The Most Famous

HOCKEY PLAYERS from Switzerland

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This page contains a list of the greatest Swiss Hockey Players. The pantheon dataset contains 676 Hockey Players, 12 of which were born in Switzerland. This makes Switzerland the birth place of the 9th most number of Hockey Players behind Slovakia, and Germany.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Swiss Hockey Players of all time. This list of famous Swiss Hockey Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Swiss Hockey Players.

Photo of René Fasel

1. René Fasel (b. 1950)

With an HPI of 47.69, René Fasel is the most famous Swiss Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages on wikipedia.

René Fasel (born 6 February 1950) is a Swiss-Russian retired ice hockey administrator. He served as president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) from 1994 to 2021. He started his ice hockey career as a player for HC Fribourg-Gottéron, in 1960, and became a referee in 1972. He became president of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation in 1985, then was elected president of the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1994. He also became an International Olympic Committee member and was elected to its executive board. Fasel was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2021.

Photo of Bibi Torriani

2. Bibi Torriani (1911 - 1988)

With an HPI of 47.28, Bibi Torriani is the 2nd most famous Swiss Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Richard "Bibi" Torriani (1 October 1911 – 3 September 1988) was a Swiss ice hockey player and coach, and luge athlete, also known as Riccardo Torriani. He played for HC Davos from 1929 to 1950, and served as captain of the Switzerland men's national ice hockey team from 1933 to 1939. He scored 105 goals in 111 international matches for the national team, won two bronze medals in ice hockey at the Olympic Games and won an additional four medals at the Ice Hockey World Championships. Playing for HC Davos, he won 18 Swiss championships and six Spengler Cups. He was chosen as the flag bearer for Switzerland at the 1948 Winter Olympics, and recited the Olympic Oath at the same games hosted in St. Moritz. He later served as head coach of the Switzerland and Italy men's national ice hockey teams, and led EHC Visp to a National League A championship. He won a silver medal competing in men's singles at the FIL World Luge Championships 1957 held in Davos, Switzerland. He is considered the best Swiss ice hockey player ever, and was inducted into the inaugural class of the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997. He is the namesake of the Torriani Award, given by the International Ice Hockey Federation since 2015 to recognize a player for a great international playing career.

Photo of Andres Ambühl

3. Andres Ambühl (b. 1983)

With an HPI of 33.28, Andres Ambühl is the 3rd most famous Swiss Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Andres Ambühl (born 14 September 1983) is a Swiss professional ice hockey forward and captain of HC Davos of the National League (NL). He has won six Swiss top league championships, two Spengler Cups, and a silver medal with Switzerland at the 2013 World Championship. Ambühl also represented Switzerland at Winter Olympics in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. He holds the records for the most top-division appearances (18) and top-division games played (131) in World Championship history.

Photo of Martin Gerber

4. Martin Gerber (b. 1974)

With an HPI of 33.06, Martin Gerber is the 4th most famous Swiss Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Martin Gerber (born 3 September 1974) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was drafted in the eighth round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft (232nd overall) by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Mighty Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Edmonton Oilers, winning the Stanley Cup as a member of the Hurricanes in 2006. Following the 2011–12 season, he played two seasons in the Swedish Elitserien before returning to the Swiss NLA, finishing his playing career with the Kloten Flyers.

Photo of Mark Streit

5. Mark Streit (b. 1977)

With an HPI of 32.44, Mark Streit is the 5th most famous Swiss Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Mark Thomas Streit (born 11 December 1977) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was formerly the captain of both the New York Islanders and the Swiss national team. Streit was one of the few swingmen in the NHL who could play both as a defenceman and as a forward. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2020.

