According to Geneve-Servette head coach, general manager and part-owner Chris McSorley, playing in the Champions Hockey League and Spengler Cup bring with them the same set of challenges, as far as adjusting to different styles of play. 

by Andreas Reiner

DAVOS, Switzerland – Geneve-Servette apparently can't get enough of inter-league competition. For the second year in a row, the Swiss club is playing in the Spengler Cup, and they've advanced to the semi-finals after winning their first two games. They also competed in this year's Champions Hockey League with a B license after qualifying for the NLA semi-finals. After tying for first place in Group C along with Frolunda Gothenburg – who are still in the competition – they fell to SaiPa Lappeenranta in the eighth-final round in heartbreaking fashion – squandering a two-goal advantage in the second game and then losing in a shootout. 

The team now has work ahead of it in order to re-qualify for the CHL, currently sitting in sixth place in the 12-team Swiss domestic circuit. One of the teams that they will battle against to claim one of the two coveted B-license entries is HC Davos, who host the Spengler Cup annually and are also in the semis. After his team's second victory, Geneve head coach, general manager and part-owner Chris McSorley spoke briefly about his team's current situation, and compared the Spengler Cup to the CHL.

You've now qualified for the Spengler Cup semi-finals. After two wins in two games, it couldn't have gone better for you guys.

No, right now things are going really well and to qualify for the semi-finals is once again something to be very thankful for. It was a huge effort from the players - they've earned it. We were best team on the ice these last two games and certainly we can't feel bad about our position. And I still feel, as a team, we still have the chance to play much better than how we are, so I'm very happy.

What are the differences between the games you played in the Champions Hockey League compared to the Spengler Cup?

They're very, very similar. You're playing teams with systems that are completely different from what you're used to and it puts you in a position where you really have to make some adjustments on the go because they do some really crazy things in the offensive zone and if you don't make the adjustments you're gonna be embarrassed and it's very similar in the CHL. You're playing teams and countries with completely different systems to go against.

How disappointed were you that your team failed to make the CHL quarter-finals?

We were disappointed, you know. I have to give congratulations to the entire management of the Champions Hockey League for a job well done. First year, it was a great experience and we're gonna fight hard to try to get back into the Champions Hockey League. We really wish we would have gotten through SaiPa. We would have gone on but I have give SaiPa credit, they played us really well and they deserved to move on. Our team just didn't match their intensity for the second game and that's why they were in the top eight and we weren't.