Predators defenseman Roman Josi is chasing an international first for his native Switzerland at the IIHF World Championship in Czechia.
The Swiss, who’ve never won a gold medal at the annual tournament, have advanced to Saturday’s semifinal round and will take on Canada. That game will air at 11:20 a.m. CT on the NHL Network. The winner advances to Sunday’s gold-medal game against the winner of the Sweden-Czechia contest.
Josi has played a key role in helping the Swiss win seven of their eight games. He leads all tournament defensemen with 11 points (three goals, eight assists) and is tied for his team lead in points as well. The Predators’ captain is wearing the “C” for his country in the tournament.
The Swiss have been aided by two former Predators forwards, Kevin Fiala and Nino Niederreiter. Fiala, who plays for the Los Angeles Kings, has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in eight games, while Niederreiter, who plays for the Winnipeg Jets, has six points (two goals, four assists) in eight contests.
Switzerland’s only defeat in the tournament was to Canada, a 3-2 loss in the preliminary round. The Swiss recorded wins over Norway, Austria, Czechia, Great Britain, Denmark, Finland and Germany to reach the semifinal.
A 13-year NHL vet who has spent his entire career in Nashville, Josi is coming off one of his best seasons.
The 33-year-old tied his career high with 23 goals during the 2023-24 season and added 62 assists, second only to the 73 he recorded during the 2021-22 season. Josi’s 85 points were also second only to the 96 he produced during the 2021-22 season.
Josi earlier this month was named one of three finalists, along with Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes and Colorado’s Cale Makar, for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the league’s best defenseman. The winner will be announced June 27. Josi won the award for the 2019-20 season and finished second in 2021-22.
