Ice Hockey at the Movies: A Unique Experience in the Jura Region

Published4. January 2024, 5:23 p.m.

Ice hockey: In the Jura, we explored hockey in the cinema

It’s possible to follow the matches of HC Ajoie and HC Bienne indoors. An experience that we tested recently in Delémont. Reporting.

par

Julien Boegli Delémont

The room, ten minutes before kick-off.

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Shouting your happiness in a movie theater is an unusual practice. However, we find it in Delémont and Bienne where the possibility of attending certain matches outside HC Ajoie and HC Bienne is offered to the public. In these dark rooms where it is fashionable to respect silence, Dave Cattin allows those who wish to express their emotions. It is even recommended.

Director of Cinémont, the Jura native describes himself as a great sports lover. A former amateur footballer, he held the position of football manager of the sport-studies structure of his canton for a decade. Today at the head of the largest cinema complex in Jura, Cattin generously opened the doors of one of his theaters to us in order to experience a hockey match in a different way.

For several years

The Délémontain establishment has been offering this type of event for several years. First in a very occasional manner, during major sporting events such as certain races by motorcycle rider Tom Lüthi, some finals by Roger Federer or even the famous Switzerland-France match of Euro 2021. “I thought that the “supply could meet demand,” he explains to us. There was also the Swiss Cup final won by Ajoie on February 2, 2020 in Lausanne. “One of our first broadcasts. There, we had a full house,” explains Dave Cattin. “For big posters, we are generally crowded.”

More recently, the infrastructures of Bienne (at Cinevital) and Delémont hosted the final of the National League play-offs (for the Zealanders) and the play-off against relegation (for the Ajoulots). “We happened to fill a second room and attract almost 400 people.” From a few broadcasts per season over the last two years, the frequency is now more regular.

At the end of the year, a room was opened to HCA fans for matches in Bern (Thursday 21) and Lugano (Saturday 23). “Only away matches, so as not to compete directly with the clubs, and duels almost exclusively scheduled for weekends.”

A “calm” atmosphere

Curious to know what hockey can be in the cinema, we were tempted by the last outing of the year of the National League’s red lantern in Ticino. But before experiencing this adventure, we obviously wanted to prepare the ground. The expected crowd? “It depends a little on the posters and the team’s latest results. Generally speaking, there are between 10 and 50 spectators,” replies the Delémontain boss.

On this Christmas Eve and despite the success brought back by Ajoie two days earlier from Berne (3-2 in overtime), we should therefore not follow the game in front of a very full audience. “Around twenty people,” predicts Cattin.

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There will be 23 of us in a room, the smallest in the complex, with a maximum capacity of 92 places (capacity of 109 to 368 for the other three). The profile of the audience present? “Rather families (editor’s note: the establishment also offers games rooms and a bowling alley).” What atmosphere should we expect? “Calm,” adds Dave Cattin.

We therefore hope for goals and a Jura victory to end the year. Informed of our presence, Julien, the site technician, welcomed us when we arrived twenty minutes before kick-off. He admits that managing the multiplex prevents him from following the meetings: “I mainly monitor that everything goes well.”

No need for him to play security guard. “We rarely make more than ten entries. And there’s not much noise during goals. The setting is still different.” The projection is too. “A film is projected in DCP format (ed.: digital cinema). For a match, a computer is simply plugged into the projector.”

Room number 3

At reception, two young men take care of entries and supplies. Does a hockey spectator consume more? “In fact, since there are two breaks for an intermission during a film,” they answer us together. Here too, we are warned that the evening will be quiet, far from the hustle and bustle of the ice rink.

Room number 3, so here we are. Ten minutes before the start of the match, around ten people have already taken their seats. There will be twice as many at the first puck release. People who came alone, in twos or threes. A family outing for some. This is the case of Jean-Michel, from Courroux, accompanied by his two grown children. “Popeye”, that’s what he is nicknamed in the Jura, is not customary for this type of practice. “This is the second time I’ve come. This allows you to have another experience. With the sound and the image, the atmosphere is interesting.”

Jean-Michel, who came with his two children.

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He discovered the concept at the end of last season, during the play-outs against Langnau. “There weren’t many more of us.” And the atmosphere during an added goal? “It’s not exultant,” assures this long-time HCA fan.

“Unusual”

The opening of the Jura score after 37 seconds will confirm his words. The early success of the red lantern undoubtedly took everyone by surprise. Just intuition. Gilian Kohler’s 0-2 140 seconds later this time allowed some applause and reactions to escape. Not enough to disturb the tranquility reigning in the neighboring rooms. There will also be some at the end of the first third, which sees Ajoie leading by two lengths.

Twice this spring during the play-off against relegation at La Chaux-de-fonds, Davy, who describes himself as a big follower of the HCA, went to the cinema. This trip to Lugano thus constitutes his third match. “In front of the HCC, the room was almost full. There was another issue, another stress too. And a little more atmosphere, of course. Watching hockey on a big screen is unusual, it also allows you to experience the match differently and away from home,” explains this Delémontain who came alone.

Flora and her mother Nathalie.

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Nathalie, accompanied by her daughter Flora, had not planned to spend her Saturday evening at the cinema. “We were thinking of going to eat something in town,” she confides during the first break. They finally revised their plans. “The victory in Bern on Thursday certainly weighed in our choice,” she adds. The Courtételle supporter has already come with Flora during the play-offs against the HCC. “It was more tense then.”

The scenario is frustrating

No matter the issue, emotions remain more measured at the “cinoche”. “We’re almost a little embarrassed. At the ice rink we feel more free and relaxed, we express ourselves more easily,” explains Nathalie. “The atmosphere was still exceptional during an Ajoulot goal against La Chaux-de-Fonds,” Flora would like to point out. For them, cinema allows them to be more attentive to the progress of the game. “Because at home, we quickly get distracted by our phone or we get up to do something else. There, we stay seated and follow,” continues Nathalie.

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A few groans during a missed pass or restart in the defensive zone and then falls the 0-3 from defender Joel Scheidegger, his first in the National League, in the 25th minute. The floor comes to life slightly. We then say to ourselves that, casually, we have chosen our poster well. Ajoulote production fits perfectly into the “magic of Christmas” concept.

What the twenty or so spectators do not yet know is that the scenario has a less exciting ending. Lugano quickly returned to 3-3 and then ended up winning 6-3. We would have liked to know the audience’s reaction to Ajoie’s success. We will have to be satisfied with that generated by a goal. We knew it was a daring bet. We will therefore have to come back.

An offer far from profitable

2024-01-04 16:40:06
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