SIHF's supervisory board lifts suspension of Lian Bichsel

The controversy surrounding Lian Bichsel’s suspension from the Swiss men’s national team appears to be coming to an end. As Klaus Zaugg (“"Watson"”) reports, the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation’s supervisory board has lifted the suspension of the 21-year-old Dallas Stars defenseman.

This means that Bichsel could potentially participate in the upcoming home World Championship should the Stars be eliminated early from the NHL playoffs. According to Zaugg, it is now up to new head coach Jan Cadieux to decide whether to call up Bichsel if the opportunity arises.

Zaugg further reports that some NHL players, led by Roman Josi, are said to have asked SIHF President Urs Kessler and the supervisory board on Sunday evening to reinstate Patrick Fischer to his position. Kessler, as Zaugg writes, subsequently held talks with various parties, and the situation is said to have calmed down. Furthermore, as things stand, the NHL players scheduled to join the team next week are not expected to withdraw.