Introduce yourself to the new people in Lausanne. Image: KEYSTONE
–
Eismeister Zaugg
Lausanne rocks – a little wild east in the wild west
Lausanne has now officially new owners and a registered NHL player agent as sports director. With the Canadian striker Cory Conacher, a top-class foreigner has been signed for next season.
Czech entrepreneur Zdenek Bakala and Russian-American financier Gregory Finger are the investors who have officially bought Lausanne. The new sports director Petr Svoboda is also a shareholder of his employer. It is assured that none of the new owners own a majority of the shares.
To put it a bit bulky: An investor is a market participant who enters a business for the purpose of long-term capital appreciation. When investors invest their money in our ice hockey, something is going on. And sometimes things get out of hand. The EHC Kloten, for example, is not well received by investors in sport. After the two investors Philippe Gaydoul and Ken Stickney, Hans-Ulrich Lehmann only had the orderly sporting retreat to the second-highest league.
The problem: It is not possible to increase wealth by joining a hockey company in Switzerland. Kloten’s unfortunate investment by Philippe Gaydoul had led to Ken Stickney’s undoing. The American, who had made the mistake of making money with hockey in Switzerland, decided to leave Lausanne after his departure from Kloten.
Life of patrons
Foreign investors are blinded by the splendor of our hockey: the highest number of viewers outside the NHL, high sporting level, prosperity and legal certainty in the country. But after starting out with timpani and trumpets, after announcing glorious masterly times, disillusionment and the search for a way out of the minus business often follow.
Philippe Gaydoul has speculated in Kloten. Image: KEYSTONE
–
In Geneva, the Anschutz group only went on because Chris McSorley bought the club from the Americans and has been running it since then in such a way that he should actually be granted the city’s honorary citizenship. And Ken Stickney has now managed to entrust Lausanne to the efficient financiers and business people from Eastern Europe.
Our hockey doesn’t live from investors. Our hockey lives on patrons. So from men and women who invest their money in the hockey business and expect no profit and no return (except maybe some recognition). Because they love this sport and not because they want to increase their wealth. Because still applies: The best way to make a small fortune in the hockey business is to start with a large fortune.
Now Lausanne has new foreign owners. Honorable gentlemen who – like Zdenek Bakala and Gregory Finger – have been resident in Switzerland for years and are familiar with the local conditions. And have certainly experienced a lot. Even state television has already reported a lot of interesting things about the “Kapitalista” Zdenek Bakala and its business in the Czech Republic.
Are old debts paid?
But what do we care about stories from the “wild east”? Maybe it’s just a conspiracy against an honorable entrepreneur and crown billionaire and doesn’t need to interest us.
Ville Peltonen’s chances of getting his money are increasing. It is clear that the Finnish coach, who was fired from a two-year contract, has meanwhile taken legal action and his name is on the list of creditors who want to get their money by enforcement.
Lausanne still owes Ville Peltonen. Image: KEYSTONE
–
Sports director Petr Svoboda has confirmed that Peltonens agent Juha Sintonen does not yet agree. But the matter would be settled. The honorable new owners will certainly do everything they can to settle open bills and put an end to the talk of debt and debt enforcement. The point is to instill trust.
Shops under «petit copains»
Sports director Petr Svoboda promises the most excitement in daily business. The 54-year-old Czech is the successor to Jan Alston, who after nine years of successful work was put on the doorstep on February 27.
Petr Svoboda has already settled in well in Welschland. The Stanley Cup winner from 1986 (Montréal) and Olympic gold medalist from 1998 obviously maintains the charming management style that the Germans call “petit copains”. He hired his older brother Karel as a “skill coach” and a villain who criticizes family sense. The new trainer Craig McTavish is an old buddy from the NHL days in Philadelphia and another scoundrel who questions true friendship with men. Expertise is more important. Craig McTavish was a multiple Stanley Cup winner as a player and at least a Stanley Cup finalist as head coach. And it is practical that Lausanne’s sports director is entered in the register of NHL player agents.
Petr Svoboda and Craig McTavish – old buddies from NHL times. Image: KEYSTONE
–
Petr Svoboda, however, has since stated that he has withdrawn from the agent business. And obviously he is a good sports director with his experience from more than 1000 NHL games. Guarantors report that he has already signed Cory Conacher (30) for next season. The Canadian striker was a key player in the 2016 SCB championship team and has been under contract with the Tampa NHL organization since then. Petr Svoboda last defended in the NHL in Tampa.
Wild east in the wild west
The new owners and the new sports director are bringing a little “wild east” to Lausanne. What is not meant to be pejorative is God before it. But as a compliment for a rich entertainment culture. After all, hockey is also part of the entertainment industry in Welschland. And President Patrick de Preux assures that HC Lausanne has never been in better hands than it is now with the new owners. However, he praised this when Ken Stickney became the club’s new owner on February 17, 2016.
HC Lausanne has passionate fans and an eventful history. We can benevolently call Lausanne’s hockey culture the sporty “wild west” of our hockey. Since 1980, Lausanne has descended from the heights of the NLA to the 1st division, mastered several renovations, has risen splendidly, now has a wonderful new arena and, for the first time in history, a team that won the titans in the title fight can challenge German-speaking Switzerland.
And isn’t it a good omen that Lausanne beat SC Bern (3-2) in the last game of the season on February 29, under new coach Craig McTavish (3-2) and toppled out of the playoffs? February 29, however, is only every four years.
Since you have scrolled this far, we assume that you like our journalistic offer. As you may know, we recently decided not to introduce a login requirement at watson. There will also be no payment barriers with us. We do not want to create any barriers to access to watson because we believe that in a democracy everyone should be able to get information easily and at any time. If you still want to support us with a small amount, please do so here.
—
–
