Patrick Stalder, co-president of EHC Biel, tells the Journal du Jura that with 3,500 spectators they would be able to get through the year, but they would have to ask the players to make some salary concessions. CEO Daniel Villard, for his part, hopes that they will be able to get 5,300 spectators (all seated) into the Tissot Arena.
HC Fribourg-Gottéron's president Hubert Waeber also hopes that they will be able to let their 6,000 season ticket holders into the arena. "Absolutely, and frankly, I hope for a bit more," he tells the Freiburger Nachrichten.
In Davos, CEO Marc Gianola is also cautiously optimistic, as he tells the Südostschweiz: "The decision is a first step in the right direction and gives us some perspective and security in planning." For him, there are, however, some question marks left in regard to the Spengler Cup: it is not yet clear whether the teams from abroad would be able to attend the tournament. The easiest solution: invite a third Swiss team to the Christmas tournament.
SC Bern's Marc Lüthi also has some question marks left, as he tells the Berner Zeitung: "26, if you like - because the cantons are responsible for the authorization of the events. It is not acceptable that in one canton one thing applies and in another canton the other thing. We're a national championship, we play in the same country." HC Thurgau's CEO Thomas Imhof echoes Lüthi's concerns in the Thurgauer Zeitung and also fears that different concepts in the various concepts will lead to a distortion of competition within the leagues.
The Federal Council announced yesterday that they will (partially) lift the ban on events over 1,000 spectators come October. However, events still need to be approved by the respective authorities of the cantons. Under which conditions the clubs will get their games authorized and how this will look capacity-wise will depend on the framework the cantons will present.
