Switzerland Eyes Olympic Redemption: Remembering the 2006 Miracle Against Canada
Milan – As the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 approach, memories of Switzerland’s historic 2-0 victory over Canada at the 2006 Torino Olympics are resurfacing. For Pius Suter, a forward for Team Switzerland and the St. Louis Blues, the details are hazy, but one name remains crystal clear: Paul DiPietro. “I only know who scored the two goals,” Suter recalls. “I remember the two goals.”
Indeed, it was DiPietro, the Canada-born Swiss forward and a 1993 Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal Canadiens, who etched his name into Swiss hockey lore by netting both goals against a formidable Martin Brodeur. Martin Gerber’s stellar performance, stopping all 49 shots, sealed the unforgettable shutout on February 18, 2006. Despite being heavily outshot 24-1 in the third period, Switzerland held firm against the reigning Olympic champions.
Roman Josi, Switzerland’s Nashville Predators defenseman, remembers watching the game as a child. “That was amazing as a kid watching that,” he said. Now, Josi has the opportunity to experience a similar high-stakes game firsthand.
Switzerland vs. Canada: A 2026 Rematch
Switzerland (1-0-0-0) will face Canada (1-0-0-0) in Group A of the preliminary round at Santagiulia Arena on Friday (3:10 p.m. ET; Peacock, ICI Télé, CBC Gem, RDS, CBC). The Swiss team, aiming to “poke the bear,” as forward Nino Niederreiter put it, comes off a confident 4-0 victory against Team France. Canada secured a 5-0 win against Team Czechia shortly after witnessing Switzerland’s success.
“I would expect a great game,” says Canada center Connor McDavid. “They played well (Thursday). They’ve got a lot of great players too. These World Championships, they’ve been knocking at the door for a long time. They’re going to give us everything we can handle.”
McDavid’s assessment is spot on. Switzerland has consistently demonstrated its prowess on the international stage, securing silver medals at the past two IIHF World Championships (2024 against Czechia and 2025 against the United States). The team is brimming with confidence and believes it can make a significant impact at the Olympics.
The question now is: who will emerge as the new Martin Gerber and Paul DiPietro for this year’s Olympic team?
“I feel like we just have to go out there and try our best, compete and believe; believe that we’re a good team,” says Switzerland center Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils. “We have to play at our best and if we don’t it’ll be hard to beat them. But I know everybody is excited for it. I trust these guys completely in the locker room. We’ve got a great group of guys and we know what to do. It’s just about trying to perform.”
A Legacy of Progress
The 2006 victory against Canada ignited a passion for hockey in Switzerland, fostering a richer hockey tradition. This momentum continued in 2010 at the Vancouver Olympics, where Switzerland nearly defeated Canada again, falling just short in a 3-2 shootout loss decided by Sidney Crosby. They also gave the U.S. a tough fight in the quarterfinals, losing 2-0.
In 2014, at the Sochi Olympics, Switzerland defeated Czechia 1-0 but lost to Sweden by the same score before being eliminated by Latvia 3-1. With NHL players returning to the Olympic stage, Switzerland boasts a roster of 10 NHL players, including Josi, the first Swiss-born player to win the Norris Trophy in 2019-20.
“Obviously, look at our group, the accomplishments we have on our team, a Norris winner, I think it’s come a long way,” Suter said. “Also the last two World Championships, how well some guys have played, getting those medals and in the group stage being in the upper places shows the depth of it. We bought into the system that works for us right now.”
Canada, however, remains a dominant force, having won 14 of 16 best-on-best games and two Olympic gold medals since that shocking loss to Switzerland in 2006.
“I mean, I think we all know what we’re up against,” Josi acknowledges. “Canada is an amazing team, amazing players. We’re going to need our best.” Perhaps, a touch of the magic from DiPietro and Gerber wouldn’t hurt either.
For more information on the Olympic Winter Games, visit the official Olympic website.
