Fly like an eagle: it's wintertime, when ski enthusiasts hit the slopes and challenge the pistes, But what if you're not an outdoor person? Swiss News speaks with Serge Aubin of the Geneva Servette Hockey Club, about a sport that will warm your blood and whip you into a cheering frenzy.

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Clearly, the top hockey league in the world is the NHL based in the United States and Canada, however, there are also strong leagues in Sweden, Norway, Germany, Russia and even Switzerland. And these days, there are more and more talented players plying their trade overseas instead of in North America.

One of those players, Serge Aubin, a self-described "import", is settling in nicely to his new home in Geneva, playing for the Genera Servette Hockey Club, the Eagles. Over coffee, Serge and I discuss his status as an expatriate from Quebec among other topics. Serge had just signed a two-year contract with the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League when the NHL executives decided to cancel the season. Serge decided it was time for a change.

He came to Europe during the 2004/05 lockout. Many other NHL players did the same. If you are unfamiliar with the situation, all you need to know is that the National Hockey League was the first pro league in the history of North American sports to cancel an entire season. Since then, more young players are choosing to come to Europe rather than stay in the NHL, Serge says. "There are a lot of younger players who are opting to come over here in their mid-20s, while still in their playing prime," instead of waiting until age 30 before looking outside the NHL. he says: "Playing all the time, being able to contribute to a winning team. and being a part of a great group of guys, have made this a great choice for my career."

Life abroad

Adjusting to life in Geneva was relatively easy. "It's a bigger city, and the kids enjoy being in school here." he says.

"And since the language here is French and I'm from Quebec [Canada], it has been a pretty natural adjustment for me and my family since coming to Switzerland." he explains.

"I grew up speaking French. and so living here has been great."

Serge adds that Geneva has English schools, so his three kids can speak his native French while learning in an English-speaking environment. He's happy to have provided his kids an opportunity to live and learn in a foreign country.

"It's a little different than some expatriate stories because I had a job waiting for me--[and] my wife has just as many friends as I do!" he laughs.

"If my family is happy, then I play better."

Looking back at the move to a smaller market, he recalls the stress associated with travelling all over North America to play games in the NHL. The comparatively compact Switzerland certainly helps his family life, he says.

"The longest trip is to Lugano, and that's only five or six hours, so it's great. I get to spend a lot of time with my kids as I'm basically always at home." That is, when he's not practising or participating in a gruelling seven-month season.

And there are other differences.

"Over there, if you have a bad game or you aren't playing well. there is instantly someone there to take your place. Here I still feel the pressure of being an import [each club is allowed four import players who are not from Europe], but there is a patience here. and more of a calm." he says.

Import players in the Swiss League are often regarded as the ringers, but Serge says the pace and skill of the European player is very different than the bruise 'em up, hard-hitting NHL game.

"At times in the NHL when you make a mistake, you can make up for it with a good hit; here, there have been moments in game when I have tried to do that, and I look up and say where'd that guy go?" he says with a laugh.

Built for speed

Another huge difference compared to North American hockey is the size of the rink.

"The guys over here are fast, and the rink is a lot bigger than what I played on in the NHL."

Serge was a veteran of four different NHL sides, and went to the playoffs with the Colorado Avalanche in 1999. (Note to loyal hockey fans: Serge was indeed a part of a game at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit where an octopus blessed the ice.)

He saw virtually every arena, and every NHL city. Yet he smiles when he talks about the experience of playing in Bern.

"It's nice. To see 10,000 fans, all on one side of the ice, is really different. They're loud, the music is blaring, and they are right on top of the ice."

"It's great because when you go on the road here in Switzerland, there are always the club's fans who travel with the team. So when we go to Bern, for example, when we score a goal, our section of the arena goes nuts."

The 6,000-seat Geneva arena--home to the Eagles--is usually packed with screaming fans. Each home game features a special event--toy give-away, children's night, or fan night-and inevitably, he says, "if it's a toy give-away night, and we score a goal, those toys end up all over the ice!"

GSHC was third in league attendance figures last year.

"It really is a great crowd in Geneva, and we have great fans!" Serge says. "I would tell everyone to come down to see a game, have a beer and a hot dog, and enjoy the environment."

There are a lot of different packages available to the fans, from season tickets to one-off game specials. Check out www.gshc.ch for more information ... but don't take my word for it, like everything else in this world, go out and experience it for yourself.

The Swiss League

Perhaps one of the most well known Swiss clubs is the Genera Servette Hockey Club. The Geneve-Servette Eagles had the third highest average attendance in the league last year.

The Swiss league consists of two divisions, League National A and League National B. The top division LNA is extremely competitive, and made up of 12 clubs from across the country. So wherever you live in Switzerland, a top division side is close by.

The top eight clubs, points-wise, at the end of the season match up in the playoffs to determine the Swiss Cup. Uniquely enough the top three clubs at the end of the regular season have the luxury of choosing their first round play-off opponents.

The Swiss Cup Tournament has been n existence for well over 50 years, as has the GSHC, which was founded in 1954. The Swiss league provides a great outlet for hockey novices and enthusiasts, and the live games are exciting events.

Here is a glimpse at the November and December
schedule for the GSHC Eagles:

DAY             DATE               MATCH            TIME

Thursday     01/11/2007   Geneva vs. Kloten         19:45
Saturday     03/11/2007   Davos vs. Geneva          19:45
Thursday     15/11/2007   Zurich vs. Geneva         19:45
Saturday     17/11/2007   Geneva vs. Rapperswil     19:45
Tuesday      20/11/2007   Geneva vs. Fribourg       20:15
Friday       23/11/2007   Lugano vs. Geneva         19:45
Saturday     24/11/2007   Basel vs. Geneva          19:45
Wednesday    28/11/2007   Geneva vs. Lugano         19:45
Saturday     01/12/2007   Geneva vs. Langnau        19:45
Tuesday      04/12/2007   Davos vs. Geneva          19:45
Friday       07/12/2007   Geneva vs. Ambri-Piotta   19:45
Saturday     08/12/2007   Rapperswil vs. Geneva     19:45
Wednesday    19/12/2007   Fribourg vs. Geneva       20:15
Friday       21/12/2007   Geneva vs. Zug            19:45
Saturday     22/12/2007   Zurich vs. Geneva         19:45

* Home games are noted in blue