Switzerland men's national ice hockey team

Lore & Background

Bibi Torriani served as the Switzerland national team captain from 1933 to 1939. He played on a forward line known as 'The ni-storm' (German: Der ni-sturm), with brothers Hans Cattini and Ferdinand Cattini. The line was named for the last syllable (-ni) of players' surnames. The ni-storm was regarded as the top line of HC Davos and Switzerland's national hockey team. Torriani served as head coach of the Switzerland men's national ice hockey team in 1946–47, and again from 1948 to 1949 to 1951–52. Canadian-born Derek Holmes was the team's player-coach in the 1960s. From a bronze medal at the 1953 World Championships until the silver medal in 2013 and 2018, Switzerland did not win a medal at a major senior ice hockey tournament, coming close in 1992 and 1998, when they finished in fourth place in the World Championships both years. Before the 2013 IIHF World Championship, the Switzerland scored two historic upsets at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, defeating the Czech Republic 3–2 and shutting out Canada 2–0 two days later. They finally fell to Sweden in the quarterfinals. At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the Swiss nearly stunned Canada again in round-robin play, taking the heavily favored Canadians to a shootout, which they lost 1–0 for a narrow 3–2 loss.

Reader's Guide

The Switzerland men's national ice hockey team is notable as a founding member of the IIHF and, as of June 2026, holds the top position in the IIHF World Rankings. Its early history was shaped by the 'ni-storm' forward line of Bibi Torriani and the Cattini brothers, which was considered the top line of HC Davos and the national team. Torriani later served as head coach in multiple stints. The team endured a long medal drought at major senior tournaments from 1953 until 2013, with near-misses including fourth-place finishes at the World Championships in 1992 and 1998. The Swiss achieved notable upsets at the 2006 Winter Olympics, defeating the Czech Republic and shutting out Canada, before losing to Sweden in the quarterfinals. At the 2010 Olympics, they again pushed Canada to a shootout but lost. The team's resurgence in the 2010s and 2020s is marked by multiple silver medals at the World Championships (2013, 2018, 2024, 2025, 2026), reflecting a sustained period of high performance. The team also won the Deutschland Cup in 2001, 2007, and 2019.

Did You Know?

• Bibi Torriani served as Switzerland's captain from 1933 to 1939 and later as head coach in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
• The 'ni-storm' forward line was named after the last syllable (-ni) of the players' surnames.
• Switzerland shut out Canada 2–0 at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
• The team won silver medals at the World Championships in 2013, 2018, 2024, 2025, and 2026.