Patrick Fischer selects 23 players for Swiss Ice Hockey Challenge

The traditional pre-Christmas tournament used to be held in Arosa but has now found a new home in EHC Biel's Tissot Arena. The roster of the Swiss national team has been adjusted in view of the Spengler Cup; only two players, who are set to participate in the esteemed tournament, will play in the Swiss Ice Hockey Challenge (Furrer and Sciaroni).

Switzerland will face France on December 16 and either Slovakia or Belarus on December 17. Both games (puck-drop 8.15 PM) will be televised and can be watched on SRF, RSI and RTS.

The roster looks as follows:

Goaltenders (2): Leonardo Genoni (SC Bern), Jonas Hiller (EHC Biel)

Defensemen (8): Eric Blum (SC Bern), Raphael Diaz (EV Zug), Philippe Furrer (HC Lugano), Patrick Geering (ZSC Lions), Timo Helbling (EV Zug), Christian Marti (ZSC Lions), Yannick Rathgeb (Fribourg-Gottéron), Ramon Untersander (SC Bern).

Forwards (13): Cody Almond (Genève-Servette HC), Chris Baltisberger (ZSC Lions), Matthias Bieber (EHC Kloten), Simon Bodenmann (SC Bern), Etienne Froidevaux (Lausanne HC), Gaëtan Haas (EHC Biel), Fabrice Herzog (ZSC Lions), Denis Hollenstein (EHC Kloten), Simon Moser (SC Bern), Vincent Praplan (EHC Kloten), Gregory Sciaroni (HC Davos), Reto Suri (EV Zug), Morris Trachsler (ZSC Lions).