Ice hockey is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hockey sticks to control, advance, and shoot a closed, vulcanized, rubber disc called a "puck" into the other team's goal. Each goal is worth one point. The team which scores the most goals is declared the winner. In a formal game, each team has six skaters on the ice at a time, barring any penalties, one of whom is the goaltender. Ice hockey is a full contact sport, and is considered to be one of the more physically demanding team sports. It is distinct from field hockey, in which players move a ball around a non-frozen pitch using field hockey sticks.
David Aebischer 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).
Glen A. Hanlon is a Canadian ice hockey coach, executive and former goaltender.
The Switzerland men's national ice hockey team is a founding member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and is controlled by the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation.
Timo Petteri Nummelin is a Finnish former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets. He was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets as their fifth-round pick, #133 overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Internationally, he played for the Finland men's national ice hockey team, and was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2024.
Paul Anthony DiPietro is a Canadian-born Swiss former professional ice hockey player. A Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal Canadiens, he played forward and made the roster for the Swiss national ice hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
The Genève-Servette HC is a professional ice hockey club based in Geneva, Switzerland and competing in the National League (NL), the top tier of the Swiss hockey league system. The team plays their home games at the Patinoire des Vernets, which has a seating capacity of 7,135.
Patrick Fischer is a Swiss ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey forward who played briefly in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Arizona Coyotes. He predominantly played in his native country in the National League A. He is currently the head coach of the Swiss national team.
Mike Maneluk is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger.
Ralph Krueger is a Canadian-born German professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the former head coach of the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL), and former chairman of Southampton Football Club. Since April 2019, he has held a Swiss passport.
Steven Allan Jensen was an American professional ice hockey player and owner and director of Heartland Hockey Camps. Jensen was a forward who appeared in 438 games in the National Hockey League from 1976–82. For 39 years, Jensen served as founding owner and director of the Heartland Hockey Camp located in Deerwood, Minnesota, and was a full-time teaching professional with more than four decades of instruction experience, including 12 years of experience playing International and NHL hockey. He was a five-time member of the United States men's national ice hockey team and played in the 1976 Canada Cup.
Manu Juhani Tamminen is a Finnish retired professional ice hockey player who played in the SM-liiga and World Hockey Association. He played for TPS, HJK, HIFK, Cleveland Crusaders, and Phoenix Roadrunners. He represented Finland at the 1976 Canada Cup. He was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.
Richard "Bibi" Torriani was a Swiss ice hockey player and coach, and luge athlete, also known as Riccardo Torriani.
Mathias Seger is a Swiss former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers and the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL). Seger began his professional career with SC Rapperswil-Jona in 1996. He played three seasons with Rapperswil-Jona before joining the Lions in 1999. With the Swiss men's national team he won a silver medal at the 2013 World Championships. Seger also won the 2009 Champions League as well as six National League titles, all with the ZSC Lions. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2020.
Sandy Jeannin is a Swiss former professional ice hockey left wing who played in the Swiss National League A.
The CIS national ice hockey team was an ephemeral national ice hockey team that represented the Commonwealth of Independent States. Essentially the former Soviet team under a different name, the CIS team existed in the few months between the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the formation of new ice hockey federations for the former Soviet states, now independent countries. Most notably, the team competed at the 1992 Winter Olympics as part of the Unified Team, winning the gold medal. However, the International Ice Hockey Federation would later attribute this gold medal to Russia as the successor state. The International Olympic Committee does not attribute that medal to Russia. After the Olympics, the CIS team ceased to exist and was replaced by the Russian team. In the 13 games the CIS played, they won 11 and lost 2.
Leonardo Genoni is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for EV Zug of the National League (NL).
Mirco Müller is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing with HC Lugano of the National League (NL). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks and the New Jersey Devils from 2014 to 2020. The Sharks selected Müller in the first round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Phoebe Stänz is a Swiss ice hockey forward and member of the Swiss national ice hockey team, currently playing with Leksands IF Dam of the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL). She played college ice hockey with the Yale Bulldogs and her senior career has been played in the SDHL and Swiss Women's League.
Ice hockey in Switzerland is one of the most popular team sports in the country rivaling football in terms of attendances and TV ratings.
Switzerland 