Switzerland’s lineup features a blend of NHL regulars and homegrown talent. Ten skaters currently play in the NHL and the remaining 15 are members of the National League, the top Swiss division. 

In contrast, just three players were members of NHL rosters when Switzerland defeated Czechia and Canada in major preliminary round upsets at Torino 2006.  

That’s a testament to how the development program has improved over time. 

“Hockey in Switzerland has changed a bit for us in recent years,” said Hischier. “We have got more and more guys playing in the best league in the world (NHL). Obviously, the quality has raised as well.”

Hischier himself is proof of the shift towards generating high-end talent. He was the first Swiss player to be selected first overall at the NHL Entry Draft in 2017. 

The progression to that point took quite some time. Decades, in fact. Jacques Soguel was the first player out of Switzerland to be drafted back in 1976, though he never played a game in the big league. Three years later, Mark Hardy became the first Swiss-born player to star in an NHL game, but he was born to Canadian parents and only ever represented Canada internationally.

Between 1979 and 1991, not a single Swiss player was drafted into the NHL. In the following decade, that number increased to ten players in ten years.

The 21st century saw an exponential increase in Swiss players coming to North America, and the nation’s exports continued to increase in both quality and quantity. Josi was drafted 38th overall in 2008 and has since become the most influential skater from Switzerland, recording an all-time high of 763 points across more than 1,000 games played. Two years later, Niederreiter would become the highest-drafted Swiss player at 5th overall before Hischier nabbed that title in 2017. 

Niederreiter has now also topped 1,000 games in the NHL and sits just one point shy of 500. He helped set the stage for guys like Kevin Fiala, who was the world championship MVP in 2024 and is on a six-year streak of scoring at least 20 goals per season.  

Now, armed with high-level talent, Switzerland has begun to insert itself in the conversation of premier hockey nations. There is still a long way to go before reaching elite status of European nations like Sweden or Finland, but the country’s hockey scene will only continue to blossom.

“Swiss ice hockey has done a great job to keep developing young players and spread the fun of hockey in Switzerland,” Hischier said. 

The ultimate fun is still to come as Switzerland sets off on the hunt for a historic piece of Olympic hardware beginning with the game against France on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 6:10 a.m. ET.