13 Swiss players to start the season in the NHL

NHL

First overall pick Nico Hischier (F) and Mirco Müller (D) are on the final roster of the New Jersey Devils and will play their first game against the Colorado Avalanche on October 7, 8 PM CET. They will face fellow Swiss Sven Andrighetto (F) who was mostly used on the second line in this preseason but also got a shot at playing on the first line.

Denis Malgin (F) will also get the opportunity to start his season in the NHL. The Florida Panthers will play their first game on October 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning (1.30 AM CET). Luca Sbisa's (D) Vegas Golden Knights will play their first game in franchise history on the same day at 2.30 AM CET.

Nino Niederreiter (F) and his Minnesota Wild will start the season with a game against the Detroit Red Wings (October 5, 1.30 AM CET). Roman Josi, who is now the captain of the Nashville Predators, Kevin Fiala (F), and Yannick Weber (D) will face the Boston Bruins on the same day at 1 AM CET.

Mark Streit (D) and the Montreal Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres on October 5 as well (1 AM CET). Timo Meier (F) also made the final cut of his team and will face the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at 4.30 AM CET. Sven Bärtschi is the last of the Swiss players to get his skates on the ice for the regular season, as the Vancouver Canucks will open their season on October 7 at 4 AM CET.

Reto Berra, who left HC Fribourg-Gottéron (without having played a single game for them) for a contract with the Anaheim Ducks, is also still on the Ducks' roster. Fellow goaltender Ryan Miller is suffering from an upper-body injury which made it possible for Berra to remain with the Ducks for now. However, he will likely spend most of the season in the AHL, playing for the San Diego Gulls.

AHL

Dean Kukan (D) and Calvin Thürkauf (F) will start their season with the Columbus Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. Jonas Siegenthaler (D) was also cut a couple of days ago and will play for the Hershey Bears. Christoph Bertschy (F), for his part, will suit up for the Iowa Wild.