Jonas Taibel – McKeen's Hockey

2024 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP – December 30th Game Recaps + Three Stars

Steven Graves — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 15:49:35 +0000

231230 Jonas Taibel of Switzerland celebrates scoring 3-2 during the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship game between Switzerland and Norway on December 30, 2023 in Gothenburg.
Photo: Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN / COP 89 / MI0589

Switzerland 6, Norway 2

A day after losing a hard-fought game against the Slovaks, the Norwegians came into their last game of the tournament with an 0-3 record. This was their biggest game of the tournament, and their best chance at avoiding playing in relegation. The first period started off rough with Simon Meier opening the scoring for the Swiss early after Stian Solberg was caught pinching. A minute later, 2024 NHL draft prospect Leon Muggli took a dangerous boarding penalty where the Swiss saw themselves without the defender for the rest of the game and the Norwegians found themselves on a 5-minute power play opportunity. Unfortunately, the Norwegian power play was discombobulated, and the Swiss ended up with more shorthanded chances on the penalty kill than Norway had on their PP. Before the end of the first period, the Norwegians scored 2 quick goals - a great individual effort on the power play by Martin Johnsen where he cut to the net with speed and beat the Swiss netminder, and a lucky bounce by Patrik Dalen after he tried to make a cross ice pass to his teammate and the puck bounced right back to him for an easy tap in.

The second period was all Switzerland; undisciplined play by Norway led to multiple power play opportunities for the Swiss where they figured out goaltender Markus Stensrud. Three of their four goals in the period were shots taken up high. The goal scorers were Leo Braillard, Jonas Taibel, Rodwin Dionicio and Thierry Schild. The Captain, Taibel ended up with 3 points in this period for the Swiss.The third period saw another goal by Anaheim Ducks prospect Rodwin Dionicio to make the game 6-2 and the Norwegian’s were out of it by then. Jonas Taibel finished the game with 4 points and was all over the ice all game long.

Latvia 6, Germany 2

Latvia came into this game without scoring a goal in the tournament after being shut out by Canada, Sweden and Finland. This game was their best chance at winning and avoiding relegation and although they hadn’t shown competitive up to this point in the tournament, the 6-5 victory against Germany in pre-tournament games meant that this game has always been the one Latvia was looking forward to. The first period was all Latvia - they were controlling the pace of play all period long. 2024 NHL draft prospect Eriks Mateiko opened the scoring for Latvia after a harmless looking shot fooled the German netminder Philipp Dietl and went 5-hole for Latvia’s first of the tournament. Undisciplined play by Lutz led to a man advantage for Latvia and Rubzerts Bukarts made him play with a rocket one timer. Then after lost coverage by Lutz, Peteris Bulans pots Latvia’s third goal of the period.

In the second period, Samuel Schindler gets Germany on the board with a weak wrister entering the zone but Latvia answers after a bad German line change and Rainers Darzins gets in on a partial break to put Latvia back up 3. Another penalty by Lutz allowed Sandis Vilmanis to score a one timer goal to end the period. Vilmanis continued where he left off in the second to make it 6-1 after a strong power move to the net after a nice feed from Bruin’s 4th rounder Dans Locmelis. Germany had a breath of life after Sabres prospect Norwin Panocha snuck in from the point to give the Germans their second goal of the game. However, after Veit Oswald made a dangerous hit from behind that led to a 5-minute power play for Latvia, Germany was out of the game and handed Latvia the win.

Three stars

#1 Jonas Taibel - Switzerland

Switzerland’s captain played a really strong game today and was a major reason why the Swiss defeated the Norwegians. Taibel was all over the ice, facilitating plays and being dangerous throughout. Not only did he score the game winning goal for Team Switzerland (an absolute snipe might I add) but he added three helpers in the game to give him a four-point day, truly a great performance to propel Switzerland to the win.

#2 Sandis Vilmanis - Latvia

Vilmanis, a Florida Panthers fourth round selection, came out to play for the Latvians today in a must win game for the nation. The Sarnia Sting forward was constantly causing headaches for the Germans on the forecheck with his speed and was dangerous when given space in the offensive zone. Vilmanis had two goals in the game including a real nice power move to the front of the net to give Latvia a 6-1 lead.

