HC Davos History: Switzerland’s Record Champions and the Spengler Cup

From outdoor natural ice to Swiss championship triumphs, HC Davos has experienced more than a century of success, setbacks and remarkable comebacks. Founded in 1921, the club became one of the defining names in Swiss ice hockey, while its home town established an international tradition with the first Spengler Cup in 1923.

This history follows the early championship teams, Bibi Torriani and the Cattini brothers, relegation to the third tier, and the return to the top division under Mats Waltin in 1993. It also explores Arno Del Curto’s six championship-winning campaigns, memorable NHL guest appearances and the generations of players who shaped the club.

Running through the story is the Spengler Cup: an international meeting place, an important source of income and a stage for some of Davos’s most celebrated victories.

Read this article in German: Die Geschichte des HC Davos

The Early Years: From Student and Visitor Hockey to HC Davos

The roots of organised ice hockey in Davos reach back beyond the club’s foundation in 1921. In 1918, Dr Kurt Wüest established a hockey club for students and visitors, laying an early foundation for the sport in the mountain resort.

The setting was far removed from today’s enclosed arena. Games took place outdoors on natural ice, with low wooden boards surrounding the playing surface. Winter conditions shaped both the facilities and the rhythm of the sport.

HC Davos was founded in 1921. International encounters soon became part of its development: in January 1923, teams including Cambridge University, Sexton’s All English Team and the British Army played in Davos.

These early visits connected the young club with hockey beyond Switzerland. Before the Spengler Cup had even begun, Davos was already becoming a meeting place for players and teams from different backgrounds.

The foundations of the club’s identity were taking shape: a mountain setting, a growing local enthusiasm for ice hockey and an international outlook that would become central to its history.

1923: The Spengler Cup Begins with a Spirit of International Friendship

At Christmas in 1923, Davos hosted the first Spengler Cup. The tournament was initiated by physician Carl Spengler, whose ambition extended beyond sporting competition. In the aftermath of the First World War, he wanted ice hockey to help bring people and nations together again.

The inaugural tournament connected the young HC Davos with visiting teams from abroad. Oxford University defeated Berliner SC 7–3 in the opening match, while Davos faced Wiener EV. Cambridge University also participated, playing its first match on 2 January 1924. The first edition therefore extended beyond the calendar year with which it is associated.

Oxford University became the tournament’s first winner. For Davos, however, the significance went beyond the final standings: an international sporting tradition had begun.

Over the following decades, the Spengler Cup became inseparable from the town and its hockey club. It brought visiting teams, different playing styles and international attention to the mountain resort.

Its origins also explain an enduring part of its identity. The tournament was conceived as an occasion for sporting encounters across borders—a principle that gave it a purpose beyond the pursuit of a trophy.

1926 and 1927: HC Davos Wins Its First Major Titles

In 1926, just five years after its foundation, HC Davos won its first Swiss championship. It was the beginning of a record that would make the club the most successful in the history of the Swiss championship.

The same year, Davos hosted the European Ice Hockey Championship. A stand with approximately 300 seats was built beside the rink, reflecting the growing importance of the sport in the mountain resort. International hockey was helping to shape both the club and its facilities.

Another milestone followed in 1927, when HC Davos won the Spengler Cup for the first time. A 3–2 victory over Berliner SC secured the trophy for the hosts.

These two achievements established the foundations of the club’s sporting reputation. The Swiss championship demonstrated its strength at home, while the Spengler Cup offered an opportunity to compete against visiting teams from abroad.

Within a few years, Davos had developed from a young hockey club into a national champion and an international tournament winner. The successes of 1926 and 1927 opened the way for the dominant teams that would follow.

The “Ni Line”: Bibi Torriani and the Cattini Brothers

Among the most celebrated players in HC Davos history are Richard “Bibi” Torriani and the brothers Hans and Ferdinand “Pic” Cattini. Together, they formed the famous “Ni Line”, named after the shared ending of their surnames: Torriani, Cattini and Cattini.

