Switzerland’s presence in NHL continues to grow

Country has invested in coaching and player development, and it’s paying off

As soon as Damien Riat saw his name in the Washington Capitals’ lineup for their pre-season opener against New Jersey, he pulled out his phone.

“Looking forward to seeing you on the ice,” he texted Nico Hischier.

Riat, a 2016 fourth-round draft pick, and Hischier, the league’s top selection in the 2017 draft by the Devils, grew up in Switzerland. Monday night’s exhibition was the first for both, a 4-1 Devils victory, but more notable than a pre-season meeting between friends is the significance for their homeland’s emerging hockey program.

The first Swiss player selected No. 1 overall, Hischier’s Devils debut at Prudential Center in Newark was monitored across Switzerland at 2 a.m. local time and marked another milestone for a small country suddenly producing top NHL players. Better yet, he scored.

Just 11 Swiss players have played more than 100 games in the NHL, and all but three were in the league as recently as last season.

Before Hischier, the NHL was introduced to Nashville defenceman Roman Josi and Minnesota forward Nino Niederreiter. But Josi, Niederreiter and other NHLers remember looking up to savvy defenceman Mark Streit.

“He was kind of the door-opener for now the younger generation,” said Raeto Raffainer, the director of national teams in Switzerland.

As a 22-year-old during the 19992000 season, Streit played some American Hockey League games, but he flamed out and returned to Switzerland. He later decided to make another run at the NHL the season after the lockout. That turned into an 11-season career.

“When I was on the under-17 or under-18 (Swiss national) teams, we would always talk about Mark Streit,” Niederreiter said.

Switzerland started putting more resources into its hockey development program about 10 years ago. Professional coaches from abroad were brought in, “getting away from only the fathers are coaching the sons,” Raffainer said. Ottawa Senators coach Guy Boucher spent three years coaching in the Swiss league.

At the most recent World Junior Championships, the Swiss gave the U.S. team a scare in the quarterfinals. The Americans triumphed, 3-2, then won the tournament.

“Obviously, we are losing more than winning, but we are there,” Raffainer said. “There’s not a huge gap anymore that our teams are losing 15-zip.”

The Capitals have taken a player from Switzerland in each of the past three drafts, selecting defenceman Tobias Geisser in the fourth round this summer, to go along with Riat and defenceman Jonas Siegenthaler, the Capitals’ 2015 second-round pick.

“Hockey was always popular there, but the NHL wasn’t as close (for Swiss players) as it is right now,” Niederreiter said. “Now we have quite a few players overseas. The NHL has definitely got a lot bigger now than when I was a kid.”