A strong year for Canadian hopeful Vinzenz Rohrer

In the moments following Zurich’s seven-game victory over Lausanne in the Swiss League A final, Zurich head coach Marc Crawford shook the hand of Zurich captain Michael Raffl. the Lausanne team.

“Take care of Vincy “, said Crawford to the former striker of the Flyers from Philadelphia.

Vincy, it’s Vinzenz Rohrer, this hope that the Canadian drafted in the third round in 2022 and who has just completed his first season in the professional ranks with Zurich. As soon as the series ended in Switzerland, Rohrer headed towards the World Championship, where he and Raffl will represent Austria.

Raffl replied to Crawford that Rohrer was a good young man, before telling him this: we tried to wear him down throughout the series, but the youngster never backs down.

This remark is perhaps what best reflects Rohrer’s identity on the ice.

At the time the Canadiens drafted him, Rohrer had just played his first of two seasons with the Ottawa 67’s in the Ontario Hockey League. The organization touted the tousled-haired young man as a responsible on-ice forward who excelled at everything he touched, be it a musical instrument or any sportto use the words of Martin Lapointe.

The Canadian was impressed by his contagious and charismatic personality, but also by the maturity of his game. The 19-year-old striker is the son of a former professional tennis player and, even if he decided to turn to hockey rather than following in his father’s footsteps, Rohrer has always thrived on the mental challenge that presents itself to a tennis player, that of being alone on a court, with nowhere to hide, without excuses or false -pretense.

Having transposed this to hockey, his competitiveness is unavoidable, both for those who face him and for those who manage him.

“It’s Mike Keane, that’s who he is,” Crawford says bluntly. I had Mike on two different teams in the NHL and Mike Keane might be my favorite player to coach. This kid is that good. He might end up being better offensively than Mike Keane, that remains to be seen, but he had scored at every previous level up to ours and he was a good scorer with us. And he has the potential to get even better.

I don’t throw those compliments out there, because I don’t want to give anyone false hope, added Crawford. But this kid is so competitive. He’s got guts. He is determined.

A more hardened young man

A few weeks before selecting Rohrer, the Canadian’s co-director of recruitment, Nick Bobrov, rushed to attend live as his measurements were taken during the draft prospects evaluation camp (combined). The young Austrian was frail at just 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) and 163 lb (74 kg).

Like defender Lane Hutson, CH was finally drafted a few minutes before him, Rohrer would be confronted every day with the doubts expressed regarding his small size.

But after two seasons in Ottawa, he decided to leave Canada for Zurich and join the club with which he had spent part of his minor career. By returning to Switzerland, Rohrer would adopt a schedule that would allow him to improve his training habits and also his physical abilities.

Throughout the season, Rohrer worked to improve his endurance against men in order to be more competitive in his battles. He is willing to go in front of the net and compete for the puck along the boards, but reaching the threshold where that will no longer be a barrier to an NHL career is fundamental.

There you face more battles along the boards, quick decision-making and a lot of puck protectionnoted Rohrer, whom we joined while he was waiting for his flight to Prague where the world championships will take place.

Even if I play in Zurich on a larger surface, my main objective remains to make my place in North America. So even here I’m working on my power and my work along the boards, because that will be decisive if I want to succeed there.

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Quick to the net

With seven goals and 19 assists in 49 regular season games, we cannot say that Rohrer dominated offensively in Zurich this season. However, he was the only striker under the age of 25 for the Lions. While several elders of the NHL took most of the offensive load – Denis Malgin, Derek Grant, Sven Andrighetto and others – Crawford used Rohrer on the third line, often with the responsibility of facing the opposing teams’ best units. He also made him one of his trusted men while outnumbered.

Crawford, however, sees more offensive potential in him and intends to use him in the top 6 next season.

Of course I would like to score more, collect more assists and have more impact at this level, but in the playoffs my main concern was to have a positive differential by neutralizing the opposing triosexplained Rohrer.

According to data collected by analyst Thibaud Chatel, Rohrer presented very favorable statistics in transition and in attack creation. He uses his skating to get out in the open and generate many shots on net. And since he doesn’t hesitate to get his nose dirty, Rohrer most of the time risks ending up where it’s really happening.

What will translate well to the NHL is his game is at NHL pace and NHL level. He’s a playoff player, he’s the type of player who will help your team win.

6, added the coach. But even if he were to become a third-line player, that would be good enough.”,”text”:”Let’s hope that reaching his potential makes him a top-6 forward, added the coach. But even if he were to become a third-line player, that would be good enough.”}}”>Hopefully reaching his potential will make him a top 6 striker, the coach added. But even if he were to become a third-line player, it would be good enough.

We can see Rohrer as a hope in the movement of Brendan Gallagher and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, and a hope that the Habs can let mature for a while longer. Indeed, the fact that he left the Ontario League for Europe gave the organization two more years to observe him before submitting a contract offer.

Director of player development Rob Ramage stopped by two or three times this year at the same time as he came to observe Reinbacher. The Canadian is therefore in regular contact with Rohrer, but also leaves Crawford and Zurich plenty of room to continue developing him as they see fit.

And given Crawford’s openly expressed bias, there’s no doubt he cares about Rohrer’s progress.

A busy summer

When celebrating their conquest of the title, the Zurich players paraded on the ice in turn holding the cup at arm’s length. Rohrer being the youngest, and the hierarchy being assiduously respected in Switzerland, he was the last to lift the trophy.

But when it was his turn, a clamor arose among the supporters. Yes, he is one of them, as they have seen him grow since his days as captain of Zurich’s U17 champion team. But Rohrer also knows how to be loved by his tenacity and his predisposition to do everything that needs to be done.

The reason everyone should be excited about him is because he’s going to help you win, Crawford insists. And he really helped us win this year.

Rohrer will now try to help Austria do well at the World Championship. Reinbacher was also supposed to be part of the team, but had to decline the invitation due to an injury.

This tournament is just one of many stops on Rohrer’s schedule.

: Austria’s Olympic qualification in August, the Champions League with Zurich, the development camp and the rookie camp (of the Canadian), all this in a summer which was shortened by three weeks due to of our playoff journey.”,”text”:”I sat down with the CEO of Zurich and we talked about my summer together, he said. There are really a lot of things coming up: Austria’s Olympic qualification in August, the Champions League with Zurich, the development camp and the (Canadian) rookie camp, all that in a summer that was shortened by three weeks because of our playoff run.”}}”>I sat down with the CEO of Zurich and we talked about my summer together, he said. There are really a lot of things coming up: Austria’s Olympic qualification in August, the Champions League with Zurich, the development camp and the (Canadian) rookie camp, all that in a summer that was shortened by three weeks because of our playoff run.

That’s a lot going on in the next couple of months. I’ll have to sort this all out after the World Championship…