Their partnership became a defining feature of Davos hockey during the 1930s and 1940s. Combining individual skill with a strong understanding of one another’s play, they helped establish the club’s dominance in the Swiss championship.

Their influence extended beyond club hockey. All three also represented Switzerland, connecting the achievements of HC Davos with an important period in the national team’s development. Their names became associated with a generation that helped put Swiss ice hockey on the international map.

Torriani and the Cattini brothers remain part of the Spengler Cup’s identity today: its two preliminary-round groups bear the names Torriani and Cattini.

Their legacy therefore survives both in the history books and in the structure of the tournament itself. For anyone exploring the roots of HC Davos, the “Ni Line” is central to understanding how a mountain club became a major force in Swiss hockey.

After the Golden Years: New Challenges and Relegation in 1969

The success of the Torriani and Cattini generation established a formidable reputation, but it did not guarantee continued dominance. Further championship victories followed, including two under Canadian coach Stu Robertson, before Davos entered a more difficult period.

The facilities were also changing. For decades, the club had depended on natural ice, leaving training and matches vulnerable to weather conditions. In 1960, Davos became the last club in Switzerland’s top division to introduce an artificial ice rink.

This was an important improvement, but the sporting challenges remained. Other clubs grew stronger, and Davos could no longer rely on the advantages that had helped shape its early success.

In 1969, HC Davos was relegated from Nationalliga A to Nationalliga B. For a club accustomed to championship victories, the drop marked a major turning point.

The return would take ten years. That long spell outside the top division became an important part of the club’s history, revealing how far its fortunes could change—and how much rebuilding was needed before Davos could compete at the highest level again.

1979: Back in the Top Division—and Under a New Wooden Roof

In 1979, HC Davos returned to Nationalliga A after ten years in the second division. The promotion marked a sporting revival and coincided with a transformation of its home ground.

For years, Davos had needed better protection from the weather. An earlier roof project had failed in 1970, but a new plan finally moved forward in 1979. Construction began in April, although a legal dispute temporarily halted work before it resumed in July.

The striking wooden roof took shape over the following months. On 3 November 1979, Davos played its first championship match beneath the new structure. Further work followed, with spectator stands added in 1980 and glazing in 1981.

The result became one of the most recognisable settings in European ice hockey. Its wooden construction gave the stadium a distinctive character while providing shelter from the alpine weather.

For HC Davos, 1979 therefore represented progress on two fronts: a return to the highest level of Swiss hockey and the creation of a home that would become inseparable from the club’s identity.

1984 and 1985: HC Davos Becomes Swiss Champion Again

The return to the top division in 1979 laid the foundations for another successful period. In 1984, HC Davos won the Swiss championship again, then retained the title in 1985.

Under coach Dan Rober, Davos returned to the summit of Swiss hockey. Players such as Lance Nethery and Ron Wilson helped shape this team, bringing attacking quality to a club that had spent much of the previous decade in the second division.

The consecutive championships gave supporters a new generation of heroes. They also demonstrated that Davos could rebuild its sporting strength after a prolonged absence from the highest level.

Meanwhile, another important chapter was unfolding at the Spengler Cup. In 1984, a team competing under the Team Canada name entered the tournament for the first time—and immediately won it. Its arrival helped establish a tradition that would become central to the tournament’s international appeal.

For Davos, the mid-1980s brought both domestic success and a new dimension to its Christmas tournament. Yet this revival would not last uninterrupted. Before the decade ended, the club would face another severe sporting crisis.

1989–1993: The Fall to the Third Tier and the Road Back

Only a few years after celebrating consecutive Swiss championships, HC Davos entered one of the most difficult periods in its history. In 1989, the club was relegated from Nationalliga A to Nationalliga B. A second relegation followed in 1990, leaving Davos in the third-tier 1. Liga.

The name of that division can be misleading to international readers: despite being called the “First League”, it sat below both national divisions. The former Swiss champions were now two levels beneath the country’s leading clubs.

The first step towards recovery came under Lance Nethery. Having helped shape the successful Davos teams of the 1980s as a player, he guided the club back to Nationalliga B in the 1990/91 season.

