Ice hockey in Switzerland

Ice hockey is a very popular team sport in Switzerland. Many people in the country love to watch and play it, and it gets almost as much attention as football. The sport brings together teams from all over Switzerland for exciting matches that fans fill stadiums to see. Ice hockey has been played in Switzerland for a long time and is still growing. Many young players dream of joining the professional leagues.

History

In September 1908, the Swiss Ice Hockey Association joined the International Ice Hockey Federation. One year later, Bellerive won the first national championship. Soon after, more clubs joined the association.

Later, the Ice Hockey European Championships were held in St. Moritz, and Davos hosted the first Spengler Cup. In 1924, Switzerland's men's national team played in the first ice hockey tournament at the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix. They won a bronze medal at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. The team also won at the 1926 Ice Hockey European Championship and earned medals at the 1935 Ice Hockey World Championships and 1939 Ice Hockey World Championships.

Governing body

The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation organizes ice hockey in Switzerland for both hobby players and professionals. The Spengler Cup is a major ice hockey tournament in the country and is the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world. It draws the attention of many hockey fans in Switzerland each year.

National leagues

Men

The National League is the top league for men's ice hockey in Switzerland. It used to be called National League A until 2017. Below it are the Swiss League, and then the MySports League. The amateur Regio League has several lower divisions. The National League often has many fans, with more than 7,000 people watching each game on average.

Women

The top women's hockey league in Switzerland began in 1986. It was first called the Leistungsklasse A, and later renamed to the Women's League. The EHC Kloten Specials were the first champions in the 1986–87 season. As more young women started playing, new leagues were formed. Today, there are several leagues below the Women's League, including SWHL B, SWHL C, and SWHL D.

National team

The Swiss national team badge is based on the coat of arms of Switzerland and is used on the player jerseys.

Men

Main article: Switzerland men's national ice hockey team

The Swiss men’s ice hockey team has played in many international competitions. They have competed in 67 IIHF Championships since 1930, with second-place finishes in 1935, 2013, and 2018. They have also won bronze medals at the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948.

Women

Main article: Switzerland women's national ice hockey team

The Swiss women’s ice hockey team has been part of every IIHF Women's World Championship since 1990 and has competed in the top division since 2007. They have also played in every women’s ice hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics since 2006. The team has won bronze medals at the 1995 European Championships, the 2012 World Championship, and the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Notable Swiss players in the NHL

Switzerland has produced several talented ice hockey players who have played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Although not a traditional hockey powerhouse, Swiss players have been making their mark in the NHL and international competitions.

Some famous Swiss NHL players include David Aebischer, who was the first Swiss player to win the Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Colorado Avalanche. Mark Streit was the first Swiss player to be named captain of an NHL team, the New York Islanders. Jonas Hiller played over 400 NHL games, starting with the Anaheim Ducks. Nino Niederreiter was chosen fifth overall in the 2010 NHL draft and later became a top scorer for the Minnesota Wild. Roman Josi became the first Swiss player to win both MVP and Best Defenseman at the World Championships. Timo Meier was the ninth overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft by the San Jose Sharks and had a standout season. Nico Hischier made history by being the first overall pick in the 2017 NHL draft by the New Jersey Devils. There are many other Swiss players who have also played in the NHL recently and in the past.

Attendances

This part of the article shows the average number of fans who watch each game in the top league of ice hockey in Switzerland. It also names the team that usually has the most fans coming to their games.