Photo of David Aebischer

6. David Aebischer (b. 1978)

With an HPI of 30.98, David Aebischer is the 6th most famous Swiss Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

David Aebischer (born February 7, 1978) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League with the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens and the Phoenix Coyotes. He was a member of the 2001 Stanley Cup champion Avalanche team, becoming the first Swiss native to achieve the feat. Aebischer also played several seasons in his native Switzerland with HC Fribourg-Gottéron, HC Lugano and the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of the National League (NL). Aebischer is currently a goalie coach for HC Fribourg-Gottéron.

Photo of Jonas Hiller

7. Jonas Hiller (b. 1982)

With an HPI of 29.30, Jonas Hiller is the 7th most famous Swiss Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Jonas Hiller (born 12 February 1982) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender. Hiller played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Anaheim Ducks and the Calgary Flames. He began his NHL career with the Ducks in 2007 after going undrafted in any NHL Entry Draft. Hiller also played in the National League (NL) for HC Davos and EHC Biel.

Photo of Roman Josi

8. Roman Josi (b. 1990)

With an HPI of 28.58, Roman Josi is the 8th most famous Swiss Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Roman Josi (born 1 June 1990) is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman and captain of the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Josi was drafted 38th overall by the Predators in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Growing up in Switzerland, Josi played with the local SC Bern from 2006 to 2010. He made his debut with the National League in the 2006–07 season but became a mainstay in the lineup during the 2007–08 season. In 2008, Josi was one of just four 17-year-olds to play in Switzerland's top division. During the 2010 NLA playoffs, Josi led all defensemen and tied for fourth overall in goals as SC Bern won the Championship title. Following the championship win, Josi joined the Predators' organization for the 2010–11 season. He played his first season with the Predators' American Hockey League affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, before becoming a mainstay in the Predators lineup during the 2011–12 NHL season. During his NHL career, Josi has set and broken numerous franchise records. In 2019–20, Josi became the first Swiss player and first player in Predators' franchise history to win the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's best defenceman. In 2021 he surpassed Mark Streit as the highest-scoring Swiss-born NHL player. In March 2023, Josi became the second-fastest active defenseman to reach 600 points in his NHL career. While he reached this milestone in his 823rd game, Josi also set a new franchise record for most 40-assist seasons. Josi subsequently became the second defenseman to lead an active NHL franchise in points, joining Ray Bourque.

Photo of Raphael Diaz

9. Raphael Diaz (b. 1986)

With an HPI of 28.12, Raphael Diaz is the 9th most famous Swiss Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Raphael Salvador Diaz (born January 9, 1986) is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays with HC Fribourg-Gottéron in the National League (NL). Diaz previously played with the Rangers during the 2014 season after the trade deadline. He began his professional career with EV Zug in 2003 and has also played with the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and the Calgary Flames. After returning to Switzerland with EV Zug Diaz has won the 2019 Swiss Cup and the 2020-21 NL Championship Diaz was selected to play for the Switzerland men's national ice hockey team at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. He previously represented Switzerland at the 2004 IIHF World U18 Championships, the 2005 and 2006 IIHF World U20 Championship, the 2008 Ice Hockey World Championship, and captained the team at the 2017 Spengler Cup.

Photo of Sven Andrighetto

10. Sven Andrighetto (b. 1993)

With an HPI of 24.56, Sven Andrighetto is the 10th most famous Swiss Hockey Player.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Sven Andrighetto (born 21 March 1993) is a Swiss professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing with the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL). He was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the third-round (86th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, his last year of eligibility. He previously played with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, with whom he would finish sixth in scoring in 2012–13.

People

Pantheon has 13 people classified as Swiss hockey players born between 1911 and 1996. Of these 13, 12 (92.31%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Swiss hockey players include René Fasel, Andres Ambühl, and Martin Gerber. The most famous deceased Swiss hockey players include Bibi Torriani. As of April 2024, 3 new Swiss hockey players have been added to Pantheon including David Aebischer, Sven Andrighetto, and Kevin Fiala.

Living Swiss Hockey Players

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Deceased Swiss Hockey Players

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Newly Added Swiss Hockey Players (2024)

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