On the Road to Away Games with Danielle Rohner and EHC Kloten
Text: Wolfram Scherer
Danielle Rohner had not planned to become a coach driver. Originally she was responsible for scheduling coaches. “But then I wanted to see which routes and where I was sending the coaches,” she says. She passed her coach test in 1991, and then for 30 years she was a part-time driver herself. During that time she made many trips, and yet one period stays in Danielle Rohner's memory in particular: for five years she was the regular driver for EHC Kloten when they had to travel to away games.
How did she get this position? After the EHC Kloten team coach moved its base to Bassersdorf, I was able to take over a first trip.” She did her job well. Soon afterwards the EHCK wrote to EUROBUS: «We would be delighted if Danielle could remain our regular driver from now on». Danielle Rohner did remain so, for five years.
What matters: good humour and an interest in ice hockey
Naturally Danielle Rohner had coach driving down to a fine art. For trips with the tough lads of EHCK, though, other qualities mattered too. “Good humour is very important, and of course you should be interested in ice hockey.” She was. She cheered along at every EHCK away game in the stadium, even when, at the behind-closed-doors games during the Covid period, she sat all alone in the stand. And she was there for the team whenever they needed her. Each time half an hour before departure at the Kloten stadium. Where the trip went made no difference. Though she did have her favourite destinations. “I liked the trip to the Ilfis stadium in Langnau, it takes you through the beautiful Emmental. And for parking the coach, the stadium in Bern was ideal.”
On the road with the tough lads
On the ice, ice hockey players give nothing away. And on the coach, are they still the tough lads? Are there rules of the game there too? “An important rule concerns the seating order,” says Danielle Rohner, “the players with more years of service always sit in the back rows.” And sometimes the mood on the outward journey is very quiet, because every player has his own pre-game ritual, especially when a lot is at stake. “But mostly,” says Danielle Rohner, “the lads are up for a joke. As a driver you should be able to laugh along.” And celebrate along. For example at the victory party on 20 April 2022 in the catacombs. And when Danielle Rohner herself was allowed to hoist the Swiss League championship trophy into the air.
There were many EHC Kloten victories during the five years in which Danielle Rohner drove the team. And defeats too. However it turned out, Danielle Rohner says today, they were exciting and eventful years that she likes to look back on. Because “enjoying your work is the most important thing. It is worth its weight in gold.”
Photos of the team and the fans: Credits szenemagazin.ch