It’s almost an anomaly … Ge / Servette who receives Bern (8th) as leader after 34 days of the championship, it’s kind of the world upside down. Only here, the Eagles have turned the league upside down. With the cheek of their youth, certainly, but also and above all thanks to the work of ant provided by each. From Jimmy the historic “mat chef” to Deniss Smirnovs, the rising star, to a quartet of strangers as involved as they are inspired, each contributes to the great climb to the top.
The story written at Les Vernets finds a nice echo across the country. We are interested in these Eagles playing on a cloud. And we are necessarily interested in the one who had been greeted with more shrugs and eyebrows than thumbs.
Tömmernes under the spell
And yet, since taking his seat on the Ge / Servette bench, Pat Emond has amazed. But what is the secret of this coach who succeeded in taking the big leap from the juniors to the elite as if nothing had happened? “For us, the players, it is not a surprise to see him succeed in his adaptation,” says Arnaud Jacquemet. He has had success with the Elite juniors and it is anything but trivial. You don’t win two titles by chance. On the tactical level, the game patterns, the game plans, there is no fundamental difference. It was mainly in his relationship with the players that he had to adapt. But as soon as he appeared before us, he was comfortable and his speech, clear, found takers. “
Defense Minister Henrik Tömmernes also fell in love with his new coach, the third in three years for the Swede. After Craig Woodcroft and Chris McSorley, he discovered the Pat Emond method and suddenly saw his best streak in Switzerland under the orders of the Quebecois. “He is someone who knows hockey perfectly and has been a great player,” he said. So he has this sensitivity of the game. What strikes me the most, and it is also what he transmits to the group, is his calm. “
Specific profile
The man laughs. “It wasn’t always the case, but I learned to be less emotional. Above all, I learned to turn my tongue in my mouth seven times before speaking. You are rarely good when you express yourself too much on the spot. “On the bench, behind his players, he exudes real serenity which does not rhyme with passivity. Nothing to do with the sometimes surreal attitude that a Craig Woodcroft, who seemed inert, absent, could adopt. Pat Emond communicates with accuracy. “He is able to explain things without shouting even after a mistake,” smiles Simon Le Coultre. For a young player, it’s really important. We feel that he has lived with the juniors and that he can do it. “
“He has an immense knowledge of the sport and a very sharp vision of the game”
Simon Le Coultre Defender of Ge / Servette
At 54, Pat Emond is a neophyte (who is not really one, in reality) with a very particular profile. He knew the game before to better approach the game now. “He has an immense knowledge of the sport and a very sharp vision of the game,” says Simon Le Coultre. With him, we play a very modern hockey where each player is involved both on the offensive and defensive level. He doesn’t forbid anyone from going to score a goal. ”The implementation of this game system has raised some concerns this summer. “We particularly take care of the revival with small games, underlines Arnaud Jacquemet. And it’s true that this way of doing things generates a little more waste. Once some small details have been settled, everything is in place and it is now a real pleasure to play like this. “
Not by accident
Pat Emond could bulge his chest. But the guy is rather of the modest type. “I don’t pretend anything,” he said. I’m just doing my job. And I’m also lucky to be on a team that works wonderfully. Don’t be afraid to surround yourself with the right people. It was my desire from the start to have a group with me. The job of coaching has become so sophisticated and specialized that it cannot be done by one person. With Jan Cadieux, Louis Matte and Sébastien Beaulieu, we form a united and complementary team. If I can’t get a message across to a player, Louis or Jan may be able to do it. “
This fine team seems to be doing just fine. Each time-out, each tactical rearrangement, each change of line makes sense. And if Geneva Servette receives Bern without trembling, as a leader, it is anything but the result of chance.
And even less an anomaly.
Created: 10.01.2020, 10.45 am
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