NHL-star Kevin Fiala visits Bühler Uzwil
During the Networking Days 2025, international ice hockey star Kevin Fiala visited our headquarters in Uzwil twice. There was plenty to marvel at – not only the immense effort behind the event but also the many opportunities available to our apprentices today, especially in sports apprenticeship.
Lukas Naef, September 2025
The Experience & Logistics Team was quite surprised by the spontaneous request that came in on June 13 at the ice rink office: Kevin Fiala wanted to stop by for a photo shoot. The international ice hockey star, who has been under contract with the Los Angeles Kings in the American National Hockey League (NHL) since 2022, grew up in Uzwil and began his impressive career with the EHC Uzwil Hawks.
At the time, preparations for the Networking Days 2025 were already largely completed in the ice rink, so the request could be approved without any safety concerns. The photos were taken that very same day at lightning speed.
But then someone else was suddenly surprised: the offensively skilled forward Fiala was visibly amazed at how “his” ice rink and the adjacent football field had been transformed for the event. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time for a full tour of the event grounds and the Bühler site. However, his interest was clearly piqued as less than two weeks later, Fiala returned for another shoot in the ice rink.
“The second visit was definitely more of a challenge,” says Ives Gregorin, who had already coordinated with Fiala’s management during the first visit. “On the second day of the Customer Days, we had most of our clients on site, and we had to sneak Kevin a bit behind the scenes into the locker room.”
But Fiala was curious and not camera-shy at all. A tour was quickly arranged. What interested the top athlete most was the new apprentice area in the Bühler Energy Center (BEC). There, Fiala also met David Holenstein, trainer and head of the sports apprenticeship program at Bühler.
“I was definitely a bit caught off guard,” Holenstein admits. “But how often do you get the chance to meet an NHL star in person?”
In addition to the state-of-the-art facilities at the BEC, Fiala was particularly interested in the sports apprenticeship program. “With the sports apprenticeship, we can give ambitious and athletically talented apprentices the chance to follow their passion while still completing a vocational education,” explains Holenstein. Bühler grants its sports apprentices additional time for training and competitions. However, this doesn’t affect their performance in school and training, as the same rules and milestones apply to all apprentices.
Kevin Fiala is impressed: “I’m amazed by how Bühler supports young sports talents. I know that I was very lucky and that not everyone gets that chance. Combining sports and a professional career is a fantastic opportunity that opens many doors for young people.”
The talents at Bühler are certainly impressive: Since 2012, 63 apprentices have completed the sports apprenticeship program – including well-known names such as mountain bike world champion Monique Halter, national swimmer Marius Toscan, and FC St. Gallen midfielder Christian Witzig. However, David Holenstein emphasizes that the sports apprenticeship program is not about prestige: “We’re not trying to hire the next Roger Federer. Our goal is to support young talents. That said, we’ve noticed that sports apprentices often bring strong soft skills: They’re ambitious, show leadership potential, and are highly motivated.”
These soft skills were also on display during the visit from hockey star Fiala. The apprentices were open, excited to take a few photos with the “star”, and engaged with him on equal terms. Fiala was impressed – but another surprise awaited him on the way out. At the BEC reception desk was Monika Locher. Her son Renato grew up with Kevin, and the two began their careers together at EHC Uzwil. Renato didn’t quite make it to the NHL, but Monika and Kevin happily reminisced about those early days.
“Of course, it was always a big commitment. Even back then, Renato and Kevin were training several times a week with EHC Uzwil, and during the season, there were games on top of that,” Monika recalls. “That’s why I think it’s so great that Bühler supports young athletes through the sports apprenticeship.”
Shortly before the final presentation of the Networking Days, Kevin Fiala’s visit came to an end. After a spontaneous and eventful stop at Bühler, he left the event grounds with plenty of new impressions and ideas. Who knows, maybe he’ll use his power play strength to help boost the vocational training model in the US?
We’ve already prepared some marketing material, just in case:
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
