BERNE – It was early autumn, almost summer last year, when Ryan Gardner wore the jersey of Team Switzerland for the first time on a mini ice rink on a hotel terrace overlooking Berne.

After having played for so many years with a Swiss hockey licence and being able to speak Swiss-German almost accent-free, Gardner has finally got the red passport with the white cross. Now he has new ambitions with the host team of the 2009 IIHF World Championship.

But let's allow the 31-year-old forward, who stands almost two metres tall, to tell his special story in his own words.

Almost three months later, how would you describe what happened when you won the inaugural Champions Hockey League title with the ZSC Lions Zurich?

It was great. It was one of the biggest highlights of my career. Who would have believed that a team from a small country could win? It was a great feeling at the end.

How was it possible that ZSC managed to win such a competition as the first Swiss club?

We had good players. I think people underestimate Switzerland. We were also very well-prepared, and the game plan was good. We played the system we wanted to.

A few weeks later, you found out what it was like to be on the other side when ZSC was surprisingly beaten in the Swiss quarter-finals by Fribourg-Gottéron.

That’s hockey. It’s a great sport where things like this can happen. Somehow we weren't on top of our game mentally. And the playoffs were also very tight. Just one of the top three teams won in the first round.

Would you say that you’re in the best shape of your life?

The last two years were very good for me. I became a better player in Zurich and also in Lugano. I think the statistics bear that out.

You've played most of your career in Switzerland as a Canadian with a Swiss hockey licence. How did it come about?

I lived in Switzerland for eight years as a kid because my dad played here, but we were only in Switzerland during the hockey season. That was from about 1980 to 1988. Then I was in Canada from 1988 to 1999, and came back to Switzerland.

Where did you play during your childhood?

I played junior hockey where my father was playing. Five years in Visp and three years in Ambrì.

So you've spent most of your life in Switzerland. Which aspects of the country do you identify with yourself? Is there something typically Swiss?

In my teenage years, I grew up in Canada but when I was here as a kid, the school system here was strict. I learned discipline here. And German. That’s what I brought from Switzerland. Being in a different country helps you to communicate better. I also enjoy the food here, especially the Italian food while I was in Ticino (in Ambrì, Lugano). I’m happy that I have gotten to live in the two best countries in the world.

And what is typically Canadian about you?

I learnt to read the game better back home. I also had to deal more with body contact because of the size of the rinks, but hockey has improved much in Switzerland. I also learnt to live in a big city (Toronto) for my own as a junior.

Do you see yourself as more Canadian or Swiss?

One could say I’m more Canadian, but in the hockey world, it’s almost the same. It’s difficult to say what I have from which country.

You've never counted as an import in Switzerland due to the Swiss hockey licence you've had since your childhood. Was this important throughout your career?

Being 19 or 20, it helps when you’re not a superstar. It helped me to learn how to play professionally in Switzerland. But nowadays, I could probably also play as an import.

How did it come about that you finally applied for Swiss citizenship?

I asked about it while I was living in Lugano. I just wanted to find out if I could do that, as I had lived here for 12 years. Then beforehand, I had to do some tests in Italian.

Did you also consider playing for the national team when you applied for a Swiss passport?

That was a thought, for sure, and I also took my family into consideration.

When did you begin to talk to the national coach about the Swiss team?

Last year in the spring. He called me to inquire when I would be naturalized, but unfortunately it was too late for the World Championship in Canada last year.

How far do you think this year's team can go?

Everything is possible. It has been a great team in the past. And with our NHL players we can even be better. Such players can be very dangerous. And we will have fans who will help us too.

Swiss fans are hoping for the first semi-final berth since 1998, the last time the World Championship was held in Switzerland.

We want to go for a medal, but we still have to get to the quarterfinals first, and there you need to play the game of your life. Any team can beat anybody in one game.

How is it for you as a Canadian-born player to represent Switzerland? What would it feel like to play against Canada?

We already had an exhibition game against Canada in November. I’m proud to be Swiss too, and I’m thankful for this opportunity. And I want to prove that I’m a good player.

How pleasant is it to make your World Championship debut in your new homeland?

It’s going to be great. It's something that doesn’t happen so often. Our fans and the whole country will be behind us and push us.

You’ll be one of the tallest forwards at the World Championship. Is that always an advantage, or do you also see disadvantages?

Of course it helps, especially in front of the net. On the other hand, you’re not as quick with long legs. But I’ve learnt to play the way I am.

What are your personal goals for the future?

I want to make the team and have a big role, and then go for a medal. And in general, I want to improve every day.

Do you sometimes dream about an NHL career?

Yes, always. It’s everybody’s dream. But as the years go by, I also feel very fortunate about what I have here.

MARTIN MERK