#3 Rodwin Dioninco - Switzerland

Dionicio, who is the lone NHL drafted player on this Swiss roster played a very strong game for the Swiss in this one. He was constantly joining the rush, thwarting plays all over the ice, being physical and most importantly had 2 of the Swiss’ 6 goals in this game. The Anaheim Ducks prospect showcased his offensive ability on his two goals, one of which was a deadly snipe on the Norwegian goalie, and the other was him cutting to the net showcasing how fearless he can be. All in all an impressive performance.

2023 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP – TEAM PREVIEW – SWITZERLAND

Chapin Landvogt — Sat, 24 Dec 2022 16:33:13 +0000

Attilio Biasca of Switzerland celebrate with teammates after scoring 3-1 during the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship group stage game between Sweden and Switzerland on August 10, 2022 in Edmonton.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN /

Team Switzerland - Group B Preview

There have been times this past decade when a Timo Meier or Nico Hischier were putting up gaudy numbers in the CHL and playing big roles for a competitive WJC squad. A player of this caliber won’t be found on Switzerland’s roster this holiday season, but we’ll let it be known that there have been few Swiss U20 rosters ever to feature this many players currently honing their craft in one of the CHL circuits.

It starts with goaltender Alessio Beglieri (Mississauga) in the OHL where he’s joined by defensemen Rodwin Dionicio (Niagara) and Brian Zanetti (Peterborough). That’s literally only a light note when you see that defenseman Max Streule (Blainville-Boisbriand) and Vincent Despont (Saint John) as well as forwards Attilio Biasca (Halifax), Lorenzo Canonica (Shawinigan), Louis Robin (Val-d’Or), Miles Müller and Jonas Taibel (both Moncton) are all underway in the QMJHL. Sure, there’s no-one here from the WHL, but forward Liekit Reichle spent last season there. In short, only Canada will be fielding a squad with this many CHL players (although the Czechs could make things close).

On top of this, coach Marco Bayer is expected to have Lian Bichsel joining the team directly from the SHL while goaltender Kevin Pasche flies in from Omaha of the USHL. The rest of the team consists of homemade products entirely from the German-speaking portion of the nation who are predominantly busy putting up shiny numbers in the nation’s U20 circuit, a few also getting some good minutes in the second tier SL. One WJC returnee is 5’7” defenseman Dario Sidler, who is the only nominee taking a regular shift in the Swiss NL. What this all means is that as interesting as the options are for Bayer, he’s got quite a jigsaw puzzle to handle coming in while navigating through the preliminary round in Group B that could go all types of ways in the standings.

He won’t have as much time as he likes as the Swiss will be opening the WJC with an early December 26th tilt against a group favorite in Finland. The match-up against the USA will be in Game 3, which will be the 3rd game in 4 days for Switzerland. In between, they’ll face off against Latvia and then wrap things up with Slovakia. Upsets can always be part of the fun (and often are at least once per WJC), but it’s the latter two opponents mentioned who Switzerland will be focusing on and it’s likely going to be the gameday form that is decisive. With Austria and Germany being the two opponents best suited for the Swiss, there won’t be a single “gimme” in the preliminary round. But should a relegation round take place with Switzerland, they’ll be very ready for all takers after this preliminary round.

Of course, all those names on paper should have this team squarely in the quarterfinals. But at whose cost?

10 to Watch

Alessio Beglieri - G

There’s reason to believe that the aforementioned Pasche could be the starter as he’s not only returning from Edmonton, but also played three of four contests there. Still, he lost all of them. Beglieri has fared well enough in the upper scale OHL with a 10-6-2 record and was the starter for the U18 squad last spring in Germany. His 1-2 record was accompanied by some rather unimpressive numbers, but it shouldn’t be surprising if he gets the nod when the money is on the line.

