ZURICH – Former Swiss national team goalie Richard “Richi” Bucher passed away in the night from Thursday to Friday following a heart attack. He was 56.

After starting with SC Luzern, Bucher spent most of his career with Swiss record champion HC Davos. He led the club to the top league in his first season, 1978/1979, and won back-to-back championships in 1984 and 1985 before retiring in 1989.

Bucher represented Switzerland in 38 games including the 1985 IIHF World Championship B-Pool on home ice in Fribourg, the 1986 IIHF World Championship in Vienna, Austria, and the 1988 Olympic Winter Games where his saves led Switzerland to a 2-1 surprise win over Finland.