During the traditional VIP event on the Schatzalp, seven more former ice hockey greats were inducted into the Spengler Cup Hall of Fame – including German legend Xaver Unsinn, the Czech brother duo Jaroslav and Jiri Holik, and Swiss goalie Jean Ayer.

By the 100th edition of the Spengler Cup in 2028, the Hall of Fame of this historic tournament is expected to be complete. This year, outstanding players from 1950 to 1969 are being honoured. Jiri Holik, now 81 years old, will receive the tribute on behalf of himself, his late brother Jaroslav, and their once-legendary team Dukla Jihlava. The Holik brothers each won seven Czechoslovak championships, three Spengler Cup titles, three world championships, and participated in four Olympic Games. Another extraordinary figure in Czechoslovakia at the time was Vlastimil Bubník. He represented Red Star Brno and played both football and ice hockey at the national level. With Brno, he won eleven national titles. In the domestic league, Bubník scored 320 goals in 300 games – and of course, he also won the Spengler Cup.

Xaver Unsinn is the quintessential German figure of that era. With EV Füssen, he won eight national championships. In 1952, Unsinn won the Spengler Cup. He earned 72 international caps and was runner-up at the 1953 World Championship with Germany. Later, Unsinn had a successful coaching career with both club teams and the national team. He led Düsseldorfer EG (1972) and Berliner SC (1974/76) to German championships, and won the Swiss championship with SC Bern in 1979. Among the major stars of Lokomotiv Moscow at the time was Viktor Yakushev. He became a four-time world champion, Olympic gold medallist, and Spengler Cup winner. In 2001, the Russian was tragically killed during an attack by youths in Moscow.

Jean Ayer was possibly the first Swiss player to compete in foreign professional leagues. The goalie was discovered by Hans Cattini in Lausanne. Ayer played the 1951/52 season for HCD and won the Spengler Cup during that time. He secured three more Spengler Cup victories between 1959 and 1961 with ACBB Paris. Ayer was also Switzerland’s national goalie, with the bronze medal at the 1953 World Championship as his greatest achievement.
Italian player Giancarlo Agazzi was also inducted into the Spengler Cup Hall of Fame. He earned 120 international caps and is regarded as one of Italy’s best ice hockey players of all time. Agazzi, Giampiero Branduardi, and Ernesto Crotti formed the ABC forward line, also known as the Piranesi line, as all three lived on the same street near the Milan ice rink. Between 1951 and 1960, Agazzi won six Italian championships with various Milan clubs. He was a two-time Spengler Cup winner and scored 54 goals in 120 international games for Italy.

Photo: Keystone