ZSC Lions

Last updated
ZSC Lions
ZSC Lions logo.svg
City Zürich, Switzerland
League National League
Founded1930
Home arena Swiss Life Arena
Colors   
Owner(s)Sven Kunz
General manager Sven Leuenberger
Head coach Marco Bayer
Captain Patrick Geering
Affiliate GCK Lions
Website www.zsclions.ch
Franchise history
1930–1997Zürcher SC
1997–presentZSC Lions
Hockey current event.svg Current season

The Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions are a professional ice hockey team located in Zürich, Switzerland, playing in the National League (NL). Their home arena is the 12,000-seat Swiss Life Arena. The team was founded in 1930 and played at the Dolder-Kunsteisbahn from its establishment until 1950. [1] Between 1950 and 2022 they played at the Hallenstadion.

Contents

History

ZSC Lions were formed in 1997 as a result of the merger of the two local teams: the highly popular Zürcher Schlittschuh Club (German for "Zürich Skating Club"), who were struggling financially in National League A, and the ice hockey section of Grasshopper Club Zürich of the National League B, backed by entrepreneur and billionaire Walter Frey. [2]

ZSC was the first Swiss team to play in an indoor arena (Hallenstadion). They won the Swiss championship in the years 1936, 1949 and 1961 and the prestigious Spengler Cup in 1944 and 1945. After the merger, the ZSC Lions won the Swiss Championship in 2000, 2001, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2018, and moreover won the IIHF Continental Cup in 2001 and 2002.

Champions Hockey League and Victoria Cup

The first overall NHL draft pick (2016) Auston Matthews with the ZSC Lions during the 2015-16 regular season Auston Matthews IMG 7890.jpg
The first overall NHL draft pick (2016) Auston Matthews with the ZSC Lions during the 2015–16 regular season

During the 2008–09 Season, the ZSC Lions participated in the first ever Champions Hockey League. For the group stage, they were placed in group D with HC Slavia Praha and Linköpings HC. The Lions qualified for the semi-finals with a 3–1 record, first place in the group. With their defeats of the Finnish Espoo Blues, 6–3 and 4–1 respectively, they qualified for the tournament final. The first leg of the final was held on January 21, 2009 in the Magnitogorsk Arena where the Lions came back from a 0–2 deficit to Metallurg Magnitogorsk to end with a 2–2 tie. [3] The second leg was played a week later, on January 28, 2009, in the Diners Club Arena in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland. ZSC Lions won the game and the Silver Stone Trophy with a 5–0 victory.

With their victory in the Champions Hockey League, the ZSC Lions qualified to play the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League for the 2009 edition of the Victoria Cup challenge. Playing at their home arena, the Lions upset the Blackhawks with a 2–1 victory, winning the trophy. [4] It was the first time since 1991 that the Blackhawks had lost to a club in Europe.

Honors

Players

Current roster

Updated 19 August 2024

No. Nat Player Pos S/G AgeAcquiredBirthplace
10 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Sven Andrighetto RW L32 2020 Sumiswald, Switzerland
18 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Nicolas Baechler W L22 2023 Illnau-Effretikon, Switzerland
38 Flag of Latvia.svg Rūdolfs Balcers LW L28 2023 Liepāja, Latvia
14 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Chris Baltisberger RW R33 2012 Zofingen, Switzerland
77 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Timo Bünzli D L20 2024 Zurich, Switzerland
28 Flag of Sweden.svg Jesper Frödén RW R30 2023 Stockholm, Sweden
4 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Patrick Geering  ( C ) D L35 2008 Zurich, Switzerland
70 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marlon Graf W R22 2023 Wettingen, Switzerland
27 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Derek Grant C L35 2023 Abbotsford, Canada
7 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Joel Henry C L22 2024 Münsterlingen, Switzerland
91 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Denis Hollenstein  ( A )  Injury icon 2.svg LW L35 2018 Mosnang, Switzerland
30 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Šimon Hrubec G L34 2022 Vimperk, Czech Republic
72 Flag of Finland.svg Santtu Kinnunen D R26 2024 Lahti, Finland
46 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Dean Kukan D L32 2022 Volketswil, Switzerland
83 Flag of Finland.svg Juho Lammikko C L29 2022 Noormarkku, Finland
44 Flag of Finland.svg Mikko Lehtonen D L31 2022 Turku, Finland
62 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Denis Malgin  ( A ) C R28 2023 Olten, Switzerland
54 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Christian Marti D L32 2016 Bülach, Switzerland
8 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Willy Riedl W L27 2021 Dielsdorf, Switzerland
9 Flag of Austria.svg Vinzenz Rohrer C R20 2023 Rankweil, Austria
33 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Jan Schwendeler D L21 2024 Zug, Switzerland
13 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Justin Sigrist C L26 2019 Hombrechtikon, Switzerland
86 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Dario Trutmann D R32 2019 Zug, Switzerland
29 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Daniil Ustinkov D L19 2024 Zurich, Switzerland
6 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Yannick Weber D R36 2021 Morges, Switzerland
12 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Yannick Zehnder C L27 2023 Zug, Switzerland
40 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Robin Zumbühl G L26 2024 Urdorf, Switzerland

References

  1. ↑ "1930 bis heute | ZSC Lions". www.zsclions.ch. Archived from the original on 2016-04-16. Retrieved 2016-05-29.
  2. ↑ "ZSC-Lions Brochure" (PDF) (in German). zsclions.ch. 2021-07-13. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  3. ↑ "Game Summary" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-02-06. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  4. ↑ "Blackhawks suffer first loss to European club since '91". ESPN.com. 2009-09-29. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
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