Switzerland kept up with the Canadians for exactly 2 periods. Pius Suter, Nino Niederreiter, and Timo Meier had some excellent chances early in the game but failed to put the puck in the net. They did manage to do so in the 13th minute in the powerplay. However, that turned out to be the only highlight as Canada went on to comfortably defeat Switzerland 5-1. Unfortunately, for the Swiss, apart from their disappointing display, there was a controversy off ice as well.

A brawl almost broke out after the referees missed a high-sticking penalty on Sam Bennett. Nico Hischier, the victim in this scenario, immediately complained to the referees when Bennett decided to get involved. According to audio picked up during the play, Bennett bluntly said (via habsfanatics), “Stop complaining, stop crying!” As Bennett got under his opponent’s skin when the second period was winding down, the fans weren’t too happy as well.

“Canadian bench is irate as fans are throwing beer cups onto the ice here in Milan,” reported Frank Seravalli. The reaction was built up from past events of the physical game. At the beginning of the second period, Andrea Glauser walked out after taking a big hit from Connor McDavid in the first period. The Swiss lost a part of their top D-pairing as their defense had to adjust. The missed call on Bennett was the tipping point, causing some fans to protest. “Swiss fans threw 2 cups on the ice during play after a missed penalty call on Sam Bennett. Yikes,” Pierre LeBrun wrote. 

Well, beer is for drinking and not for bathing, and the players had every right to be annoyed. The fans, if identified, can be ejected from the stadium for such offenses. In this case, however, it’s unknown whether authorities took any actions. Swiss fans dominated the stadium as the country is around 100 miles away from Milan.

While this might be seen as passion from the Swiss fans, it is a major hassle for the Winter Olympics management. Frustration further boiled over for the fans. They were getting grilled by the Canadians, and as the final nail in the coffin, Kevin Fiala had to be stretchered off the ice. The Switzerland team has provided a grim update on Fiala’s future. 

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Switzerland In Dismay After Providing Kevin Fiala Winter Olympics Update

Late into the game, tragedy struck for Kevin Fiala and Switzerland. Canada was already 5-1 up, and the Swiss had little chance to stage a comeback. In the 58th minute, Fiala collided with Tom Wilson and went down with a leg injury. He was visibly in pain as a stretcher had to be brought out to carry him off. No penalty was given for the play.”It was an accident,” coach Patrick Fischer said.“I haven’t seen him yet. I think he went to the hospital. Obviously, it doesn’t look very good. Tough moment for Kevin and the whole team, obviously.” 

However, Switzerland provided an update on Fiala’s injury in a news release after the medical examination. “Kevin Fiala was injured in the second group game against Canada and will miss the rest of the Olympic tournament,” the social media post mentioned. Fiala was key for Switzerland in getting their first victory over France. In addition, he is an NHL star, and his experience would have been vital for the team. In 56 games for the Kings, Fiala has 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points.

He has a -11 with 34 penalty minutes, 17 power-play points, and two game-winning goals. All hope is not lost for the Swiss as they can still get into a good position for the quarterfinals. With Canada firmly at the top, Switzerland will play the Czech Republic on Sunday afternoon for second place at the Winter Olympics group stage.