At the end of last November, Lian Bichsel's decision to leave the AHL and go on loan to Rögle BB in Sweden had raised some eyebrows. Today, Bichsel is as convinced as ever that he made the best possible decision for his career: "I am over the moon with my decision. I have achieved exactly what I wanted to achieve" states the 19-year-old Swiss defender.
Following a last-minute qualification to the playoffs, Rögle BK swept the number one seed Färjestad BK in the quarterfinals and then swept the number two seed, the Växjo Läkers, in the semifinals. In three days, they will begin the final series against either Skellefteå AIK or Frölunda HC.
At the end of the playoffs, Lian Bichsel could then either join the Dallas Stars in their playoff run or travel to Prague to join the Swiss national team for the World Championship: "Everything is open" states Bichsel. "If Dallas releases me and I'm called up by head coach Patrick Fischer, then I'd certainly be happy to play for the national team" concludes the big defender.
