The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation honored the most outstanding players of the 2024/2025 season in the atmospheric ambience of the Attisholz area in Solothurn. The Swiss Ice Hockey Night was all about top sporting performance and emotional moments.
The best of last season was again awarded the glamorous Swiss Ice Hockey Night with over 600 invited guests from sports and politics. The honors took place in the categories “Most Valuable Player (MVP) Regular Season National League”, “MVP Playoffs National League”, “Goaltender of the Year National League”, “Youngster of the Year National League”, “MVP Postfinance Women’s League”, “MVP Sky Swiss League” and “MVP MyHockey League”.
The choice of the winners was made by club representatives, team captains and selected sports journalists.
In addition, a “hockey award” and two “Special Awards” were also awarded in recognition of personalities who have made a special degree of Swiss ice hockey. To choose from for the choice were candidates who represent Swiss ice hockey and are considered a pioneer or role models, broke new ground or caused a sensation with their services and obtained recognition with their services.
The fans were able to have a say in advance: in an online vote on Blick.ch they chose the “Most Popular Player”. Each club of the National League had nominated a player from his own squad.
The winners at an overview
“MVP Regular Season National League”: Austin Czarnik
The American shone as a post-finance top scorer after the regular season with 36 assists (league best) and 20 gates achieved. With his game intelligence and experience from over 200 NHL operations, he was a decisive factor in qualifying for SC Bern.
“MVP Playoffs National League”: Sven Andrighetto
The 32-year-old striker looks back on an outstanding season: With the ZSC Lions, Sven Andrighetto won both the championship title and the Champions Hockey League, where he was also recognized as a MVP. At the World Cup in Denmark and Sweden, he won the silver medal with the Swiss national team and was significantly involved in this success with seven goals and an assist. For his impressive achievements, Andrighetto was recently honored by the IIHF as “Male Player of the Year”.
“Youngster of the Year”: Ludvig Johnson
Ludvig Johnson left a lasting impression at EV Zug and was used in 35 games last season. The agile offensive defender’s qualities were not unnoticed in North America either. In the sixth round, the 19-year-old was pulled by the Utah Mammoth in the NHL draft.
“Woman of the Year”: Alina Müller
Alina Müller is considered one of the best ice hockey players worldwide and has made a significant contribution to promoting women’s ice hockey with her commitment and performance. Since September 2023 she has been playing in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) at Boston and has been a professional ice hockey player ever since. After 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2024 it is already its fifth award as a “Woman of the Year”.
“Goaltender of the Year”: Stéphane Charlin
Until his knee injury, Stéphane Charlin led the goalkeeper statistics in the National League with a catch rate of 94.6 percent and also provided strong performances with the SCL Tigers during his comeback in the playoffs. With Switzerland he celebrated the winning of the silver medal at his World Cup debut.
“MVP Postfinance Women’s League”: Estelle Duvin
As in the previous year, the SCB striker Estelle Duvin impressively demonstrated her offensive qualities and became a league top scorer again. In 34 games she scored 27 goals and 39 assists and crowned her strong season with the championship title in the Postfinance Women’s League. For the 28-year-old, it is the second MVP award in a row after 2024.
“MVP Sky Swiss League”: Jakob Stukel
Since the 20222/2023 season, Jakob Stukel has been hunting points for EHC Basel and increases from year to year. In the past season, he achieved 67 scorer points in the qualification and 18 others in the playoffs, with which he put himself at the top of the league statistics.
“MVP MyHockey League”: Arnaud Schnegg
With 48 scorer points in 32 games, the top scorer of the HC Franches-Montagnes was one of the formative figures of the regular season. The 24-year-old striker brings plenty of experience from six seasons in the second highest Swiss division and also completed missions in the National League at HC Ajoie in the 2021/2022 season.
“Hockey Award”: Men’s National Team
The team of Head Coach Patrick Fischer secured the silver medal at the 2025 World Cup in Herning and Stockholm thanks to concentrated performances, a lot of passion and strong team spirit. It was the fourth in the past twelve years and the second in series after 2024.
“Special Award” & “Most Popular Player”: Andres Ambühl
With 352 caps (world record) for Switzerland, 20 World Cup participation and 151 World Cup games (both world record), Andres Ambühl is an icon of international ice hockey. The five-time Olympic participant won three times World Cup silver and became the oldest Hattrick shooter in World Cup history at the age of 41, eight months and five days. In the National League he played 1322 games (Swiss record), won six championship titles, three Spengler Cups and was elected Most Popular Player (MPP) nine times. After the Ice Hockey Championship 2025 and winning the silver medal in Denmark and Sweden, Ambühl officially ended his extraordinary career.
Returns of jersey 10 from Ambühl in the A-National team withdrawn
As part of the Swiss Ice Hockey Night 2025, it was also announced that the jersey number 10 by Andres Ambühl will no longer be awarded in the Swiss A-National team. A great honor for an outstanding and meritorious player. It is the first time in the history of the Swiss national team that a number is officially withdrawn.
Presented in a frozen ice block, Ambühl’s jersey was recognized as a strong sign of his outstanding and lasting importance in Swiss ice hockey. At a later point in time, the jersey is ceremoniously and symbolically pulled under the hall roof during a home game of the national team.
“Special Award”: Marcel Kull
The 72-year-old Marcel Kull worked from 1999 to 2021 as a goalkeeper coach at HC Davos across all levels; From the U15 to the first team (NLA). In his 22 years at the club, he shaped a whole generation of goalkeepers. His protégés included Jonas Hiller, Leonardo Genoni, Reto Berra and Lars Weibel, who today works as a director at Sihf. During his tenure, the HCD celebrated six Swiss championship titles and three victories on the prestigious Spengler Cup.
www.sihf.ch, Image: Fanny Schertzer, CC BY 3.0
