Start of the season overseas – long-running favorites Josi and Niederreiter: The status of the NHL Swiss – Sport

When the starting signal in the best ice hockey league in the world was given on Friday with the duel between the Buffalo Sabers and the New Jersey Devils, three Swiss were on the ice. 6 other Swiss also want to cause a sensation in the new season, while 4 have to fight for their appearances.

Der «ewige» Roman Josi

Defender Roman Josi is one of those rare players who make a team better with their presence alone. The 34-year-old from Bern is starting his 8th season as captain of the Nashville Predators. Overall, it is his 14th in the NHL.

Although Josi has played exactly 1,000 games in the best league in the world, he is not yet officially part of the NHL’s 1,000 club, as only the qualifying games are taken into account. The winner of the Norris Trophy from 2020 is still 91 games away from the magical mark. So he can’t reach it until the 2025/26 season at the earliest; the contract with Nashville runs until 2027.

Suter and Kurashev want to recommend themselves

In addition to Josi, 8 other Swiss are included in their teams. Nico Hischier, Timo Meier and Jonas Siegenthaler play for the New Jersey Devils. Like Josi, Nino Niederreiter is entering his 14th season in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets. Pius Suter and Philipp Kurashev are in the final year of their contracts with the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively.

Kevin Fiala, who became a father for the first time in May, produced 145 points (52 goals) in his first two years with Los Angeles, more than anyone else with the Kings during this period in the regular season. A new chapter begins for Janis Moser after the trade from the Utah Hockey Club (previously Arizona Coyotes) to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

4 Swiss hope

Four more Swiss can hope to play in the NHL in the coming season. For example, Lian Bichsel, who impressed with the Dallas Stars in preparation. However, the competition is fierce. Nevertheless, the 20-year-old defender is likely to make his NHL debut.

Goaltender Akira Schmid was traded from the New Jersey Devils to the Vegas Golden Knights and received a one-way, two-year contract. However, he is currently only number 3 behind Adin Hill and Ilja Samsonow, which is why he will start the season in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights.

Goalie Connor Hughes (Montreal Canadiens) and defenseman Rodwin Dionicio (Anaheim Ducks) fell victim to a cut early on and had to go to the AHL farm teams Laval Rocket and San Diego Gulls, with whom they normally stay.

Oilers the Top Favorites?

In addition to the Nashville Predators, who are considered transfer winners due to new additions such as Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, and the New Jersey Devils, other teams with Swiss players are also expected to make the playoffs – probably with the exception of the Chicago Blackhawks.

But there are others among the top favorites, especially the defeated finalist Edmonton Oilers with superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. Defending champion Florida Panthers are also expected again. The Dallas Stars are also rated very high, and the Devils appear just as high in the forecasts.