In recent years, René Fasel has often spent more time in Vancouver, Canada than anywhere besides the Zurich headquarters of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in his native Switzerland. The IIHF President chairs the IOC Coordination Commission for the 2010 Winter Olympics, and he visits Canada’s leading West Coast city regularly to make sure […]

Originally published on HockeyCanada.ca in 2005 By Lucas Aykroyd Without David Aebischer, Switzerland would have nothing to brag about in World Junior hockey history. That’s a strong statement, but considering the Fribourg-born goalie led the Swiss to their only medal ever in 1998 (the bronze) with a stunning 1.58 GAA, it holds true. The intensely […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2003 By Lucas Aykroyd There’s no doubt about it. Serving as the President of the International Ice Hockey Federation can be a complex juggling act. After all, René Fasel doesn’t just oversee the development of hockey in 63 member nations. The 53-year-old Swiss native also bears the chief responsibility for […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd In the NHL’s Original Six era, guessing the nationalities of the players was easier than scoring into an empty net on a clear-cut breakaway. During the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s, all NHLers were Canadians, except for a handful of talented Americans like goalie Frank Brimsek and […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd David Aebischer’s first job was installing heating units. But the 22-year-old rookie Swiss netminder will have to cool his heels for a while with the Colorado Avalanche. That’s life when you’re the backup to an all-star workhorse like Patrick Roy. Aebischer realizes he’s already surprised a […]