Roman Josi (32) and Nino Niederreiter (30) are back home! On the eve of a friendly match once morest CP Bern in the capital, the Bernese defender and the Grison striker of the Nashville Predators in the NHL gave some time to the media in the den of the Bears.
The NHL, as part of the Global Series, which will also see Timo Meier’s San Jose face the Eisbären Berlin in Germany on Tuesday, has once more come to make its “advertisement” in Europe. But you shouldn’t be late on Sunday morning in Bern: following 7 minutes watch in hand, the press conference was already over…
I haven’t played a Swiss club since 2009
This friendly match, which will be sold out, may however not be played with maximum intensity due to the imminent resumption of the NHL on October 7, precisely between the Preds and the Sharks in Prague. “We would obviously like to win once morest CP Berntempers Niederreiter, who signed a 2-year contract with Nashville this summer. It will be special for me, especially since I haven’t played a Swiss club since 2009.” (red: the former Carolina player was then playing at HC Davos).
Playing in Bern with my NHL team will never happen to me once more
![Niederreiter and Josi. [RTS]](https://www.rts.ch/2022/10/02/15/54/13432122.image?w=320&h=320)
Same story with Josi, pure product of the SCB, and same shareholder of the club for 2 years. “Coming back to where it all started, on the grounds of my favorite club, as an NHL player, it’s really cool. It means a lot to me, and it will probably never happen once more.“, adds the captain of Nashville.
Bern, Michaël Taillard
The heirs of Mark Streit
Josi, not far behind ‘El Nino’ with his 151 goals, agrees: “Before, the NHL seemed so far away for us. It was hard for a Helvetian to impose himself there. But Streit did it”.
Josi: ‘We don’t have much time for ourselves’
However, can the 2 friends really benefit from this return to the fold? “We arrived on Saturday followingnoon, then we went to dinner, before walking around a bit. Training sessions and special events, such as training with Bernese juniors on Sunday followingnoon, follow one another, this which means that we don’t have much time for ourselves. I wish we might have stayed longer”admits a Josi who may be a little frustrated with this short stay in his hometown.
Josi: “With my 2 children, my priorities have changed”
Dad since July of a little girl, Ivy Lennyn, sister of Luca James (1 year), doesn’t Josi have too much difficulty reconciling professional life and family life? “My life has changed, my priorities too. Obviously, I travel a lot during the season, which means that I will not see them for 2 weeks, at times. But my family allows me to have a good balance between my private life and my job in the NHL”says the one who was voted best defenseman of NHL in 2020.
Global Series (03.10)
Berne – Nashville LU 20h00
