the Inevitable. In order to 10.04 at sports chief Sven Leuenberger came in and announced the season was canceled. The players were still on the ice and "chnebleten" to ventilate their heads.

the ZSC Lions in April 2018 in Lugano last won the title, wouldn't you have thought that you would play it twice with no Playoff. 2019 you missed it sporty, this time the Coronavirus came up. "It feels like a Déjà-vu," said Chris Baltisberger. "Although we have to blame this time, nothing."

Flüeler: "It hurts a lot"

Goalie Lukas Flüeler brought the Mix of feelings to the point: "We are proud to improve on our season, we have a lot of things. But it hurts a lot that we can show that we are a championship team."

A quirk of fate would have it, on this Thursday, the appointment was scheduled, the ZSC-players, and Grönborg were, once again, to the media, before the full concentration to the Playoff Start the following Tuesday would apply. Now the talks with the journalists for the first part of the processing of this incomprehensible Situation. "Strange it is," said Chris Baltisberger. "Yeah, it's weird. That's the right word."

Grönborg was, meanwhile, an effort to sum up his first ZSC-year: "I am proud of the development of the players. And I'm proud of the direction in which we are gone," he said. To add: "But at the Moment, I am quite empty." It is good to be able to in these turbulent times, the ice hockey focus have to come every day to the rink to. "It was like a liberation. On the ice we can control things more or less."

"I think we had a very good Chance at the title. But it would have made no sense."ZSC-striker Simon Bodenmann

Grönborgs wife Dawnie is American, he has the US passport. You will need to advise where you can spend with her two daughters the next weeks and months. Your home in Sweden they have sold. Grönborgs father is not alive, his mother lives in Stockholm. "I feel very safe in Switzerland," he said. "But maybe we want to be close to my wife's family in Salt Lake City." As a US citizen you can still fly to America, despite the entry ban of Donald Trump. But it is recommended to hurry. Garrett Roe and Maxim Noreau, the North Americans, grabbed at her things.

time to sort out her feelings, not remained the ZSC-players is still large. "According to the Swiss government's decision, the case was clear for me," said Simon Bodenmann. "I was looking forward to play with the ZSC at the indoor stadium Playoff. I think we would have had a very good Chance at the title. But it would have made no sense." He added: "After last year, where we knew right where we stand, we have now found our identity."

when following the world Cup?

How to do it in the next few days, know no one, exactly. The foreigners who are traveling, but what the Swiss do? And it is for the national players, and there are some that still appears to hold for any world Cup fit? In the meantime, has already written the well-known "Hockey News", the world Cup will be cancelled. What is the world Association denied via Twitter immediately. But it will only be a matter of time. Meanwhile, the U-18 world championship in Michigan (from 16. April) deleted.

"If I've learned in the last few days and weeks, it's that you should not currently have to look too far ahead," said ZSC-Captain Patrick Geering. He was going to keep the next days, maybe on the Limmat river go Jogging, as long as it has to be allowed. "Currently, I only have a fixed date," said Geering, before he said: "at 13 o'clock at the hairdressers. Since I wanted to get my Playoff hairstyle."

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Created: 13.03.2020, 06:01 PM