Loyal Swiss veterans like captain Roman Josi (left) and Nino Niederreiter (right) have faced heartbreak with three consecutive silver medals at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
photo: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / ANDRE RINGUETTE
If you wrote a movie script about what has happened to Switzerland at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in the 2020s, a Hollywood director would likely respond: “That’s too sad and too implausible.”
The Swiss have lost the last three IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship gold medal games: 2-0 to the Czechs in Prague in 2024, 1-0 in overtime to the Americans in Stockholm in 2025, and 1-0 to the Finns in overtime in Zurich in 2026. Perennial contenders, they keep coming up empty at the biggest moment. It’s pure silver agony. What is going on?
Getting shut out in three consecutive finals is unlikely for any team, but incomprehensible for high-scoring Switzerland. The Soviet Union earned three straight silver medals from 1957 to 1959, but was never shut out in that span, and there were no playoffs in those days. Even for Italy to fail to qualify for three consecutive FIFA World Cups seems more plausible
“Three times in a row losing in the finals is disappointing,” said forward Christoph Bertschy after the latest defeat on home ice. “It sucks. We had such a great tournament, we had everything in our hands. Great fans, all two and a half weeks long, all the support in the rink and outside the rink from home, from public viewings and bars. We felt it, and we couldn’t put [success] on the ice today.”
The Swiss have lost the last three IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship gold medal games: 2-0 to the Czechs in Prague in 2024, 1-0 in overtime to the Americans in Stockholm in 2025, and 1-0 to the Finns in overtime in Zurich in 2026. Perennial contenders, they keep coming up empty at the biggest moment. It’s pure silver agony. What is going on?
Getting shut out in three consecutive finals is unlikely for any team, but incomprehensible for high-scoring Switzerland. The Soviet Union earned three straight silver medals from 1957 to 1959, but was never shut out in that span, and there were no playoffs in those days. Even for Italy to fail to qualify for three consecutive FIFA World Cups seems more plausible
“Three times in a row losing in the finals is disappointing,” said forward Christoph Bertschy after the latest defeat on home ice. “It sucks. We had such a great tournament, we had everything in our hands. Great fans, all two and a half weeks long, all the support in the rink and outside the rink from home, from public viewings and bars. We felt it, and we couldn’t put [success] on the ice today.”
That the Swiss keep facing off for gold is no coincidence, which makes their failures all the more painful. Let’s establish the full context.
Featuring NHL aces like Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and captain Roman Josi, they scored a tournament-leading 48 goals in 2026 – the most they have mustered since NHLers began playing at the Men’s Worlds in 1977. Similarly, in 2025, they were tops with 47 goals. So scoring is not an issue
And it’s worth noting that 2026’s top two Swiss scorers weren’t even NHLers. Overall points leader Sven Andrighetto (15 points) and Denis Malgin (13 points) both know Swiss Life Arena well as members of ZSC Lions Zurich.
Powered by that offence, in the 2020s Switzerland has won 40 IIHF WM games to Canada’s 36, Finland’s 35, and Sweden’s 33 – even though those three are all more established hockey powers.
After Switzerland trounced the eventual bronze medalist Norwegians 6-0 in the 2026 semi-finals, Norway’s Jacob Berglund said: “Switzerland was the best team we’ve played in this tournament.”
The red-and-white team also has exceptional strength on the back end. Josi, the 2020 Norris Trophy winner and 2026 tournament MVP, is the marquee name on a rock-solid blue line. And then there is legendary Swiss goalie Leonardo Genoni. The 6-0 win over Norway made him the all-time Worlds shutout leader (15).
This 38-year-old EV Zug star deserves better than three silver medals. Genoni has fashioned a regulation-time shutout streak of 130:47 over the last three gold medal games. In other words, Genoni has not allowed a regulation-time goal in the final since Czechia’s David Pastrnark scored the 2024 winner at 9:13 of the third period. Normally, Genoni should have at least one gold medal. His overall save percentage in the last three finals is jaw-dropping (97.0).
Featuring NHL aces like Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and captain Roman Josi, they scored a tournament-leading 48 goals in 2026 – the most they have mustered since NHLers began playing at the Men’s Worlds in 1977. Similarly, in 2025, they were tops with 47 goals. So scoring is not an issue
And it’s worth noting that 2026’s top two Swiss scorers weren’t even NHLers. Overall points leader Sven Andrighetto (15 points) and Denis Malgin (13 points) both know Swiss Life Arena well as members of ZSC Lions Zurich.
Powered by that offence, in the 2020s Switzerland has won 40 IIHF WM games to Canada’s 36, Finland’s 35, and Sweden’s 33 – even though those three are all more established hockey powers.
After Switzerland trounced the eventual bronze medalist Norwegians 6-0 in the 2026 semi-finals, Norway’s Jacob Berglund said: “Switzerland was the best team we’ve played in this tournament.”
The red-and-white team also has exceptional strength on the back end. Josi, the 2020 Norris Trophy winner and 2026 tournament MVP, is the marquee name on a rock-solid blue line. And then there is legendary Swiss goalie Leonardo Genoni. The 6-0 win over Norway made him the all-time Worlds shutout leader (15).
This 38-year-old EV Zug star deserves better than three silver medals. Genoni has fashioned a regulation-time shutout streak of 130:47 over the last three gold medal games. In other words, Genoni has not allowed a regulation-time goal in the final since Czechia’s David Pastrnark scored the 2024 winner at 9:13 of the third period. Normally, Genoni should have at least one gold medal. His overall save percentage in the last three finals is jaw-dropping (97.0).
