The 2026 Olympics are approaching - and Roman Josi believes in Switzerland. The national team captain talks about the strengths of the well-coordinated team, the lessons learned from the last World Cup finals and why Switzerland doesn't have to hide from anyone.
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- Roman Josi celebrated his 1000th NHL game with an emotional moment when his children read out the starting line-up.
- The 35-year-old talks about his role in the national team as a quiet leader.
- With a view to the 2026 Olympics and the home World Championships, Josi is realistic but optimistic: Switzerland has to play offensively and can compete for big things thanks to its team strength.
Roman Josi recently broke the 1000 NHL games mark. His son - his daughter couldn't get a word out out of excitement - read out the starting line-up before the game. "That was very special and very emotional," says Josi at a media session about preparing for the match with his children.
Roman Josi himself usually makes an impression in the dressing room. Kevin Fiala spoke of an aura that surrounds Josi. "I don't notice it much," says Josi and remembers his beginnings when he played alongside Mark Streit for the first time. "It was incredibly cool for me to get to know him."
"For me, it's important that I'm myself and that everyone in the team feels comfortable. It's also important for me that they know they can come to me - no matter what," he says, explaining his internal role. He is "a calm leader".
However, the captain is not the only leader in the national team: "Nico (Hischier) and Nino (Niederreiter) have also been with the national team for a long time. You share the leadership task with other players," explains Josi.
The secret behind his long career? "The joy of the game. That's also what keeps you motivated. We have a lot of games. Recovery is extremely important and that you take good care of your body. I try to do everything I can so that I'm ready for the games," summarizes the 35-year-old.
Cracking the 1000 mark together with friend Nino
The Bernese athlete has battled with concussions several times. He suffered the last one last February. After that, he even feared brain damage. Tests then revealed that he suffers from postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) - a disorder of the autonomic nervous system in which the heartbeat increases sharply after standing up and can cause dizziness, palpitations or exhaustion.
"I'm actually doing very well. It was important for me to know exactly what had been going on over the last few years. Now I can manage it better. And I listen to my body better. Recovery is very important for me," emphasizes Josi.
Nino Niederreiter reached the 1000 mark just ahead of Josi. "We saw each other this summer and said it would be cool if we could reach a thousand at the same game. Then I got injured and Nino was first," says Josi. But he is very happy for his long-time companion. "We've known each other since the U16s. We're great friends and have experienced so much together in the national team and also here in Nashville for one year (2022-23). The fact that we were able to do it in the same year was certainly very special, also because we have a very close friendship."
The two buddies will soon be back on the ice together. The Olympic Games and the home World Championships are coming up in 2026. He played his first World Championship 17 years ago, and Josi celebrated his Olympic debut in 2014. "A great experience," is how he sums up the tournament in Sochi. How does he assess the development of Swiss field hockey?
The national team has developed extremely in recent years
"It has changed a lot, a lot. I can still remember my first World Cup very well. That was in Switzerland, which was of course very special. But we didn't make it to the quarter-finals," he looks back. With the exception of 2013, they were "quite far away from the medals". "Then it became a matter of course that the quarter-finals were the minimum goal and the medals were always the big goal," says Josi.
Switzerland won silver twice at the 2024 and 2025 World Championships. "Of course, playing in the final at the Olympics would be the greatest thing," says Josi. The Olympic significance is even higher with all the teams and all the players who are there. Especially for the NHL players, who haven't been able to be there for twelve years, he explains.
Switzerland's chances? "Of course we know that it will be extremely difficult and that the teams are coming with incredible players," says the former SCB professional realistically. But there's no need to hide from anyone. "Our advantage is certainly that we're a well-coordinated team, that we've spent a lot of time together and played together a lot. I think anything is possible," says Josi.
Does he prefer to go into a game as the favorite or the underdog? The important thing is to play attacking field hockey, no matter who the opponent is, explains Josi: "That's certainly something we've learned in the last two finals. We were too passive. Suddenly you had something to lose," he says.
