Interviewed by the Südostschweiz, Marc Gianola, CEO of HC Davos, explains some of their ideas, starting from the introduction of a soft salary cap, which involves setting an annual maximum payroll to which the clubs should adhere. "Such an upper limit automatically leads to a more balanced league, because everyone operates with similar wage totals. If a club does not adhere to this limit, it pays a fine into a solidarity fund. This money could then be distributed to the clubs or be used as a solidarity guarantee for federal loans" clarifies the former defenseman.
Gianola also talks about the relegation system: “In principle, I am in favor of a league with promotions and relegations. And yet we have a problem today: the fear of relegation is too great. One solution for the future, for example, would be to increase the permeability of the leagues and the possibility to sign contracts that would be valid also in the Swiss League for at least a year.”
Regarding the Spengler Cup, whose organizational committee is lead by Gianola, the 46-year-old explains that planning is hardly possible at the moment, which is why they have postponed many decisions: "We will probably have to decide in autumn whether it is possible to hold the Spengler Cup."
Finally, Gianola also briefly addresses the question of the spectators: "I hope that we can play in September with at least a 50 percent capacity utilization of the ice rink. A season without spectators, including the Spengler Cup, would mean a deficit of ten million francs for us. For a season with 1000 spectators, we would lose 7.5 million francs. In any case, season ticket holders would be prioritized, if for example only 2000 people were allowed into the stadium."
