List of Olympic men's ice hockey players for Switzerland

A group of hockey players stand on the ice in a circle, hugging each other and celebrating. They are all wearing red and white sweaters.
Thibaut Monnet (No. 25) and Patrick von Gunten (No. 72) celebrate a goal during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Men's ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920; after its introduction at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it was permanently added to the Winter Olympic Games in 1924.[1] Switzerland has participated in 16 of 23 tournaments, sending 27 goaltenders and 187 skaters.

The Olympic Games were originally intended for amateur athletes, so the players of the National Hockey League (NHL) and other professional leagues were not allowed to compete.[2] Many of Canada's top players were professional, so the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) pushed for the ability to use professional and amateur players. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) refused, and Canada withdrew from the 1972 and 1976 Olympics in protest.[3] In 1986, the IOC voted to allow all athletes to compete in Olympic Games, starting in 1988.[4] The NHL did not allow its players to participate in 1988, 1992 or 1994, because doing so would force the league to halt play during the Olympics. An agreement was reached in 1995 that allowed NHL players to compete in the Olympics, starting with the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan.[5] The Swiss national team is co-ordinated by the Swiss Ice Hockey Association and players are chosen by the team's management staff.

Switzerland has won two bronze medals in men's ice hockey, in the 1928 Games and 1948 Games;[6] Bibi Torriani is the only player who won medals with both teams. Four players have been inducted into the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame – Torriani, brothers Ferdinand Cattini and Hans Cattini,[7] and Jakob Kölliker. Three players – Martin Plüss, Mathias Seger, and Mark Streit – have played in four tournaments; Streit was captain for the first three of his appearances.[8][9] Plüss, Seger, and Streit all have played in 19 games, the most of any Swiss player. Ulrich Poltera holds the record for most goals (21) and most total points (24), while five players have six assists each.

  1. ^ "Ice Hockey Equipment and History". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on May 18, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
  2. ^ Schantz, Otto. "The Olympic Ideal and the Winter Games Attitudes Towards the Olympic Winter Games in Olympic Discourses—from Coubertin to Samaranch" (PDF). Comité International Pierre De Coubertin. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 5, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2009. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Podnieks, Andrew & Szemberg, Szymon. "Story #17–Protesting amateur rules, Canada leaves international hockey". International Ice Hockey Federation. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  4. ^ Netter, Thomas (October 15, 1986). "New Olympic cycle approved". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2017. The I.O.C. also adopted new rules on eligibility that would allow international sports federations to decide on admitting professionals...
  5. ^ Lapointe, Joe (September 16, 1997). "The N.H.L.'s Olympic Gamble; Stars' Participation in Nagano Could Raise Sport's Profile". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2009.
  6. ^ "Olympic Ice Hockey Tournaments, Men". International Ice Hockey Federation. Archived from the original on November 24, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
  7. ^ "Ferdinand Cattini Bio, Stats and Results". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  8. ^ Podnieks 2011, p. 82
  9. ^ Podnieks 2011, p. 453