“It’s good that we secured our spot in the Playoffs”

Finnish defenceman Mikko Lehtonen joined Swiss club ZSC Lions Zurich ahead of this season. The Zurich-based team are one of the biggest clubs in Switzerland and are always high up the list to win the Swiss National League and go a long way in the Champions Hockey League this season as well.

“The season has started well. I have been enjoying my time here in Zurich and I feel welcome in the organisation,” started Lehtonen, “we have had a good start in the CHL, but we haven’t had as good of a start in the National League as we lost our first two games.”

I have been enjoying my time here in Zurich Mikko Lehtonen, ZSC Lions Zurich

The skilled player left the KHL last season and had a choice to make – which club to join? But for Lehtonen, only one club truly stood out.

“Zurich seemed like the best club for me. They are a big organisation in Europe and I was intrigued by the chance of winning with them – the Swiss NL is a very tough league to play in!” said the Olympic gold medallist, “it quickly started to feel like these guys wanted me here the most and our interests met, so it was an easy choice for me.”

Lehtonen is the only non-Swiss player in Zurich’s defence - “We have a good balance in our defence. We have a good bunch of Swiss defencemen who are on the top level. Like Yannick Weber – he’s played like 500 games in the NHL, he is no rookie…”

Mikko Lehtonen playing in the CHL this season (Photo: Tomasz Błaszczyk)

Zurich are one of the biggest clubs on the European ice hockey stage. They have performed well in the early stages of the Champions Hockey League and are already qualified for the Playoffs. They have won three of their four games, their only loss of the season so far coming in overtime, and sit second in Group D behind reigning CHL Champions Rögle Ängelholm with 10 points.

“It’s good that we secured our spot in the Playoffs,” said the 28-year-old, “we got a good start and always aim high in the CHL – our goal is to succeed and compete for the trophy.”

Our goal is to succeed and compete for the trophy Mikko Lehtonen, ZSC Lions Zurich

Zurich are in the same group as Polish side GKS Katowice, a club where Lehtonen’s brother Matias Lehtonen plays. And back on Game Day 2 it was Katowice who beat Zurich in OT to inflict the Swiss side’s only loss of the season so far.

“It was the first time we’ve ever played against each other,” said Mikko Lehtonen, “it was a fun experience but it was also a bit weird to face each other for the first time in our careers while I play in Switzerland and Matias in Poland… You would have thought that we’d faced each other while we were both playing in Finland, but no,” laughed Lehtonen.

Mikko (left) posing with his brother Matias (right) before the puck-drop (Photo: Tomasz Błaszczyk)

Zurich have two games left in the CHL Group Stage as they prepare to face reigning CHL Champions Rögle from Sweden. The outcomes of the two games will decide who will take the number one spot in Group D and could give the victor a more favourable seeding position for the Playoffs Draw and ultimately a "better" opponent for the Round of 16.

“We will do our best to win those two games,” said the defenceman firmly, “winning the group could give us a better shot at doing well later on in the Playoffs!”

Lehtonen and Zurich will return to CHL ice in early October for two back-to-back clashes with Rögle Ängelholm – first in Sweden on 4 October, then at home one week later on 11 October.