Switzerland's Leonardo Genoni has an amazing 97.0 save percentage in the last three gold medal games, but has settled for silver each time.
photo: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / ANDRE RINGUETTE
Veteran NHL forward Nino Niederreiter has suited up for all five of Switzerland’s silver-medal teams in the 21st century, including 2013 (a 5-1 gold-medal loss to host Sweden) and 2018 (a 3-2 shootout loss to Sweden). Back then, the expectations were lower.
Before facing the Finns for gold in 2026, “El Nino” identified the key to success: “The biggest thing for us is just we can’t sit back. We’ve got to go attack, and we’ve got to go on with that. If we get beat, we’ve got to get beat aggressively. I think that’s something we’ve got to take out of the final nights in the past.”
Unfortunately, the gap between good intentions and execution has been exposed in the last three Swiss gold-medal defeats. They were not “bad” in 2024 and 2025 under head coach Patrick Fischer or in 2026 under Fischer’s former assistant Jan Cadieux, who was promoted to the top job on 15 April. But the tell-tale signs of a nervous team – one not on par with the team we witnessed in the preceding nine games – have been there.
Certainly that was the case on 31 May 2026 in Zurich. Missed passes. Pucks randomly drifting off the sticks of veterans. Too many shots from the perimeter instead of prime scoring areas.
And of course, huge opportunities wasted. The Swiss – who had the tournament’s best power play with 11 PP goals – had a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:54 to open the second period and did nothing with it.
Switzerland did generate some late chances. With under 10 minutes left in regulation, we saw Josi powering to the net and Pius Suter testing Finnish goalie Justus Annunen from close range. Then in sudden death, Damien Riat hit the cross bar. Yet even these examples underscore that the Swiss couldn’t finish under pressure.
It is a recurring theme.
The Swiss attacker who was most visible in the 2026 final was Timo Meier, who mustered four shots and took a physical, direct approach. Meier – perhaps not coincidentally – is also the last Swiss to have scored in a gold medal game, giving his nation a 2-1 lead at 3:13 of the second period in 2018.
Before facing the Finns for gold in 2026, “El Nino” identified the key to success: “The biggest thing for us is just we can’t sit back. We’ve got to go attack, and we’ve got to go on with that. If we get beat, we’ve got to get beat aggressively. I think that’s something we’ve got to take out of the final nights in the past.”
Unfortunately, the gap between good intentions and execution has been exposed in the last three Swiss gold-medal defeats. They were not “bad” in 2024 and 2025 under head coach Patrick Fischer or in 2026 under Fischer’s former assistant Jan Cadieux, who was promoted to the top job on 15 April. But the tell-tale signs of a nervous team – one not on par with the team we witnessed in the preceding nine games – have been there.
Certainly that was the case on 31 May 2026 in Zurich. Missed passes. Pucks randomly drifting off the sticks of veterans. Too many shots from the perimeter instead of prime scoring areas.
And of course, huge opportunities wasted. The Swiss – who had the tournament’s best power play with 11 PP goals – had a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:54 to open the second period and did nothing with it.
Switzerland did generate some late chances. With under 10 minutes left in regulation, we saw Josi powering to the net and Pius Suter testing Finnish goalie Justus Annunen from close range. Then in sudden death, Damien Riat hit the cross bar. Yet even these examples underscore that the Swiss couldn’t finish under pressure.
It is a recurring theme.
The Swiss attacker who was most visible in the 2026 final was Timo Meier, who mustered four shots and took a physical, direct approach. Meier – perhaps not coincidentally – is also the last Swiss to have scored in a gold medal game, giving his nation a 2-1 lead at 3:13 of the second period in 2018.
The Swiss celebrate after a second-period goal by Timo Meier (#28) in the 2018 gold medal game, which was the last time Switzerland scored in the final.
Hischier framed the 2026 loss in the traditional “it’s a game of inches” terms: “Props to Finland. Obviously they’re a well-disciplined team, a well-structured team, but I don’t think we gave them much. They didn’t give us much. They hit one post, we hit one post, they scored. That’s sports. It just sucks to be on the other side.”
However, when it’s happened three times in a row, it can no longer be dubbed a random accident or twist of fate.
The Swiss could break the hex by identifying someone internally who will bear down, take responsibility, and put the puck in the net when the spotlight is brightest. Canadian hockey history is rife with characters like these, from Maurice “Rocket” Richard and Guy Lafleur to Wayne Gretzky and Joe Sakic. Is there a Swiss equivalent?
So far, the moment has been too big for the Swiss in gold medal games. They can change this trend, but the change must come from within. Self-knowledge breeds self-confidence. They have a great team, but something is missing right now.
It may take a lucky bounce to finally get over the hump and get that Hollywood-style happy ending. Ultimately, there has to be a fundamental change in mindset, because it is nerves more than anything else that have left the Swiss out in the cold three times in a row.
However, when it’s happened three times in a row, it can no longer be dubbed a random accident or twist of fate.
The Swiss could break the hex by identifying someone internally who will bear down, take responsibility, and put the puck in the net when the spotlight is brightest. Canadian hockey history is rife with characters like these, from Maurice “Rocket” Richard and Guy Lafleur to Wayne Gretzky and Joe Sakic. Is there a Swiss equivalent?
So far, the moment has been too big for the Swiss in gold medal games. They can change this trend, but the change must come from within. Self-knowledge breeds self-confidence. They have a great team, but something is missing right now.
It may take a lucky bounce to finally get over the hump and get that Hollywood-style happy ending. Ultimately, there has to be a fundamental change in mindset, because it is nerves more than anything else that have left the Swiss out in the cold three times in a row.