Lian Bichsel - D

Few teams in this event will be able to boast a player such as Bichsel. Alone his size and wingspan will allow him to gobble up a number of oncoming opponents with regularity. He’s a full-fledged SHL player and although there’s little offense of note at that level, he’ll be assuming all sorts of important minutes in all situations. What he doesn’t have is WJC experience, but it will mean little with respect to his role on this team, which is filled with returnees boasting prior experience. A quarterfinal appearance should mean that Bichsel is making an impact every night. He’ll really get to test his metal against Finland and the USA.

Rodwin Dionicio - D

Not the most solid skater around, but plenty athletic and agile, and loves to be involved. Very active on the blueline, Dionicio regularly looks for open ice hits and jumps into the play with aplomb. On some occasions, he’ll even flash some nifty mitts. He’s a vet for this tournament and the program will be looking for him to be a difference-maker, like with a number of the blueliners on board for the ride.

Dario Sidler - D

He’s a bit of a mighty mite at 5’ 7”, but he’s getting things done career-wise and may end up on a pairing with Bichsler. The lone regular in the Swiss NL on this roster, Sidler has been known for years as a strong-skating two-way player who constantly thumps his critics by continually playing capably at any and every level despite his less than impressive size. A 20-point player in the SL last season and returning WJC vet, Sidler may very well end up captaining this team. He’s a righty shot to boot.

Brian Zanetti - D

At 6’3”, 195 pounds, Zanetti is in the midst of his second OHL season and whereas the offense hasn’t really been there, he’s gone from -12 last season to +8 this season. He’s also coming in as a vet of the summer WJC, where he had two assists and a -3 rating. He’ll get loads of minutes, likely on one of the top two pairings. Time to be an impact player if this team wants to remain out of sniffing distance of relegation.

Attilio Biasca - C/LW

Switzerland’s top scorer with four goals and six points at the summer WJC, Biasca has been understood as a skilled player for years now but is only just now seeing that reflected in his QMJHL production - in year three with Halifax. With 27 points in 28 games, he’s a key component of the Moosehead attack and will be expected to continue being just that for Switzerland on the top line. There’s certainly potential for more than a point per game here, which will be sound in light of the very even-keeled competition in round robin play.

Lorenzo Canonica - C

In his third season of play with Shawinigan of the QMJHL, Canonica’s junior career has somewhat mirrored that of Biasca. Both are undrafted and both are coming in as key WJC vets for the Swiss offense, albeit Canonica last played in the 2021 WJC. In addition, his production has been a bit stronger than Biasca’s until this year, albeit he’s pretty much on pace to duplicate last season’s pace. This tournament will present a good opportunity to not only be an impact player for his nation, but also enhance his push for a contract with an NHL organization, if not a selection as an overager in next summer’s draft.

Jonas Taibel - C

Another returnee, the dual citizen Taibel (SUI & AUT) is playing for the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL and is one of two players on this roster for whom this tournament will have some major personal importance. He’s essentially playing for his home country in his hometown. In the summer, he was a key player for the Swiss with two goals, three points, and an even rating. What he’s generally not though is a big scorer. He had just 21 points in 57 games last season and is only on pace for 26 in the same sum of games this season. Alas, there’s a key role waiting for him here and the coaching staff is hoping his emotional ties will have the host country fans on the side of the Swiss every single night, kind of like the surrogate sons in a group not featuring Canada.

Joel Henry - C

He’s been around forever for Hockey Swiss and keeps on chugging in his 5’9” body. He’s currently in his third year of SL play for Küsnacht and the numbers aren’t quite what they were a year ago, but he’s the type of heart ‘n soul player the coaching staff will look to build on, especially with so many of his teammates currently playing their hockey elsewhere in the world. On a team that seems to have a lot of individual talents and a few more question marks, Henry is going to have to be a key glue ingredient if this team is going to experience success.

