In the heart of the picturesque canton of Ticino lies one of European hockey’s more fascinating teams, HC Ambrì-Piotta. The pride of the villages of Ambrì and Piotta, the Biancoblù – translated as the white and blue, have fought against teams from Switzerland’s big cities for decades, always punching above their weight.
In 2018/19, HC Ambrì-Piotta put years of relegation battles behind them and achieved a stunning fifth-placed finish in the Swiss National League. This was their best regular season finish since 2002, and enough to secure their place in the Champions Hockey League for the first time in the club’s history. We discussed this historic achievement with Ambrì-Piotta and Swiss national team defenceman Michael Fora. The 23-year-old superstar was born in Giubiasco, just 50 kilometres from Ambrì-Piotta’s home arena, and represented the team as a junior.
HC Ambrì-Piotta are a big family. It was always a dream to play in their first team.Michael Fora
Speaking of his love for his club, Fora stated, “It’s just more than hockey – It’s a big family. I grew up watching Ambrì in the stands from when I was three or four years old. It's not just a team, but it takes my whole emotions. Ambri is a family for me. It was always a dream to play in Ambrì’s first team, and now that I’ve achieved it, it is just great.”
Fora’s career has seen him leave his native Switzerland. In 2014/15, Fora travelled to Western Canada, lacing up for the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Hockey League. Fora emphasised the success that this move had for his career.
“I think that was the year which really gave me a chance to become a professional hockey player. It was probably one of the best years of my life. I grew up a lot as a player, but especially off the ice, growing as a person. That was the step which gave me the chance to become the player I am today. I learned a lot from being away from home and learned a lot from my teammates and coaches. That year gave me all the skills to become a professional hockey player. It was for sure the key year for me.”
HC Ambrì-Piotta’s playoff charge came to an end at the quarter-final stage at the hands of fellow CHL qualifier EHC Biel-Bienne. The series was just five games, but that obscures just how closely-fought each encounter was. Reflecting on Ambrì-Piotta’s defeat, Fora added, “Of course, it’s disappointing the way it ended, because I think we deserved better. I thought that everyone gave 100%, but in the end, they scored more goals.”
However, Fora praised both his teammates and his coaching staff highly for their success in 2018/19.
We may not be the most skilled team - our chemistry makes the difference.Michael Fora
“We worked really hard during the summer. We had a really good group which starts with the coaching staff and down to the players and everyone who was part of the team this year. We were always together, through the good times and especially through the tough times, and we found the strength to find success again. When I first left for Charlotte [Checkers] in September, I thought that this group had really good chemistry, and I think that this was the key this year. We may not have been the best or the most skilled team in the league, but because we had really good chemistry and we worked hard together, that made the difference.”
Fora’s exploits have not gone unnoticed in Switzerland. In 2018, he was part of the Swiss national team which won the silver medal at the IIHF World Championship. Another long hockey spring could be on the cards for the Giubiasco native again this year as he was recently selected to the national team’s training camp roster for the upcoming World Championship in Slovakia.
“Last year was an unbelievable experience with the national team. It was my first World Championship and I was really proud to be a part of the team. I was also proud of what we achieved [winning the silver medal]. It was unbelievable to do something so big for a small country,” said Fora.
With a gruelling international schedule ahead of him, Fora was still able to look ahead to what awaits HC Ambrì-Piotta in autumn of 2019 – their first appearance in the Champions Hockey League.
“I think it's a big achievement for us. Last September we had different goals than CHL qualification. That is the reality because we are a small group, we just started a new project and are building year after year, so our expectations were lower. However, now we are here it means a lot to us, and it means that we are moving in the right direction. It will be fun to see what will happen in the coming months because it will be a new experience for me and my teammates. We will have fun together, play as hard as we can, and learn something new from this competition.”
Fora also added what the Champions Hockey League can expect from the famous Ambrì-Piotta fans, known all across Europe for their passion and love for their team.
“They are always with us. They support us when we win, but through tough times they were always with us, and we had a lot of tough times in the last few years. I think for us it is really important because we feel that we are a strong group and have a lot of people supporting us. It is a big family and we always can find a lot of energy from them, especially when we play at home. It is fantastic that so many people come to the rink and cheer for us.”
Opposing teams can be sure to expect a tempestuous atmosphere at Ambrì-Piotta’s iconic home, the Valascia, when Group Stage action gets underway at the start of the 2019/20 season. A trip to Ambrì-Piotta is a trip to see one of the jewels in European hockey’s crown, and the CHL cannot wait to visit.