More Contact In Switzerland

You can file this under "News that should have been reported months ago", but the Swiss women's league, better known as the PostFinance Women's League, crowned SC Bern as its champions back at the end of March. It was a heckuva season over in Switzerland as I kept a close eye on things with former UBC Thunderbird Joelle Fiala and former Calgary Dinos teammates Elizabeth Lang and Courtney Kollman lighting lamps for HC Davos. After they fell in the playoffs, my focus turned to other hockey matters, but I probably should have been keeping an eye on the league for offseason news because that's the topic for today!

We've seen women's hockey leagues adopt the idea of bodychecking as an effective tool in the arsenal of the players. Both the PWHL and the SDHL have it, and neither of those leagues imploded nor were there a plethora of violent hits nor significant injuries. Yes, there were some injuries caused by bodychecks - it would be ignorant not to acknowledge that - but the vast majority of the body contact seen was to separate puck-carrier from puck as those leagues' rules state.

In saying that, we can now add a third league to the roster of women's leagues that allow bodychecking as the PostFinance Women's League in Switzerland will allow such plays as defined by their rules. This rule change went into effect on May 5, 2025 and will take effect in the 2025-26 season in Switzerland for which the Swiss teams will need to prepare. And I don't mean loading up with linebackers.

Long-time Swiss National Team member and PostFinance Women's League forward Lara Stalder seemed happy with the rule change, stating, "The adjustment of the rules regarding physical play, as in Sweden, brings more clarity, better prepares players for international competitions, and represents an important step in the further development of women's ice hockey in Switzerland. It is also important for Olympic preparation and helps reduce injuries, as it leads to greater awareness and body tension during the game."

Despite her sounding more like a coach than a player in her explanation, she is correct in that players will need to be aware of not only their own bodies when it comes to giving and receiving hits, but the bodies of opponents as well. It should be noted, however, that the PostFinance Women's League added a very clear and definitive definition on what kind of bodychecking will be allowed and what will still result in a penalty. The rule on checking reads,

"... are generally permitted under the same rules as in men's hockey — with the exception of so-called "open-ice hits," in which both players are moving in opposite directions. Such hits will continue to be punished with a minor penalty or a major penalty, including an automatic suspension."

That seems pretty straightforward in that one generally has to be moving in the same direction as the player receiving the check or, at worst, possibly perpendicular to that player if they are along the boards. It goes without saying that hits from behind and hits that target the head and neck area would still be penalized no matter from what direction the check comes, so eliminating the open-ice hits should prevent serious injuries as the rule hopes to achieve.

As the release states, there was always some mystery around what can and cannot be called for a penalty when it came to body contact in the women's game as "the inconsistency in rule interpretation lies in the varying levels of play, the different speeds of play, and physical differences such as the players' height, weight, and physical strength. What is considered fair in one situation can quickly be considered dangerous under other circumstances. These factors make an objective and consistent assessment significantly more difficult," and the introduction of this new rule should hopefully clarify the legality of that contact. With all players understanding that checking will happen as per this new rule, there should be less discussion about what's legal and what is not when it comes to contact.

Will this change women's hockey in Switzerland? No, not exactly. It can potentially lead to turnovers and scoring opportunities as players can be bumped off pucks in the defensive zone, but I don't think we're going to see a "Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em" type video from the PostFinance Women's League at any point. European hockey isn't played that way as it is, but we didn't see the SDHL turn into gladiatorial wars nor do we see a ton of thunderous checks in the PWHL. There were some big hits, but they were part of the game.

We'll see if the PostFinance Women's League tracks hits next season which is something I'd like to see other women's leagues do. There are physical players who make good plays by separating players from pucks, but it's hard to see who may be most effective when it comes to physical play. Having that info can help players when it comes to free agency as that added element could be what a team is seeking.

In any case, the hits will be seen next season in the PostFinance Women's League. We'll have to see how the game evolves with this new wrinkle in the mix, but my guess is that it will continue to be as good as it was this past season. I'm already excited as a fan.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!