Ambühl to Hischier: A Swiss Legacy | FEATURE

In the ever-evolving story of Swiss ice hockey, few relationships embody the passing of generations quite like that of Andres Ambühl and Nico Hischier. One is a legend — a tireless warrior whose career spans nearly two decades of World Championships and Olympic appearances and years in Switzerland's top league. The other, a rising star and captain of both the New Jersey Devils and his national team, is leading a new era of Swiss talent onto the world stage.

Together, they represent not just past and future, but an overlap where mutual respect fuels team chemistry, and leadership is shared rather than handed down. In locker rooms and on the ice, their approach is shaping the identity of Swiss hockey we see today.

It has been a stunning journey, watching Hischier rise through the ranks and into stardom in the NHL. But initially, before anything else, at first, Nico was simply Luca’s little brother. It wasn't about Luca's brother with the extraordinary hockey talent; it was simply Nico, a little brother, looking up to his older brother.

That is how Ambühl first met Nico. Ambühl saw the admiration first hand while teammates with Luca Hischier, the eldest Hischier sibling, while playing together with HC Davos.

"The way I get to know him, it's like Nico is really looking up to Luca," Ambühl said. "And he still does. Nico is kind of, of course, Luca is good too, but Nico is the special talent. He's still always looking up to Luca."

He knew, of course, too of Hischier's extraordinary talents, a young kid from Naters turning heads at a young age, but neither brother would ever boast about it. Nico was always just Luca's brother.

"You heard about him," Ambühl said. "And then at some point you can see it and watch it, you knew that somebody or something big is gonna come. But first overall? That's unreal, but you didn't know that at the time, but you saw he has something special about him. It's pretty rare to have such a big talent, and we all knew and heard about that."

The 41-year-old Ambühl is perhaps the most iconic Swiss-born player to never become a full-time NHL player. In Switzerland, he is a legend. He is a six-time champion with HC Davos and ZSC Lions, a two-time winner of the Spengler Cup, and holds the records for most games played in both the Swiss National League and the IIHF World Championships. He is a three-time silver medalist at the World Championships, with a career dedicated to everything that encapsulates Swiss hockey.

He has seen every iteration of Swiss hockey that has helped shape the influx of star talent in the NHL, like Hischier and teammates Timo Meier and Jonas Siegenthaler.

"When I started, you didn't have any depth, and now you have so many young guys with the goal going over (to the NHL)," Ambühl said of seeing Swiss players rise on the international stage. "It just became more professional from a young age. I see now Nico and Timo, those are the guys that went to the Junior leagues. And that's how it started. A little bit like leaving your own country young, to get better in hockey and even in Switzerland itself."

Out of the 10 Swiss-born players in the NHL this season, three proudly wore the Devils jersey each night.

But only one was drafted first overall, and that's Nico. And it was a monumental moment, Ambühl recalls, especially for the next generation of Swiss talent that was already starting to emerge.

With zero hesitation when asked if he remembered the moment, Ambühl interjected, "Of course," his voice filled with a true sense of pride. "First overall, I mean, that meant for the whole country a lot, and it showed that not everything is wrong. And everybody was proud of him and for the whole country."

"I think the belief changed," he continued. "I mean, before you always dreamt, dreamt about it. But right there, you saw it's really possible, and before, maybe it was five, six guys that believed in it. And now, like the whole group always believes that you can achieve something like this."

That is the impact of Nico Hischier.

But just as crucial as Hischier's dedication to his craft in North America with the Devils, is the impact he, and players like Meier and Siegenthaler, have when their NHL seasons are cut short and their national teams come calling.

It's a call they always answer.

"That's big, that shows, first of all, it shows their own character, what kind of guys they are," he said. "Plus, of course, it helps our national team overall. Those are some of the best players in the world, too. And of course, it helps if those guys come, it shows that they really care about the country, plus the national team program."

After completing the 2025 World Championship, a second straight silver-medal winning performance, Ambühl's illustrious hockey career came to a close, as he chose, at 41, to put his skates away. The shape of Swiss hockey on two completely different spectrums from his first game to his last. At the beginning of his career, it would have been an incredible feat, a pure celebration even, to win a silver medal. But now, with the epic rise of Swiss hockey, there is a sound of disappointment; they are no longer 'just happy to be there'. Ambühl, a three-time silver medalist, even went as far as calling it the worst way he could finish his career.

