Hockey: Lausanne resident Raphael Prassl returns to competition

Six months and eight days after the officialization of his transfer to Lausanne HC, Raphael Prassl (27 years old) is preparing – finally – to put on his new outfit with a Lion on it. The Zurich player is, in fact, part of the group which headed to Ticino on Thursday afternoon, in order to prepare for this Friday evening’s game (7:45 p.m.) in Lugano in the best conditions.

“I’ve been back on the ice for about a month,” says the main person concerned, who was seriously injured in his left knee. I first returned to contactless sessions, then started training normally. At the beginning of the week, I successfully passed my last test and the doctor gave me the green light to play the matches.

The versatile striker, capable of playing both in the center and on the wing, sees the light at the end of the tunnel, having torn his anterior cruciate ligaments last February while he was still wearing the jersey of the HC Davos. Initially hoped for October, his return to competition ultimately took longer than expected.

“It was the quickest prognosis,” he explains. It ultimately took me a little more time to reduce the risk of relapse. It took me eleven months in total, but I now feel ready to play.”

This blank year, Raphael Prassl got through it sometimes with difficulty. Like many athletes who have experienced such a period on the sidelines. “Everything went well at first,” he reflects on his memories. Then I had a little slump during the summer. But my arrival here in Lausanne, in August, gave me a boost and I started to do a good rehabilitation.

The 2018 Swiss champion with the ZSC Lions then spent a lot of time with Swedish defender Lawrence Pilut and Austrian striker Michael Raffl, the other two long-term injured in the Vaudois ranks. “It’s true that we rubbed shoulders a lot,” he laughs. We also had our small rehabilitation group with physical trainers and physiotherapists.”

The new No. 18 of the LHC, who played billiards in his hometown of Zurich, did not necessarily benefit from the best conditions to change clubs and join a new locker room.

“It was difficult to arrive in a new team while being injured for a long period of time,” he admits. But I was happy to come here and be able to work on my specific program. In the last few months, however, I was already on the ice with the guys doing some exercises. The closer I got to returning, the more I felt part of the group.”

Landing on the banks of Lake Geneva during the summer in the company of his fiancée, Raphael Prassl had plenty of time to discover his new environment. Perhaps the only positive aspect to this injury which he had already suffered the previous season.

“It was weird because I had almost all my weekends free,” says the player who played for the GCK Lions. Most of the time, I worked five days a week and had weekends off. So I had time to visit the city and go to the lake. In the summer it was great. But enough is enough now! I just want to focus on hockey for the next four or five months.

The new Lausanne resident is laughing, his impatience to get back into competition is so noticeable. The one who has committed until 2026 with the reigning Swiss vice-champion, however, faces a hell of a challenge: that of joining a team which is running at full speed (seven consecutive successes) and which is prance in top of the National League standings.

“The guys did such a good job in the first 35 games,” he said admiringly. So I just want to help where I can. During my career, I played almost everywhere: from the first to the fourth line. Winger or center. Basically wherever the coach needed. I will do the same here.”

It’s up to Geoff Ward to bring his knowledge of coaching to bear and to succeed in making Raphael Prassl a real reinforcement. First elements of response, this Friday evening (7:45 p.m.), in Lugano.