Swiss forward Andres Ambühl, the six-time Swiss champion and all-time leader in IIHF World Championship tournaments and games played, today played his 151st and final World Championship game following Switzerland’s Gold Medal overtime loss, formalizing his retirement from the sport at the age of 41 after a two decade-plus professional career.

A Davos native, Ambühl spent nearly his entire professional career in his hometown, first joining the HC Davos junior system in 1995 at age 12. Ambühl would debut for the senior club in 2001, spending his first nine pro seasons with HCD, capturing four NLA titles (2002, 2005, 2007, 2009) and two Spengler Cups (2005, 2007). Ambühl would head for North America in 2009 to join the New York Rangers, but after just one season with their minor league affiliate, Ambühl returned to Switzerland, joining the Zürich Lions for three seasons, winning another NLA title in 2012. Ambühl would return to Davos in 2013, spending his final eleven seasons (with nine of those as team captain) at HCD, capturing another NLA title (2015) and Spengler Cup (2024). Ambühl would also be recognized as the NLA’s most popular player a staggering eight times, and would win league MVP honours in 2015. In his 24 NLA seasons, Ambühl would amass 633 points in 1,091 career games, along with another 104 points in 231 career playoff games, making the postseason in all but his debut season.

First joining the Eisgenossen in 2001, Ambühl participated at both the 2002 and 2003 World Juniors before making his senior team debut in 2003, participating at his first of a record 20 World Championship appearances in 2004. Ambühl would appear at every World Championship between 2004-25 except for one (2018, when Switzerland won Silver), surpassing Germany‘s Udo Kiessling’s IIHF records for total games played (151) and total tournaments (20) in 2022, records sure to stand for some time. Ambühl would amass 32 goals and 70 points in his World Championship career, helping Switzerland to Silver medals in 2013, 2024 and 2025, and helping his country emerge from a tournament minnow to perennial contender in a generation; he leaves the club in very good hands in advance of hosting the World Championship next season, looking to finally capture their elusive first Gold Medal. Ambühl would also appear at five consecutive Olympic Games from 2006 to 2022, along with five Deutschland Cup and four Euro Hockey Tour tournaments, respectively, between 2006 and 2025.

Over the course of his illustrious career, Ambühl captured the IHLC a staggering fifteen times, first all the way back at the 2002 World Junior Championship, with his final coming over two decades later in the 2025 World Championship finale. We wish Andres and his family the very best for his retirement and the things to come!

Photo Credit: IIHF Worlds 2022 – IIHF – HHOF – IOC