IIHF has suspended Patrick Fischer for four years

Patrick Fischer was fired as head coach of the Swiss men’s national team in mid-April, shortly before the World Championship on home ice. Shortly before that, it had become public knowledge that Fischer had been convicted of using a forged COVID certificate—the same certificate Fischer had used to travel to the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing as the national team's coach.

Now, the case appears to have further consequences for him. As first reported by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung and subsequently confirmed by other news outlets, the IIHF has decided, following the conclusion of its investigation, to suspend Fischer for four years. This means Fischer will not be allowed to coach any national team until 2030. According to the NZZ, it is unclear whether Fischer will appeal this ruling.

It also remains to be seen whether Swiss Sport Integrity will adopt the IIHF’s ruling. If it does, Fischer would likely no longer be allowed to work at the club level in Switzerland either. According to the newspaper, a decision from SSI is not expected anytime soon.