Romain Loeffel Explained

Caption:Loeffel in 2010
Romain Loeffel
Birth Date:10 March 1991
Birth Place:La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Height Ft:5
Height In:10
Weight Lbs:180
Position:Defenceman
Shoots:Right
League:NL
Team:SC Bern
Former Teams:HC Fribourg-Gottéron
Genève-Servette HC
HC Lugano
Ntl Team:Switzerland
Career Start:2008

Romain Loeffel (born 10 March 1991) is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently playing with SC Bern of the National League (NL). He previously played for HC Fribourg-Gottéron, Genève-Servette HC and HC Lugano.

Playing career

Loeffel made his professional debut with HC Fribourg-Gottéron in the 2008-09 National League (NL) season. He appeared in 3 games this season and spent most of the year playing in the Swiss League (SL) with Young-Sprinters HC. He played 36 games in the SL and put up 14 points, including five goals. In the 2009-10 NL season, Loeffel became a regular on Fribourg's team, appearing in 37 NL contests that year. He went on to play four years with the team in the NL before being traded to Genève-Servette HC on 31 January 2014 for John Fritsche and Jérémie Kamerzin.[1] Loeffel then appeared in only two games with Geneva that season, scoring 1 goal.

On 2 October 2014, Loeffel was suspended for seven games and fined CHF 10,000 for shoving a linesman in a game against Lausanne HC on 26 September 2014.[2] Loeffel was trying to catch up Simon Fischer after a faceoff but bumped into Roger Bürgi, the linesman, and raised his stick to push him out of his way. Bürgi didn't report the incident at the end of the game, considering it an accident. It was only Reto Steinmann, who was at the head of the referees' supervision for the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation at the time, who watched the incident on tape and decided to open a procedure in order to suspend Loeffel.[3] The case was highly mediatized in Switzerland.[4]

On 2 December 2014, Loeffel was signed to a one-year contract extension by Geneva.[5] He went on to score 4 points in 4 Spengler Cup games en route to the title with Geneva.

On 2 December 2015, Loeffel agreed to a two-year contract extension with Genève-Servette.[6] At the end of the 2015–16 NL season, he was named to the NL Media Swiss All-Star Team.

On 16 October 2017, HC Lugano signed Loeffel to a four-year contract worth CHF 4.8 million.[7] The contract will start for the 2018/19 season and run through the 2021/22 season.

International play

Loeffel was named to Switzerland's national under-18 team for the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships in Russia. He tallied one assist in 6 games, with Switzerland finishing 8th in the tournament. Loeffel was again named to the team for the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships in the United States, where he put up four assists in 6 games, finishing again 8th in the tournament with Switzerland. That same year he was also named to Switzerland's under-20 team for the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships – Division I in Switzerland. He played five games to help Switzerland win the tournament and earn a promotion for the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in which he did not participate but was selected to take part in the 2011 edition in the United States. Loeffel scored 1 goal, helping Switzerland finish 5th in that tournament.

Loeffel made his debut with Switzerland men's team in 2011 but only made his World Championships debut in 2015 in the Czech Republic. He was originally cut after the exhibition games but was re-called as an injury replacement when he was on holiday in Dubai. He eventually played two games in the tournament as Switzerland finished 8th. Loeffel was then named to the team for the 2017 IIHF World Championship in France and played all eight games, putting up 5 points, including 1 goal. Switzerland finished 6th in the tournament, falling to Sweden in the quarter-finals.

Loeffel represented Switzerland at the 2018 Winter Olympics. He appeared in 3 games, tallying one assist as Switzerland unexpectedly fell to Germany in the qualification game for the 1/4 finals.

He represented Switzerland at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and won a silver medal.[8]

Personal life

Loeffel was born and grew up in La Chaux-de-Fonds, where he started playing hockey as a kid with the local youth team, HC La Chaux-de-Fonds. At 15 years old, he moved to Fribourg to pursue his dream of becoming a professional hockey player.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Team League GP GPG A Pts PIM
2006–07HC Fribourg–GottéronSUI U172751116120
2006–07HC Fribourg–GottéronSUI U203542654
2007–08HC Fribourg–GottéronSUI U179851318
2007–08HC Fribourg–GottéronSUI U20325111634
2007–08HC Düdingen Bulls SUI.360002
2007–08Switzerland U20SUI.221122
2008–09HC Fribourg–GottéronSUI U20124711411307714
2008–09HC Fribourg–GottéronNLA30004
2008–09Young Sprinters HCSUI.236591446
2008–09Switzerland U20SUI.260004
2009–10HC Fribourg–GottéronSUI U2016391220
2009–10HC Fribourg–GottéronNLA370001260000
2009–10Young Sprinters HCSUI.230224
2009–10SC LangenthalSUI.280338602212
2010–11HC Fribourg–GottéronNLA4269151641012
2011–12HC Fribourg–GottéronNLA495121728111564
2012–13HC Fribourg–GottéronNLA343101322181564
2013–14HC Fribourg–GottéronNLA4315620
2013–14Genève–Servette HCNLA21012
2014–15Genève–Servette HCNLA4382129221228102
2015–16Genève–Servette HCNLA5062733521134710
2016–17Genève–Servette HCNLA501026361841010
2017–18Genève–Servette HCNL481014242251124
2018–19HC LuganoNL481022322042130
2019–20HC LuganoNL507162328
2020–21HC LuganoNL50320235052350
2021–22HC LuganoNL33912214260004
NL totals582791942733588614274130

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2008SwitzerlandU188th601118
2009SwitzerlandWJC D111th50000
2009SwitzerlandU188th604412
2011SwitzerlandWJC5th61014
2015SwitzerlandWC8th20000
2017SwitzerlandWC6th81458
2018SwitzerlandOG10th3 0 1 1 0
2019SwitzerlandWC8th81232
2021SwitzerlandWC6th73142
2022SwitzerlandOG8th51012
2024SwitzerlandWC102572
Junior totals 2315634
Senior totals 438132116

Notes and References

  1. Web site: J. Fritsche et J. Kamerzin à Fribourg; R. Loeffel et A. Krutov au GSHC - Genève-Servette Hockey Club. www.gshc.ch, GSHC - Site officiel du Genève-Servette Hockey. Club. www.gshc.ch.
  2. Web site: Actualité - Romain Loeffel suspendu pour 7 matches! - Planète Hockey. Planète Hockey.
  3. Web site: Actualité - Procédure ouverte contre Romain Loeffel - Planète Hockey. Planète Hockey.
  4. Web site: Actualité - Suspension de R. Loeffel: les considérants - Planète Hockey. Planète Hockey.
  5. Web site: Romain Loeffel – Un an de plus - Genève-Servette Hockey Club. www.gshc.ch, GSHC - Site officiel du Genève-Servette Hockey. Club. www.gshc.ch.
  6. Web site: Romain Loeffel prolonge avec les Grenat - Genève-Servette Hockey Club. www.gshc.ch, GSHC - Site officiel du Genève-Servette Hockey. Club. www.gshc.ch.
  7. Web site: HC Lugano signs Romain Loeffel to long-term contract. HC. Lugano. 16 October 2017.
  8. Web site: Silver it is - Czechia beats Switzerland in the World Championship final . swisshockeynews.ch . 26 May 2024 . 26 May 2024.