There is no one more qualified than Ambühl to speak to this. He played in 151 World Championship games, setting the all-time record for the International Ice Hockey Federation, in addition to his 352 games for the Swiss national team, the highest number in the country's history.

"Especially Nico," Ambühl began, "He was the first guy ever drafted first overall. That's huge and, but even the way he first played (in Switzerland) in the B League and then went over to the Junior leagues, it just proves everybody that you can do it. And that's the biggest thing. I think if they come to the national team too, it shows to everybody that they want to play on the national team. That wasn't always like this before, before it was more like picking if it was an Olympics (year), everybody came and it was kind of like this, it wasn't the same (for World Championships)."

"You saw it now the last two years," he added. "Or even in 2018, guys are disappointed that you don't win. Before, it was like, it's nice to have a medal and you're already almost celebrating like a championship, but now it's, you lose the final and you're disappointed. You're not partying like you would if you win something. And I think that's a big sign of how everything changed. You're not happy with just the second place anymore."

And Hischier is among the leaders, often sporting the captain's 'C' on his Swiss jersey, who has helped create that culture. Ambühl is among that leadership group, not simply because of a letter on his jersey, but because of his commitment, talent and importance to the national team program. Last year, Hischier began as captain of the national team, but passed it off when veteran Swiss defenseman for the Nashville Predators, Roman Josi joined the national team after their First Round exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

This past Worlds, despite having to sit out with an injury for the majority of the tournament, Hischier was captaining the Swiss squad made up a healthy mix of both younger and veteran players, including Ambühl.

Hischier and Ambühl, who wore an 'A' throughout the tournament, have a 15-year age difference. Despite the age gap, both players have made significant contributions to Swiss ice hockey in their own ways. Ambühl's extensive international experience and leadership have paved the way for younger talents like Hischier, who represents the next generation of Swiss hockey excellence. He gets to watch the growth from Luca's little brother to becoming a captain of the national team firsthand.

"The funny thing is, if those guys come over, of course I'm older, but I look up to them, too," Ambühl said. "I look up to all of them, because it is amazing what they already have achieved or what they have done. I mean, it's admirable too. So, yeah, I mean, in my feelings, with the international team, we're kind of all on the same level. Of course, they are from over there, I'm experienced, but at the end of the day, we are a group that everybody has the right to stand up and say something or but of course, as (Nico) gets older, it's fun to see how he grows. And I think that's what he's done over the last couple of years."

As Ambühl hangs up his skates after two decades of international excellence, it's clear his hopes now turn to the next generation to carry the torch and reach even greater heights. And that's not just in Switzerland; it's also in New Jersey. It is unique for the Devils, who have three of the 12 Swiss-born players in the NHL on their roster. And Ambühl, in awe of what they have already achieved as NHL players, dreams of even more success.

For that, too, will continue to inspire the next generation of Swiss hockey.

With Nico Hischier’s leadership, Meier’s scoring prowess, and Siegenthaler’s steady presence on the blue line, Ambühl believes that the dream of seeing the Stanley Cup raised by a Swiss player once again is not just possible—it’s inevitable.

"I wish for them that they win the Cup at some point," he said. "I think they're helping to build that attitude, what it needs to get back to that point. And their age is pretty perfect now, so they're in that leading group to help achieve that goal again. And I wish them just the best, and hopefully they'll win a Cup in the future, yeah, and bring it back to Switzerland."

And that would be, for Ambühl, the ultimate tribute to how far Swiss hockey has come, and a fitting continuation of a legacy he helped build.

In conversation with Ambühl for this piece, he also commented on the other two Swiss players, Timo Meier and Jonas Siegenthaler. Here is what he had to say about how important they are to the national team and the types of players he's seen them grow into:

On Jonas Siegenthaler's importance to the national team:

Big time. He brings so much calmness to our whole D core. He is exactly like, kind of the same as Nico. He always makes the right plays and, and he's not the loudest guy either. Those guys, if you have those guys and Sieggy and Nico in the room, it's just like the whole feeling is just nice, because those are good guys, and even they are superstars. Sieggy, he's an unreal player. He's big for the whole group.

On Timo Meier's uniqueness to the Swiss team:

It's nice because, I mean, you don't have too many big bodies like him that can score goals. Even his character, he's not quite as those two guys (Hischier and Siegenthaler). But that's good too, because otherwise it would be too quiet in the dressing room. He brings a lot of energy to the group, and it's always nice to have those guys around, and they bring a lot to the dressing room.