SCL Tigers

Lore & Background

The club was originally formed as the Ice skating club Langnau on 30 January 1946. The 1948–49 season started in the summer due to planning on the grounds of the Napro, where the ice rink was to be built; the rink began operation on 26 December 1948. SC Langnau, having not yet completed any championship games, secured the 'Begert Cup', winning nine out of 16 games, with a game against Rotblau Bern attended by over 1000 spectators. They first participated in the Swiss Championship in the 1949–50 season, facing opponents Roggwil, Olten, Münsingen and the second team of Red Blue Bern. In 1950–51, they were group winners of Serie B, Group 6 Central Switzerland but lost the final against Bern, also winning the Cantonal Cup of the Serie B.

The SCL Tigers, promoted to the NLA in 1998, are the successor club of the Schlittschuh-Club Langnau (SCL), outsourced to SCL Tigers AG in 1999 under President René Zeh. The club logo comes from the long-standing main sponsor 'Tiger Käse AG' (since 2004 'Emmi Fondue AG'), which has sponsored the club with its 'Tiger' brand since the 1970s. In October 2001, Ruedi Soltermann took over the presidency. In summer 2002, the club confirmed debts of more than one million francs, leading to financial difficulties. In February 2005, Armin Müller was removed from the Board of Directors for promising nearly 1.3 million francs in advertising revenue that largely did not arrive; the club announced they would file charges for document forgery and misleading management. An initiative 'Save the Tigers' was founded in July 2009 with entrepreneur Peter Jakob, who became President in September 2009 and added financial stability, erasing the club's debts.

After their initial promotion in 1998, they played in Switzerland's top hockey level for 15 years. At the end of the 2012–2013 NLA season, they were defeated in promotion/relegation games by Lausanne HC and relegated to the National League B. They became champions of the 2014–15 NLB season and returned to National League A for the 2015–2016 season after defeating the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers in four games. Langnau was the eighth most attended team in the NLA for the 2015–16 season, averaging 5,868 (98%).

Reader's Guide

The SCL Tigers represent a Swiss ice hockey institution with a history marked by early grassroots beginnings, a distinctive corporate identity tied to the 'Tiger' brand, and a narrative of financial turmoil and recovery. The club's origins in 1946 and its gradual ascent through the Swiss league system, including a first group win in 1950–51, illustrate its long-term development. The outsourcing to SCL Tigers AG in 1999 and the subsequent presidency of René Zeh, followed by Ruedi Soltermann, set the stage for significant financial challenges, including debts exceeding one million francs by 2002 and a sponsorship scandal in 2005 involving Armin Müller. The 'Save the Tigers' initiative and Peter Jakob's presidency from 2009 onward were pivotal in restoring financial stability and erasing debts. On the ice, the club's 15-year stint in the top division after 1998 promotion, relegation in 2013, and immediate return as NLB champions in 2015 demonstrate resilience. Their single NL championship in 1976 and three runner-up finishes (1970, 1977, 1978) highlight past competitive peaks, while the five SL championships (1934, 1989, 1957, 1999, 2015) underscore sustained lower-division success. The club's high attendance (98% capacity in 2015–16) reflects strong local support.