Beni Winkler: “The Spengler Cup will glue the team together even more.”

Beni Winkler played for HC Davos for seven seasons and is now playing his fourth season for the Kloten Flyers. During these years, the Kloten Flyers have played against HC Davos three dozen times. Will this fixture also be this year’s Spengler Cup final?

 The Flyers’ style of play is not very different from the hockey that HC Davos plays. “During the past years, Davos’s routine, experience and coolness have often made the difference and have been their big advantages. But my team, the Kloten Flyers, is also gaining more and more experience,” says Beni Winkler. He doesn’t think that one team is better than the other. “Whenever these two teams meet, the games are tight, highly competitive and of good quality. Both teams are on equal terms.”

The Kloten Flyers and HC Davos, who played against each other in the Swiss play-off finals last season, will be representing Switzerland at this year’s Spengler Cup. Will the two teams meet again in both the Spengler Cup final and the championship play-offs? “Making it to the play-off finals is our goal“, says Winkler. “If Davos also makes it there, we’ll be in for some tight and contested matches.”

 Almost a Davos Local

As Winkler’s wife is from Davos originally, the family often spends their free time in the region. “Although I’m not playing for hosts Davos anymore, I’m of course looking forward to taking part in this year’s Spengler Cup with the second Swiss participant.” And since the players’ wives and kids also get to spend the Christmas season in Davos, the tournament will certainly glue the team together even more. “I’m looking forward to playing top-class hockey. Playing against these teams from abroad will be a great and interesting experience for us. Even more so as there’s also the one or the other NHL star on these teams. And the atmosphere in and around the stadium is of course always exceptional.”

Spend Time with the Family and Enjoy the Outdoors

During the short breaks between the Spengler Cup games he’ll try to retreat from the hustle and bustle. “Throughout the season, it’s very important to take good care of yourself. If you consider that you play 24 games in just 9 weeks during the first half of the regular season, you realize that this can be very tiring. A lot depends on your mind and your attitude.” Every player has his own ritual how to deal with the breaks between games: “While we’re competing in the Spengler Cup, I’ll mostly spend my free time with my wife and three daughters and enjoy the picturesque Davos region.”