TAMPA -- J.J. Moser said he and his Team Switzerland teammates will feel at home at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
That’s because they practically are.
The Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman recently recalled how he found that out while visiting Lake Como, just 30 miles north of Milan.
“I was on a train there and seven minutes later I saw a sign that said, ‘Welcome to Switzerland,’ the 25-year-old recalled with a chuckle. “I said, ‘Wait, there’s no chance.’”
Except there was.
“I had no idea Switzerland was that close to Milan,” he laughed. “But yeah, it’s super close. It’s great.
“For me, where I grew up, it’s less than four hours away from Milan,” he added, referring to the city of Biel. “And it’s much closer than that for where a lot of guys grew up. So, there will be a lot of families coming. It’s super-close. Super-pumped that about that, too, that you can share it with a lot of your family and friends.
“So, it already feels like our games will be a little bit like home games.”
Switzerland, in Group A, will open against Team France on Thursday (6:10 a.m. ET; Peacock, CBC Gem, SN), followed by games against Team Canada on Friday and Team Czechia on Feb. 15.
At first blush, it would seem as if Switzerland is in the most difficult of the three groups in the tournament, which runs from Wednesday through Feb. 22.Specifically, their toughest matchups in the preliminary round will be against Team Canada, which has won gold in the past two Olympics that featured NHL players (2010, 2014); and underrated Team Czechia, which won gold at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and is led by the always dynamic David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins.
At the same time, it would be a mistake to take Moser and Team Switzerland lightly, especially after back-to-back silver medal finishes at the Worlds.
Moser is part of a roster that features nine other NHL players: forwards Nico Hischier and Timo Meier (New Jersey Devils), Kevin Fiala (Los Angeles Kings), Nino Niederreiter (Winnipeg Jets), Philipp Kurashev (San Jose Sharks), Pius Suter (St. Louis Blues); defensemen Roman Josi (Nashville Predators), Jonas Siegenthaler (Devils); and goalie Akira Schmid (Vegas Golden Knights). It’s a squad that doesn’t lack talent, let alone confidence.