Miles Müller - C

Like the aforementioned Taibel, Müller is playing his club hockey for the Moncton Wildcats. Like Taibel, he’s a dual citizen (SUI & CAN). Much like an extrapolated Taibel, this will truly be a home-away-from-home tournament for him. And again, like Taibel, he’s on pace for 26 points in 56 games. Unlike Taibel, he’s just 17 and already taking part in his 3rd season of QMJHL play. In fact, he’s a guy the program is very excited about moving forward. This will be the first of what could be three WJC appearances and he’s already docked for a top 9 role on a squad with many options. Keep an eye on him, because the emotional ties to both his nation and host could generate the sympathy in the stands that could play a decent role in backing the Confoederatio Helvetica into the playoffs.

Sleeper:

Louis Robin - RW

Currently on his third QMJHL team in two seasons, Robin is one of the older members of this squad and although he wasn’t part of the summer festivities, he has been part of the program for five years now. After 29 points last season, he’s got 14 in 16 games this season. Only checking in at 5’9”, there’s potential here for him being one of those sneaky guys who pops up several times in the course of the week when the money is on the line. And that’s something this Swiss club is going to need in what should be four fairly tight preliminary round games.

2021 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Team Switzerland Preview

Chapin Landvogt — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 14:35:07 +0000

Switzerland heading to U18 Worlds with its eyes fixed on the quarterfinals

For Coach Marcel Jenni, a long-time national team member, NLA star, and one of the few Swiss players to successfully make an impact in Sweden’s top league, nothing short of a spot in the playoffs for his group of young Swiss players will see this tournament be deemed a success. Despite having seen several pre-tournament test games go by the wayside due to Corona-related cancellations and the absence of several surely desirable players, most especially Lorenzo Canonica of the Shawinigan Cataractes and Switzerland’s 2021 WJC squad, the Swiss legend now finds himself in Texas with a team featuring several top-flight talents and a whole line-up of players who managed to play a full season this winter.

This is not something every team can claim, and the Swiss federation is banking on that being their trump card in no less than their games against Belarus and Latvia in the preliminary round. As long as the multilingual nation can win those games, which they see as must-win opportunities, then the games against Canada and Sweden can be used as measuring sticks and the necessary practice before the playoffs. That would be important considering the weakest possible opponent once there would be a German team that, in essence, is Switzerland’s archrival, and which has had the upper hand on the development front over the past half decade.

The most interesting issue facing coach Jenni, and also the most critical, is which of the three goalies will garner the bulk of the number one duties. Each of Mathieu Croce, Kevin Pasche, and Niels Riesen served as his U20 team’s prime starter, Pasche and Riesen more so than Croce, but not one of them had a GAA under 3.22 and only Croce saw action above the U20 level, getting shellacked in one NL outing. Whoever Jenni tips his hat to will have the weight of the world on him for no less than the games against Belarus and Latvia. Nonetheless, in this crazy worldwide pandemic, it can basically be seen as a heavy advantage to be able to lean on three goalies who were all starters somewhere this winter.

Every member of the defensive unit got into at least 28 games this season and each one put up at least 10 points. All found themselves in the plus column with Tiziano Pauchard leading the way with a +25. On the flip side, only Dario Sidler saw pro action, albeit with impressive seven games for Zug in the NL and another 24 for Zug Academy in the SL. Brian Zanetti had a very strong winter and would have been a much more recognized commodity here had the OHL held a season. He was scheduled to suit up for the Peterborough Petes.

Up front, the team features a potpourri of forwards who had scoring roles for their respective teams and there’s really no telling what that will mean at this tournament. Does the forward corps consist of too many chiefs and not enough Indians? Does the level of play in the Swiss U20 league pale considerably in comparison to the level of play so many opponents experienced in various pro ranks this season? Will it play any role whatsoever in the chemistry department that no more than two forwards are coming from any one team?

No matter how coach Jenni and his staff deal with the constrictions that the worldwide pandemic has presented to just about every contestant, the goal is clear and, on paper, very realistic. In fact, anything less than a 4th place finish in Group A would be just about shocking, but the federation hopes to have learned its lessons from the WJC and has this group more prepared to get the job done in the must-win scenarios of the preliminary round. As history has shown time and again, anything can happen once you’re in the playoffs.

