Buffalo Sabres Digital Press
Buffalo Sabres Daily Press Clips December 10, 2019 Ralph Krueger changed an entire country's approach to hockey. Next: Buffalo. By Lance Lysowski The Buffalo News December 10, 2019 The 60-year-old coach is applying the same motivational techniques, defensive foundation on ice and patient approach that made Swiss hockey competitive against the best in the world. Ralph Krueger's eyes swelled with tears as he stood among the crowd of 12,500 inside Stockholm's Ericsson Globe on May 19, 2013. Only a few weeks removed from his first season as a head coach in the National Hockey League, Krueger watched the fruits of what he calls his "life work" — Switzerland winning its first silver medal at the IIHF World Championship with a 5-1 loss to Sweden. Sixteen years earlier, Swiss hockey fans and media bristled when the gregarious, effervescent coach mentioned his goal of winning a medal on the sport's biggest stage. Watching the realization of that dream remains one of Krueger's fondest hockey memories, despite his not being behind the bench. "I'm extremely proud of what's happened to the program," said Krueger, now coach of the Buffalo Sabres. Krueger did not win a medal during his 13 years as Swiss coach; however, he did reshape the national team from a group of complacent club players into one of hockey's global powers and a hotbed for NHL talent. The project is similar to the one he has inherited in Buffalo, where the Sabres own the league's longest playoff drought. Krueger's latest project is equipped with far more talent and, in his opinion, is closer to achieving its goal.
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