Marco Torriani: Happy and proud about the two group names of the Spengler Cup.

Marco Torriani is looking forward to the Spengler Cup for several reasons: at this year's tournament, the six participants are divided into two groups, one of which is named after his father "Bibi" Torriani. Secondly, HC Servette Geneva is taking part in the Spengler Cup for the first time ever and, last but not least, he himself is returning to his home town for a few days.

Marco Torriani grew up in Davos as one of Richard "Bibi" Torriani's three kids. After working abroad for 20 years, he returned to Switzerland and played a major role in saving HC Servette Geneva. Torriani, General Manager of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva, thinks it's not inconceivable that he'll again be living in Davos sometime in the future.

Happy and Proud

This year's six Spengler Cup participants are divided into two groups called "Torriani" and "Cattini", named after the famous "'ni' forward line" of the 1930s and 1940s. "We, the kids of 'Bibi' Torriani and our mother, are extremely happy and proud that our father and Hans "Joe" Cattini and Ferdinand "Pic" Cattini are honoured in this way. There were also many excellent players after the Cattini and Torriani era who could very well have been chosen for the group names", says Marco Torriani, who's surprised again and again how often people approach him to talk about his father.

In Action at the Spengler Cup

Sports had a huge impact on Torriani's childhood. Marco's sister was runner-up at the Swiss figure skating championships, and he himself could be found on the ice rink every day. "HC Davos was my first encounter with ice hockey ever - when I was a kid, it was my club." He adds that his childhood in Davos was wonderful in all respects and that sports gave him a lot for life. He also actively participated in several Spengler Cups as a player: "Back in those days, we were already happy if we finished the tournament in fourth place. Just taking part, irrespective of the results, was an experience that I'll never forget." During his career as a player, Torriani played two games with the Swiss national team. But in 1970, when he was 25, he decided to give up hockey and pursue a career in the hotel business. He spent time working in South Africa, Canada and the US until he was transferred to Geneva 20 years ago, where he joined the seniors of Servette Geneva and was reunited with former teammates. "With HC Davos I used to play here in one of Switzerland's first stadiums in front of 10,000 to 11,000 spectators. And now I came back to Geneva to find that all was in ruins."

A Special Honour for Geneva

Marco Torriani didn't want to just accept this: He was elected president of HC Servette Geneva, a position he held for 15 consecutive years, and it was during his presidency that the club was gradually promoted from Switzerland's third to its top league, the National League A. Especially the club's thriving junior teams and development programs for young players made this rise possible. Looking back on those days, he says: "My commitment as a club official was my way of doing something for the sports I love so much." Today he's honorary president of Servette Geneva. "My main aim was my vision of a living hockey. I would never have dared imagine that Geneva would one day be playing in Switzerland's top league again, let alone participate in the Spengler Cup." He considers Servette Geneva's participation this year a special honour for a lot of people: the city and the club's supporters, coach Chris McSorley, whom Torriani himself had hired while he was still president, and Hugh Quennec, the club's current president.

Dedication and Commitment

Thanks to the new Spengler Cup group names and the fact that Servette Geneva is one of this year's participants, Marco Torriani will be returning to Davos for a few days. "Unfortunately, Geneva is quite far away from Davos. But if I had to make a decision regarding my future domicile, Davos would certainly be a serious choice." However, despite his personal connection to Davos and its hockey club, he as a Spengler Cup spectator will primarily be supporting Servette Geneva. "My entire focus is on Geneva, a club for which I have sacrificed many nights and put up a lot of commitment. I hope the team will perform well."

*The Origin of the Two Group Names

The two Spengler Cup groups have been named after three Swiss hockey stars of the 1930s and 1940s: "Torriani" and "Cattini". Richard "Bibi" Torriani, Hans "Joe" Cattini and Ferdinand "Pic" Cattini, who played together from 1933 onwards, revolutionized Swiss hockey at the time and were the top forward line of both HC Davos and the Swiss national team for one and a half decades. Journalists and statisticians soon spared themselves the trouble of listing all their individual names. Instead, only "'ni' forward line" appeared on HC Davos's line-up. Torriani, who was Switzerland's most popular athlete for decades, was their leader and was even given the honour of speaking the Olympic oath at the second Olympic Winter Games in St. Moritz in 1948. The Swiss national team later won the Olympic bronze medal at that tournament. Between 1933 and 1943, HC Davos won its own tournament, the Spengler Cup, six times. Needless to say that they were also without any equals in the Swiss league back then.