Advertisement

World junior championship: Team Switzerland aims to capture second ever medal

Kelly Friesen

GROUP B: Switzerland

2013 finish: Sixth place
2013 round-robin record: 1-0-3-0, 16 GF/ 14 GA

Yahoo! Canada Sports has asked North American-based players, some of whom are playing in the world junior championship, to break down their national teams.

It has been over a decade since Switzerland captured their first and only medal at the world junior championship when they defeated the Czech Republic for bronze in 1998. Since then, the closest they have come to capturing a medal was when the Nino Niedereiter-led 2010 squad fell to Sweden in the bronze-medal game.

The odds are clearly stacked against Switzerland to break their 16-year medal drought in Sweden this year. They have a handful of notable players such as San Jose Sharks first-round pick Mirco Mueller, Toronto Maple Leafs forward prospect Fabrice Herzog and NHL draft prospect Kevin Fiala, but they ultimately seem to be too thin in the talent department to finish in the tourney’s top three. Nonetheless, as they proved in 2010, strong goaltending and timely goals can open the door to an upset.

“It would be a great to win a medal,” says Mueller, who plays for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. “I know we have players who’ve been drafted into NHL and play in the CHL. I think we’ll have a good team and if we battle hard we should be able to try for a medal.”

Switzerland will look to Mueller to lead the team as the 6-foot-4, 209-pound defenceman is head and shoulders ahead of all his teammates in terms of how big of an impact he can make. The 18-year-old, whom the Sharks selected No. 18 overall in the 2013 draft, will log heavy minutes and anchor both the penalty kill and power play.

“I’ll have more responsibility this year, but I don’t feel more pressure,” says Mueller, who has scored three goals and 11 points in 29 games with the Silvertips this year. “I think everyone has to work hard. We need the whole team working hard. But I know I will play lots of minutes and will need to help lead.”

Unlike past years where Switzerland counted on top-notch scorers such as Niedereiter and Calgary Flames first-rounder Sven Baertschi, they don’t have a high NHL draft prospect this year. They, however, do have some notable talent up front with Herzog, Fiala, and North Bay Battalion sniper Vincent Praplan.

“He’s a good player that will help us a lot,” says Mueller on Herzog. “But we need every forward to work hard. We won’t have the most talented forwards in the tournament, so they need to work hard every game. It has to be a team effort with everyone helping.”

Mevlin Nyffeler is returning between the pipes for the second straight year. He held his own last year in Ufa, posting a 3.67 average and .902 save percentage throughout four games. It is crucial for the 19-year-old to have a stellar performance, similar to how Benjamin Conz played in 2011, for Switzerland to have a chance at winning a medal.

“He’s a big part of our team,” says Mueller. “He’s a good goalie that can bail us out of mistakes. It means a lot for him to be back with us. He’s a good enough goalie to maybe steal us some games.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Defenceman Mirco Mueller (Everett Silvertips, WHL): Switzerland can’t afford for Mueller to have a couple of bad games. He will be eating up 25-plus minutes a night while up against team’s top scorers. The pressure is on the Sharks’ prized pick to shine on the big stage.

Forward Fabrice Herzog (Quebec Remparts, QMJHL): As the Leafs’ 142nd overall pick of the 2013 draft, Herzog is the flashiest name in Switzerland’s offense. In addition to his NHL draft pick status, he brings size, standing 6-foot-2, 198-pounds, and a knack for finding the back of the net as he has notched 20 goals and 29 points in 34 games with the Remparts this year.

Goalie Mevlin Nyffeler (GC Küsnacht Lions, NLB): It goes without saying that Switzerland will live and die by Nyffeler. They will be relying on the 5-foot-10, 172-pound puck stopper to give them a chance to win every game.

Forward Dario Simion (Lugano, NLA): The 6-foot-2, 187-pound winger put himself on the international map last year with a strong world junior performance as he netted two goals and five points in six games. He will be heavily relied on to carry on in Sweden where he left off at last year’s tourney.

Forward Vincent Praplan (North Bay Battalion, OHL): The 19-year-old winger has made a silky smooth transition to major junior this year from the Elite Jr. A League, scoring 13 goals and 27 points in 33 contests.

Forward Kevin Fiala (HV71 J20, SuperElit): The 5-foot-11, 194-pound winger is regarded as Switzerland’s top 2014 NHL draft prospect. The proof was in the pudding when the 17-year-old, who has potted 10 goals and 24 points in 26 games with HV71, earned a B-list ranking in NHL Central Scouting Service’s preliminary ranking.

MUST WIN GAME: Norway (Dec. 30, 7 p.m.)

If Switzerland cannot pull off an upset in their first two games against Sweden and Russia, they will need a win in their third contest against Norway. Ultimately, they will be favoured to take the game and a win could boost their confidence for their fourth match against Finland.

Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen