Since 1910, Canada and Switzerland faced each other in 142 hockey games, with the Canadians winning in most cases. The biggest win for Canada resulted at the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix with 33:0. But at the Ice Hockey World Championship 2018 Switzerland shocked Canada with a 3-2 win in the semi-final match. Canada is currently ranked first in the IIHF World Rankings, while Switzerland is on rank seven. This article is not intended to give a history of hockey in both countries, but to highlight a few interesting aspects.

International Results of Canada and Switzerland      

Canada

Canada is particularly famous for dominating international hockey events, with winning nine gold medals at the Olympics and 26 World Championship gold medals. Astonishingly, most medals were won without NHL players, because the NHL was not willing to accept a break of its schedule during international events. From 1920 – 1963, Canada used to send senior amateur club teams to international hockey events. Following the 1963 World Championships, Father David Bauer gained the approval to found a Canadian Olympic hockey team as a permanent institution, but still without NHL players. At the 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games, players from the NHL were finally permitted to participate. After five Olympic Games with full NHL participation, the NHL decided not to go to the 2018 Winter Games. Amongst other reasons, a survey revealed that 53% of Canadian and 73% of American hockey fans were against the Olympic break in play. As a result of this decision, Canada won only a bronze medal in Pyeong Chang. 

Switzerland

Hockey in Canada and in Switzerland: Facts and Figures