Corban Nite is coming – and with it the end of SCB’s cheap excuses

Ice master Zug

It’s all over: Corban Knight (32) has moved from the KHL to Bern. This shows that SCB has the best foreign players since the last championship season 2018/19.

Official confirmation will come in the next few days: Canadian Corbin Knight will be SC Bern’s seventh foreigner. It is likely that he will play a similar role as Mark Arcobello did in the last winning team of 2019. He embodies the new SC Bern team.

One of the reasons (but of course not the only one) of SCB’s deep crisis after the last championship celebration (no better than eighth place): “cheap foreigners”.

Something has happened with the aliens

The problem was exacerbated by an increase last season from four to six foreign players allowed per match. Last season, SCB was one of the teams with the weakest foreign players. Canadian defenders Josh Teves and Cody Golubev were among the weakest of the 107 licensed foreign players who could not have played for any other team.

It will be different next season. Featuring goalkeeper Adam Redburn (Sweden, 31, fresh), defenders Patrick Nemeth (Sweden, 31, fresh) and Julius Honka (Finland, 27, fresh) and forwards Korban Knight (Canada, 32, fresh) and Colton Svivor ( Canada, 34 years old), Martin Frick (Czech Republic, 29 years old, junior) and Dominik Cajon (Germany, 28 years old, present), new coach Jussi Tapola has seven foreigners at his disposal, who will also have a place of honor in the All other tournaments. difference. The cheap excuse of the past few years that you have to save money and can’t afford foreigners who are as good as the competition no longer counts.

The new Arcobello?

With Corban Knight, SCB replaced Swedish center Oscar Lindberg (32 years old, returned home despite current contract). Al-Kindi reinforces the central axis. He probably won’t be as productive as Chris DeDomenico (despite the current contract with Gutierone) (1.15 points per game). But if the hockey gods are benevolent, he could fill a similar attacking role to Mark Arcobello, who led the slick first-choice striker to their last title win in 2019.

Knight has also appeared for Canada, including at the 2022 Olympic Games.Photo: www.imago-images.de

And in terms of running, he’s not quite as nimble as the smaller American (172cm/79kg). But Corban Knight makes up for his lack of running with smart play and skillful hands, knows how to make the puck work for himself and others, and is taller (185cm), stronger (86kg) and has a longer reach than Arcobello. It would be arrogant to expect him to contribute as many points per game as Arcobello once did. But he can be an offensive leader who makes his wings better. He kind of embodies the new SCB: loads of experience, lots of talent, but more past than future and not so impulsive and fast.

Tabula Leader Needed

While we’re on the subject of comparison: It wasn’t enough for both of them in the NHL. Mark Arcobello moved to Europe in 2016 after 139 NHL games (33 points) to the SCB, and Korban Knight after 52 games (12 points) to the KHL in 2019, where he established himself for three years. In the playoffs (222 matches/162 points) and in the playoffs (56 matches/34 points).

SCB will no longer get into trouble for its foreigners in the new season. Now everything depends on José Tabola finding the right technique on and off the ice and the right team composition.

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