Ice hockey is one of the most popular team sports in Switzerland, rivaling football in terms of attendance and television ratings. The country has its own national leagues for both men and women, and Zurich is home to the headquarters of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Swiss male ice hockey players have gained popularity across the Atlantic, as Switzerland has produced several iconic NHL players. Notable examples include Mark Streit, who was named captain of the New York Islanders in 2011 and became the first Swiss player to captain an NHL franchise, and Nino Niederreiter, who recently became the first Switzerland-born player to skate in 1,000 NHL games.
Since the inaugural 2024–2025 season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), Swiss female ice hockey players have also been showcasing their talent in the U.S. The PWHL is the culmination of several years of effort to unify women’s ice hockey on the continent and currently features four teams in the United States and four in Canada.
At present, Switzerland has two young talents playing in the PWHL: Alina Müller, a forward for the Boston Fleet, and Nicole Vallario, a defender for the New York Sirens. Both players will also represent Switzerland at the upcoming Olympic Games in February.
On Sunday, January 18, Nicole Vallario’s New York Sirens will face the Montréal Victoire at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. This special matchup is part of the PWHL Takeover Tour, a series designed to expand the league’s reach beyond the team’s home bases across North America.
When
Sunday, January 18, 2026
2:00pm
Where
Capital One Arena
