The Swiss Ice Hockey Association has a new president – ​​with Urs Kessler, a tourism expert is now in the hot seat

If not with him, then with whom? That's the general tone prevailing in Swiss ice hockey following the election of Urs Kessler as the new president of Swiss Ice Hockey. The Bernese Oberland native was hoisted to the top of the association by the delegate assembly on Monday. There was no resistance. The association should be happy to have found someone at all to take the hot seat.

Leading Swiss ice hockey seems like a mission impossible. In recent years, three men, Marc Furrer, Michael Rindlisbacher, and Stefan Schärer, have tried their luck, all with one thing in common: everyone was glad to see them leave. Schärer, who only lasted a year, was ultimately the target of a palace coup orchestrated by national coach Patrick Fischer.

Former top handball player Schärer didn't quite hit the mark, encountering bitter resistance from the start. But the failure wasn't entirely his fault. Since the powerful National League separated from the Swiss Federation, Swiss ice hockey has become a difficult family to manage. As is usually the case with such disputes, it's about power and money.

But why is Kessler now in this hot seat? His answer is short and simple: "I like challenges." In June, the 63-year-old Kessler stepped down as head of Jungfrau Railways – after 38 years with the company, 17 of them as CEO. Under his leadership, the region has become one of Switzerland's most modern winter sports destinations. Kessler's prestige projects included the so-called terminal in Grindelwald and the V-Cableway, which cost 510 million Swiss francs and opened up the region to tourists and the Asian market.

The father of two grew up in the small village of Gsteigwiler, near the tourist hotspot of Interlaken. Naturally, he heard about the power struggles raging in Swiss ice hockey. But it's precisely these tensions that appeal to him about the job. "I was warned against taking on this position. At the same time, I have a passion for the sport, and especially for ice hockey," says Kessler.

His program for Swiss Ice Hockey includes ten points, which he plans to discuss in detail once his new team has been informed. More important than strategies, however, is reconciling interests. "The association must strive to regain its acceptance among the clubs. Several players, both active and retired, have contacted me and asked me to take on the challenge."

Among those who contacted Kessler personally was Chur-based NHL player Nino Niederreiter . The Winnipeg Jets forward has publicly expressed his concerns about the future of Swiss ice hockey several times. Kessler says: "Young talent is the foundation of the entire sport. It's pointless to dream about new ice rinks. We must use the existing ones as efficiently as possible." He also believes it's important to properly position ice hockey in competition with both soccer and floorball.

His first major project as president of Swiss Ice Hockey, however, will be the World Championships in Zurich and Freiburg next spring. It is urgently necessary for calm to finally return to Swiss ice hockey in anticipation of this major event. Who knows, perhaps Urs Kessler will achieve this feat.