All eleven games and the marketing sold out, high athletic performance with two new finalists and a new winner – no surprise that the head of the organizing committee, Marc Gianola, looks back at the 96th Spengler Cup with plenty of satisfaction – an interview.

Marc Gianola, what is your assessment?

The athletic level was very high, the atmosphere in and around the stadium fantastic. Where else will you see fans of two opposite teams celebrating in the stands together peacefully? We were showered in praise from the international side. In Fribourg-Gotteron and the Straubing Tigers, there were two clubs in the final, that have never won a major title in their club’s history. For HCD, the Spengler Cup win in 2000 was the beginning of a long series of titles in the championship as well. One has to learn to win.

The Straubing Tigers came to the Spengler Cup an underdog. Their invitation was a lucky strike for the Spengler Cup!

That is once again incredibly wonderful Spengler Cup story. It shows that talent, a highly rated team, and a lot of money are not the most important thing, but rather passion and a good collective.

In Dynamo Pardubice and Team Canada, the two most commonly named title favourites were defeated by the Straubing Tigers…

Dynamo Pardubice was in my opinion one of the best teams in regard to its roster. But we have seen that with the right virtues it is possible to topple even such a highly regarded team. That is what distinguishes the Spengler Cup. It is amazing that, despite two losses in the group stage, our tournament format makes it possible to play for the title.

Team Canada still has to wait for its next tournament victory!

The Canadians showed an extremely solid performance in their opening day 6-2 win over HCD. Despite their preliminary round win over Straubing, they displayed certain problems. Generally speaking, the level of play of all six team was quite close this year. Every one had the ability to beat each other. That is also what makes the Spengler Cup so exciting. And when things fit on the ice, then everything fits all around. Karpat Oulu may have lost all three of its games at its Spengler Cup premiere. Nonetheless, in my opinion, it was the best Finnish team in Davos in the past ten years.

Can you say anything about next year’s participants yet?

HCD and Team Canada, whose federation we have a contract with, are set. From Finland the best-placed team which is not qualified for the Champions Hockey League always comes. Generally speaking, we wait until the end of the tournament. Various clubs from different nations have shown interest. The tournament winner will obviously get another invitation.

All eleven games were sold out with 6,267 in attendance. The marketing was sold out as well. What is the recipe for success?

Good sport, even games, and teams, that show full effort. If players are willing to block shots with their upper bodies or even their heads, then the spectators acknowledge that with excitement. That is the Spengler Cup’s key to success. The tournament’s setup offers something for everyone: for the sports fanatics in the stadium, for the very young ones in the fan tent with public viewing as well as live concerts, and for those who like it more lavish, the VIP area in the Loft provides the opportunity for fine dining.
 

Text: Spengler Cup Onlineredaktion    Foto: Keystone