Five to Watch

Dario Sidler, D Age: 17 H/W: 5-7/152/ Shoots: R

On the back of three goals, 14 points, and a +11 in 20 U20 league games, the 17-year-old saw action in five NL games and then another 24 SL in which he collected another goal and six points, coming in with a -5 rating. Put simply, this was an excellent season for a player his age and many were surprised that he was one of the final cuts for the WJC squad. He’ll be on it next winter for sure though. In the meantime, the right shot defenseman should be one of Switzerland's key contributors at this tournament thanks to his outstanding skating and overall on-ice awareness. He understands the game well and has a keen ability to sidestep physical play, which is understandable in his case as he measures in at just 5’7” and 152 pounds!

Brian Zanetti, D Age: 18 H/W: 6-2/170/ Shoots: L

We’d really know the book on Zanetti had he spent a full season playing OHL hockey, but that will have to wait until next year. Hopefully. For now, you can get a glimpse of this all-round defenseman who moves well and engages himself in all three zones. He potted nine goals and 29 points in 41 games for Lugano while putting up a +13 rating. At 6’2”, 178-pounds, he’s a bit on the lean side, but won’t need to shy away from any of the rough stuff and should have good amount of motivation when it comes time to face Canada in light of his OHL ambitions.

Lian Bichsel, D Age: 16 H/W: 6-4/207/ Shoots: L

We can’t promise that Bichsel will have a big role in Jenni’s plans, but we’d be surprised if he didn’t. After all, the 16-year-old not only had a strong U20 season against players several years older with 28 points and a +11 rating in 45 games, but he also got his feet wet in four NL contests. Oh, and did we mention that he’s already 6’4” and 207 pounds? Yes, you read right. First eligible in the 2022 draft, he’ll be yet another one of the many talents scouts will be able to get real excited about next winter as there are some wonderful tools here despite a body that would have most adolescents his age tripping all over themselves.

Attilio Biasca, C/LW Age: 18 H/W: 6-0/185/ Shoots: L

The lone U18 team member from this winter’s disappointing WJC squad (one goal in three games), Biasca is clearly the team’s star and most important player in this tournament. He’s not only the best skater on the team and its most skilled player, but also has the most multifaceted winter behind him. He kicked off the season with Zug’s U20 club, where he racked up 18 points in 19 games and earned a cameo appearance in four games for the organization’s SL team (one goal). He also suited up for 19 QMJHL games for one of the league’s poorer teams, collecting two goals, eight points, and a -10 in the process. That brings us to Texas, where Biasca will be a key for the entire tournament, but hopefully for coach Jenni, the absolute difference maker in the first two games against Belarus and Latvia.

Liekit Reichle, C Age: 18 H/W: 6-0/170/ Shoots: L

Reichle is half Swiss, half Thai, and measures in at 6’1”, 183 pounds. He was the U20 circuit’s third best scorer this winter with 20 goals and 75 points despite having only played in 43 of his team’s 48 games. He also got into five games with the Küsnacht Lions of the SL, going scoreless in the process. Having just turned 18 in late January, we’ve got the strong playmaker with above average puck-protection skills pegged as one of the nation’s top five first year draft eligible players and he’ll be looking to use this tournament to get his name permanently etched into the scout’s notebooks.

Sleeper

Jonas Taibel, C/LW

Age: 16 H/W: 5-11/172/ Shoots: LThere are several candidates for this category, but we’ve simply got to bring Taibel to your attention. The 16-year-old was second overall in U17 league scoring despite playing 13 fewer games than the league’s third leading scorer, clipping at two points per game with 27 goals and 66 points in 33 games, accompanied by a +23 rating. He then suited up for 14 U20 league games and the scoring continued, seeing him get six goals and 18 points there. That production even got him into one game of NL play where he earned his first penalty and ended the night with a -1 rating. A talented player who is constantly creating offensive chances, it is going to be very interesting to see what he’s able to do at this tournament. Could this 5’11”, 172-pound trickster be another Kevin Fiala in the making?