These Zug players will be in the national team next week

Nächste Woche nimmt die Schweizer Männer-Nationalmannschaft die neue Saison mit dem ersten Turnier der Euro Hockey Tour (EHT) in Finnland in Angriff. Die Frauen-Nati spiel vom 5. bis 8. November das zweite Turnier der Women’s Euro Hockey Tour (WEHT) im schwedischen Ängelholm.

Head coach Patrick Fischer has nominated two goalkeepers, eight defenders, and 14 forwards for the tournament. Two players from Zug are also included in the squad.

The EHT tournament in Finland marks the start of the new season, in which Switzerland will face Finland, World Championship bronze medalists Sweden, and Czechia for the fourth season in a row. After winning the World Championship silver medal in Stockholm and Herning, the prestigious tournament is the first opportunity to assess the team’s progress after the summer break.

25-year-old defender Nico Gross from HC Davos is in the squad for the first time. In comparison, Michael Fora (125 international games), Reto Berra (124) and Christoph Bertschy (120) are among the most experienced players. A total of ten silver medalists from the 2025 World Championship are in the squad. Eight players come from the current league leaders Davos, who will be missing from the SWISS Ice Hockey Games in December due to the Spengler Cup.

 

In addition to head coach Patrick Fischer, assistant coaches Marcel Jenni and Lars Leuenberger, currently assistant coaches at HC Fribourg-Gottéron, make up the coaching team for the upcoming EHT tournament.

Schedule and objectives

Switzerland will meet on Tuesday morning, November 4, 2025, directly at Kloten Airport, fly to Helsinki, and travel from there by bus to Tampere. The following games are scheduled at the Nokia Arena:

Thursday, November 6, 5:30 p.m. CET: Switzerland vs. Finland
Saturday, November 8, 12:00 p.m. CET: Switzerland vs. Sweden
Sunday, November 9, 12:00 p.m. CET: Switzerland vs. Czechia

All games will be broadcast live on SRF, RTS, and RSI.

Patrick Fischer is looking forward to the tournament and has set the following goal for the EHT tournament in Finland: “After the successful World Championship, we want to continue our positive momentum. The goal is to continue to grow as a team, to work consistently in every position and to prepare ourselves optimally for the Olympic Games and the World Championship on home ice next year.”

 

The Zug players in the Swiss national team will also face two teammates: Dominik Kubalik is in the Czechia squad and Andreas Wingerli is playing for Sweden.

The roster in detail

 

Goalies (2): Sandro Aeschlimann (HC Davos), Reto Berra (HC Fribourg-Gottéron)

Defense (8): Tim Berni (Genève-Servette HC), Giancarlo Chanton (Genève-Servette HC), Michael Fora (HC Davos), Lukas Frick (HC Davos), Tobias Geisser (EVZ), Nico Gross (HC Davos), Fabian Heldner (Lausanne HC), Sven Jung (HC Davos)

 

Offense (14): Nicolas Baechler (ZSC Lions), Christoph Bertschy (HC Fribourg-Gottéron), Attilio Biasca (HC Fribourg-Gottéron), Fabrice Herzog (EVZ), Ken Jäger (Lausanne HC), Tino Kessler (HC Davos), Simon Knak (HC Davos), Tyler Moy (SCRJ Lakers), Valentin Nussbaumer (HC Davos), Dario Rohrbach (SCL Tigers), Sandro Schmid (HC Fribourg-Gottéron), Justin Sigrist (ZSC Lions), Dario Simion (HC Lugano), Calvin Thürkauf (HC Lugano)

Head coach Colin Muller has nominated 22 players for the tournament. Several EVZ players are also included in the squad.

The Swiss team is led by three experienced players who have each played 140 international matches: defenders Shannon Sigrist and Stefanie Wetli, and forward Lisa Rüedi. The squad also includes young players Jael Manetsch (3 international caps), goalkeeper Monja Wagner (1) and 17-year-old Norina Müller from HC Fribourg-Gottéron Ladies, who has been nominated for the first time. Overall, the Swiss team is fielding a young squad. With Shannon Sigrist (born in 1999) and Kaleigh Quennec (1998), who has returned from injury, as the oldest players, the average age is just over 21.

Muller is looking forward to the second WEHT tournament: “With third place at the tournament in Kloten in August, we can look back on a fundamentally positive start to the season. We have analyzed all three games in detail: the big win against Sweden, the narrow defeat after penalty shootouts against Czechia, and the game against Finland. Now we want to use these insights to continue our development and, in particular, give our young players the chance to showcase themselves at this level. All with a view to the 2026 Olympics in Milano Cortina.”

 

The Swiss women will start their tournament with a game against Finland on November 5, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. Two days later, they will face Sweden at 6:00 p.m., before concluding on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. against Czechia. All games will be played at the Catena Arena in Ängelholm.

UPDATE: Due to injuries and illness, head coach Colin Muller had to make changes to six positions in his team.

Chiara Pfosi from EVZ replaces goalkeeper Talina Benderer in the squad. 25-year-old forward Luisa Waser from EVZ replaces Jael Manetsch and will make her debut in the national team. Also making her debut in the senior national team is 18-year-old forward Ilana Leibundgut from SC Bern. Zoe Merz from HC Ambri-Piotta has also been nominated to replace Jade Surdez, who is ill.

Isabel Waidacher from the ZSC Lions is making a comeback: the 31-year-old is returning to the senior national team after her last appearance in the 2018/2019 season and is about to reach a milestone: with currently 98 international caps, her 100th appearance is just around the corner.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

In their final game, the Zug players will face Noemi Neubauerovà, who has been called up for Czechia. Leonie Kutzer will also be playing for Austria during the international break.

The squad in detail

 

Goalies (2): Chiara Pfosi (EVZ), Monja Wagner (Union College / USA)

 

Defense (7): Annic Büchi (EVZ), Elena Gaberell (EVZ), Nina Harju (EVZ), Janine Hauser (ZSC Lions), Shannon Sigrist (ZSC Lions), Lucie Tenenbaum (Minnesota State University / USA), Stefanie Wetli (SC Bern)

 

Offense (12): Leoni Balzer (HC Davos Ladies), Naemi Herzig (Holy Cross University / USA), Ilana Leibundgut (SC Bern), Lena-Marie Lutz (HC Ambri-Piotta), Alina Marti (EVZ), Zoe Merz (HC Ambri-Piotta), Norina Müller (HC Fribourg-Gottéron Ladies), Kaleigh Quennec (SC Bern), Lisa Rüedi (ZSC Lions), Isabel Waidacher (ZSC Lions), Luisa Waser (EVZ), Ivana Wey (EVZ)

Several Zug players will also be on the road with their national teams at junior level in the coming weeks. Defender Mischa Geisser has been selected for the U20 5-Nation Tournament in Piešťany (SVK). Defender Daniele Guzzi and forwards Jan Daron and Sol Fueter will travel with the U18 national team to the 5-Nation Tournament in Ulricehamn (SWE). The U17 team will be competing in the 4 Nations Tournament in Vaujany (FRA), for which defender Daniel Fuchs and forwards Tom Braschler, Sam Neff, and Joakin Rausch have been selected. Defenders Sinan Camci and Noah Wirth will be participating in the U16 4-nation tournament in Kravaře (CZE). In addition, forward Sarah Mettler has been selected for the U18 women’s national team for the 4-nation tournament in Malacky (SVK).