Ex-Red Wings Czarnik Finds Swiss League Better for Family Life

Former Detroit Red Wings player Austin Czarnik is finding his footing in Switzerland. The Michigander, far from his home state and playing extended minutes overseas for the first time in his career, is tied for for third in scoring in the Swiss National League.

Czarnik put around 20,000 miles on his car while splitting time between Detroit and Grand Rapids (AHL) last season. He totaled 28 points in 38 games with the Griffins for the 23-24 season and one point in his 31 games with the Red Wings.  When negotiations with Detroit stalled last summer, Czarnik and his family decided they needed a change. 

“That was probably the biggest draw for me to come here [SC Bern],”  Czarnik said. “Because every single night, I’m able to be in my bed here and I get to be with my kids every single day.” 

Family Matters

Now, after making the 4,199-mile flight away to play with SC Bern, Czarnik already has 31 points (10 G, 21 A) in 27 games. The change seems to be for the better. In the sports world there’s the cliche saying that the best ability is availability. But the five-foot-nine forward knows that that’s even more true in one’s home life.

“When everything is good at home, it helps you to be able to perform at the level that you want to perform at,” Czarnik said. “Whenever I feel like you’re with your family, you know that things are going well and you’re there to support them every day, and that’s something I really wanted to do for my wife.”

Coming out of Miami University, Czarnik started his pro career as an undrafted free agent signed by the Boston Bruins in 2015. Growing up in Washington, Michigan, Czarnik had pursued his NHL dreams despite much personal adversity. He’d spend much of his career splitting time traveling between clubs and their AHL affiliates. Along the way, Czarnik played for the Bruins, Calgary Flames, New York Islanders, Seattle Kraken, and finally, the Detroit Red Wings.

Making The Jump

It took a couple of games for him to find his groove in the Swiss league, but that comfortability at home has obviously helped to make the transition. As an import player, Czarnik was expected to be one of the top offensive talents on SC Bern. While it isn’t quite as physical as the NHL since there’s more space to move around on ice, point scorers still have a target on their backs. The bigger ice does however provide more opportunities for puck handling and possession-type play compared to the fast paced north-south movement in the AHL and NHL. Said Czarnik,

“Nothing compares to the NHL, but this league is definitely fast,” Czarnik said. “It’s a really fast league and some of these guys… Every team has guys that could be in the NHL.”

There are also fewer games, with more breaks in the schedule that allow for proper rest and recovery time. That also means each game has a little more meaning to it. There’s less margin for error as Czarnik and SC Bern aim for the playoffs in February.

No Plans for NHL Return

Czarnik plans to enjoy the spring and summer offseason with his family as he makes the much shorter move for his next team. One of the bigger differences off ice, aside from needing to negotiate a washer and dryer into his contract (as he learned from Brett Connelly) is that Swiss players sign and negotiate mid-season.

While he won’t be returning to SC Bern, he has already signed his next contract with a Swiss club for next season, and is waiting for the official team announcement. A report out of Bern from Angelo Rochinnotti points to Czarnik joining Lausanne after this season. For the foreseeable future, he and his family will be staying overseas.