Patrick Fischer cuts five players from roster, calls up Rod and Thürkauf

Switzerland's coach Patrick Fischer cuts five players from the national team. However, as of next week, he can count on Noah Rod and Calvin Thürkauf, the reinforcements from Bern.

Photo: Monika Majer / RvS.Media

After the games against Czechia (2-5, 1-4) and Belarus (3-2, 2-1) in the past two weeks, Miro Zryd (SCL Tigers), Matthias Rossi (HC Fribourg-Gottéron), Dario Simion (HC Davos), Reto Suri (EV Zug) and Jeremy Wick (Genève-Servette HC) have all been cut from the roster.

Both San Jose Sharks' Noah Rod, 21, and Columbus Blue Jackets' Calvin Thürkauf, 20, will join the national team from North America. While Rod went overseas after Genève-Servette HC's early playoff out to finish the season with AHL's San Jose Barracuda (four points in nine games), Calvin Thürkauf suited up for AHL's Cleveland Monsters since season start, recording eleven goals and 13 assists in 75 games.

Even though the Barracuda's season is not over yet, as the team has qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs, the San Jose Sharks reportedly agreed to release the 21-year-old. "When I woke up, I didn't know what the day would bring. I am now focused and happy to come back to play for Switzerland," Rod told journalist Grégory Beaud.

Switzerland's roster for the third 2018 World Championship preparation week and the games against Norway on Friday (Langenthal) and Saturday (Biasca):

Netminder (3): Leonardo Genoni (SC Bern), Gilles Senn (HC Davos), Joren Van Pottelberghe (HC Davos).

Defensemen (8): Raphael Diaz (EV Zug), Michael Fora (HC Ambri-Piotta), Lukas Frick (Lausanne HC), Tobias Geisser (EV Zug), Joël Genazzi (Lausanne HC), Romain Loeffel (Genève-Servette HC), Claude-Curdin Paschoud (HC Davos), Ramon Untersander (SC Bern).

Forwards (14): Yannick-Lennart Albrecht (SCL Tigers), Simon Bodenmann (SC Bern), Enzo Corvi (HC Davos), Gaëtan Haas (SC Bern), Dominic Lammer (EV Zug), Simon Moser (SC Bern), Killian Mottet (HC Fribourg-Gottéron), Damien Riat (Genève-Servette HC), Noah Rod (San Jose Barracuda/AHL), Thomas Rüfenacht (SC Bern), Tristan Scherwey (SC Bern), Calvin Thürkauf (Cleveland Monsters/AHL), Joël Vermin (Lausanne HC), Samuel Walser (HC Davos).

Patrick Fischer a convoqué Noah Rod malgré la qualification de son équipe en play-off de AHL. San Jose a accepté de le libérer pour l'occasion. — Grégory Beaud (@GregBeaud) April 15, 2018

Noah Rod: "Au réveil, je ne savais pas encore ce que me réserverais cette journée. Je suis maintenant fixé et content de revenir jouer pour la Suisse." — Grégory Beaud (@GregBeaud) April 15, 2018