Ryan Lasch was the CHL's top scorer and MVP last season as Frolunda Gothenburg won the title. Now he's scoring at a high pace for his new team, SC Bern.

by Derek O'Brien

Last season was a good one for Ryan Lasch, both individually and team-wise. He was the Champions Hockey League's leading scorer and MVP with 16 points in 13 games, helping Frolunda Gothenburg win the title. He also led the Swedish Hockey League in assists and points as the Indians won their domestic title too. 

Now, he's moved on to SC Bern, another team that's used to winning with 14 Swiss titles, including the most recent one.

“Yes, that was a big factor in signing in Bern,” Lasch admits. “Once you win a title, it's something special and you want to do it again. I thought this was the right organization with a great team to try and reach that goal again.”

Lasch was a free agent through much of the summer, finally signing in Bern on 8 September, which means that he missed training camp, the pre-season and the group stage of the CHL.

“I would say it's different,” Lasch said of his summer. “I was training hard in Finland the whole month of August and having my own little training camp to prepare, but it's not the same as playing the game and being in game shape. It took me about five or six games to get up to pace and play with that structure and system that the coach wants to be successful.”

The coach is, of course, is Kari Jalonen – an accomplished coach in the KHL and with the Finnish national team. Lasch has nothing but good things to say about him and credits his preparedness for the success the team has had so far.

“Kari is very knowledgeable and always watching film and looking for ways for us to improve as a team. Kari puts a solid structure and system in place that allows us to be prepared for every game.”

But it goes beyond just the coach.

“This was maybe the first time in awhile that I didn't know anyone on the team going into the season,” Lasch continued, before explaining, “We have such good core of guys on the team with a nice atmosphere, so they made my transition easier and made me feel welcomed the first few weeks.”

After a short adjustment period to a new team and league, it didn't take long for Lasch to start doing what is expected of him, which is scoring. 

“Yes the start has been great here,” he acknowledges. “I think the most important thing, though, is that we have a deep team when everyone is healthy. When you're playing on a good team and with players with this class, that individual success will come. When you're winning games like we have been lately, that's the best part of all, not the points.”

The points might not matter to Lasch, but the team is surely grateful for them. In the NLA he's scoring at a point-per-game pace with 6 goals and 8 assists in 14 games. The change to a new league doesn't seem to have affected his game much.

“I wouldn't say that there is much difference between the two leagues,” he says about the NLA and the SHL. “I feel that either league fits my game style and the way I would like to play. I would say maybe Sweden is little bit more aggressive with the style of play all over the ice compared to here.”
 
Lasch has also played in a couple of CHL games with his new team, contributing a goal and 2 assists as they eliminated Red Bull Salzburg in the two-legged Round of 32. In Bern's home game, they set a new single-game attendance record for the league with 13,669. Of course, they consistently draw the largest crowds in Europe. 

“It has been an awesome atmosphere to be apart of. The city of Bern loves its hockey and it's even better when you're winning games in front of 16,000 or so.” 
 
Bern is the third team that Lasch has played on in the CHL. Two seasons ago he played for TPS Turku and last year with Frolunda. Overall, the 29-year-old Lake Forest, California native has 30 points in 23 CHL games.

Back on 9 February at the CHL Final in Oulu, Lasch scored a goal and took home two individual awards – the CHL's Cramo Top Scorer award and the NordicBet MVP Trophy – in addition to his gold medal. 

Sitting in the winning dressing room after that game, he said: “It's nice. I thank the fans who voted and everyone who supported that. Winning that is a reflection of the team – this was a team victory. You know, individual awards are nice but look around here,” he said as he motioned to his teammates celebrating in the dressing room. “This is what it’s all about. When those final seconds tick off the clock and the team pours off the bench to celebrate, that’s the best part of being a hockey player.” 

Looking back on it, his thoughts haven't changed much. “Winning” is the main thing he remembers from that day. “The best feeling and memory you can have is when you lift that trophy up with the boys.”
 
However, he hasn't bored his new teammates with stories from that victory. 
 
“No, we have a solid group of veterans that have won here in Bern and elsewhere. I think most of the guys on the team know what it takes to win and have won before, so nothing needs to be said.”
 
Bern is one of the last 16 teams remaining in this year's CHL, so there are still a few hurdles to scale before Lasch can experience that again. But knowing the Finnish and Swedish teams as well as he does, he can look at the remaining field from a unique perspective, and he feels optimistic about Bern's chances. 

“Yes I think we match up well against the teams that are left,” he figures. “We have to take one series at a time, though, and not look ahead. We have a solid system and structure in our game right now and I believe we have really improved as a team the last two weeks in trusting the system and playing team hockey and the results have shown. If we continue to play with that structure and as a team we will be tough to beat no matter who we play.”

Up next will be a tough test in JYP Jyvaskyla, a team that Lasch remembers from his days in Finland.

“It's going to be a tough match for us,” he figures. “JYP is a hardworking team that is going to come after us and want to put the pressure on us, play physical, get pucks deep and really grind us. It will be an exciting round for us and a good test.”

Read previous articles on Ryan Lasch:

09.02.2016 – Winning the CHL "a great feeling to win with these guys" says MVP Lasch

07.02.2016 – Frolunda's Lasch: "We're a faster team"

07.09.2015 – “I love the CHL, It’s awesome” says Frolunda's Lasch after perfect group stage

02.09.2014 – TPS's Ryan Lasch is "very excited about the CHL"