TROIS-RIVIERES, Canada – Switzerland boosted its roster with goalies ousted in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
Jonas Hiller, the backup of Jean-Sébastien Giguère in Anaheim, joined the Swiss training camp in Trois-Rivières this week. Hiller was Switzerland’s top goalie at the 2007 World Championship.
Martin Gerber, who finished the season with the Ottawa Senators as the starter, will start practicing with the Swiss today. Gerber has played four World Championships and two Olympics. Gerber has an injury from the playoffs and has received therapy in Ottawa. Switzerland coach Ralph Krueger is hoping Gerber will be healthy enough to play in Quebec City.
Krueger has five rookies – Thomas Baumle, Raphael Diaz, Philippe Furrer, Peter Guggisberg and Roman Wick – on his team, while World Championship veterans as Patrick Fischer and Martin Pluss won't be in Canda. The Swiss are also missing Mark Streit, who is with the Montreal Canadiens. He was the third-best scoring defenceman of the NHL’s regular season.
Team Switzerland as of April 26
Goalies: Thomas Baumle (HC Ambri-Piotta), Martin Gerber (Ottawa Senators/NHL), Jonas Hiller (Anaheim Ducks/NHL), Ronnie Rueger (Kloten Flyers).
Defenders: Goran Bezina (Servette Geneva), Severin Blindenbacher (ZSC Lions Zurich), Raphael Diaz (EV Zug), Beat Forster (ZSC Lions), Philippe Furrer (SC Bern), Beat Gerber (SC Bern), Matthias Seger (ZSC Lions Zurich), Julien Vauclair (HC Lugano).
Forwards: Andres Ambuhl (HC Davos), Patrik Bartschi (SC Bern), Thomas Déruns (Servette Geneva), Paul DiPietro (EV Zug), Peter Guggisberg (HC Davos), Sandy Jeannin (HC Lugano), Romano Lemm (Kloten Flyers), Thibaut Monnet (ZSC Lions), Thierry Paterlini (HC Lugano), Marc Reichert (SC Bern), Ivo Ruthemann (SC Bern), Raffaele Sannitz (HC Lugano), Julien Sprunger (HC Fribourg-Gottéron), Roman Wick (Kloten Flyers), Thomas Ziegler (SC Bern).