Promotion restored Davos to the second division, but the rebuilding was far from complete. The next objective was a return to Nationalliga A—a demanding task for a club still recovering from successive relegations.

That breakthrough followed in the 1992/93 season under Swedish coach Mats Waltin. The decisive promotion series against neighbouring Chur would become a defining moment in the club’s revival.

1993: Promotion Against Chur—Waltin and Thibaudeau Lead the Return

In the spring of 1993, HC Davos completed its return to Switzerland’s top division. Under Swedish coach Mats Waltin, the club faced cantonal rivals EHC Chur in the decisive promotion and relegation series.

Davos had first beaten Bülach 4–0 in its playoff series. Against Chur, the stakes were even higher: a place in Nationalliga A awaited the winner, while defeat would send Chur into the second division.

The best-of-five contest ended in a Davos sweep. Victories of 4–0, 4–3 and 4–3 secured a 3–0 series win and promotion. Just three years after dropping into the third tier, the HCD was back among Switzerland’s leading clubs.

One of the outstanding players of that campaign was Canadian forward Gilles Thibaudeau. He scored 51 goals in 36 regular-season games in Nationalliga B during 1992/93, providing exceptional attacking firepower throughout the promotion season.

The return also fulfilled an objective publicly set by club president Werner Kohler: promotion in the spring of 1993. Waltin subsequently guided Davos through its first three seasons back in Nationalliga A, before Arno Del Curto took over for 1996/97.

The victory over Chur was therefore much more than a derby success. It completed the recovery from successive relegations and established the platform for the next major era in Davos hockey.

The Spengler Cup: A Lifeline During Difficult Years

While HC Davos fought its way back through the Swiss league system, the Spengler Cup remained an important source of stability. The international tournament continued to attract attention even when its host club was no longer playing in the top division.

From 1990, tournament director Fredi Pargätzi helped drive the event’s professional development. Its growing commercial success generated income that supported the club’s recovery and contributed to the financial foundations of its return to Nationalliga A.

The unusual circumstances were also reflected on the ice. HC Davos did not participate in the Spengler Cup between 1990 and 1992. Other Swiss clubs appeared in its place, including Fribourg-Gottéron in 1992.

For supporters, this was a striking contrast: Davos continued to stage a prominent international tournament while its own team worked towards a return to the highest domestic level.

These years reveal why the relationship between club and tournament is so significant. The Spengler Cup was more than an annual sporting occasion. During a difficult chapter in HCD history, it provided visibility, continuity and valuable financial support.

1996: Arno Del Curto Begins a New Era

In 1996, Arno Del Curto became head coach of HC Davos, beginning a partnership that would last more than two decades and produce six Swiss championship titles.

His first league match offered little indication of the success ahead. On 21 September 1996, Davos lost 4–0 at home to EV Zug. Yet the season brought clear progress: Del Curto guided the team to a playoff series victory, something Davos had not achieved since returning to the top division in 1993. Its campaign eventually ended against Zug in the semi-finals.

A year later, Davos reached the 1998 playoff final, again facing Zug. Although the championship remained out of reach, the club was once more competing for Switzerland’s biggest domestic prize.

The first trophy of Del Curto’s Davos tenure came at the Spengler Cup in 2000. A 4–2 victory over Team Canada in the final ended a 42-year wait for a home tournament triumph. Davos had last lifted the trophy in 1958.

That victory marked an important stage in the club’s revival. Having recovered its place in the top division under Mats Waltin, Davos was now turning renewed competitiveness into silverware. The next major breakthrough would come in the Swiss championship.

2002: HC Davos Returns to the Swiss Championship Throne

In the spring of 2002, HC Davos completed a remarkable journey back to the top. Twelve years after relegation to the third tier and nine years after winning promotion against Chur, the club became Swiss champion again. Supporters had waited since 1985 for another league title.

The recovery under Arno Del Curto had developed in stages. Davos reached the playoff final in 1998, losing to EV Zug, before winning the Spengler Cup in 2000. That international success was followed by the ultimate domestic achievement.

In the 2002 playoff final, Davos faced defending champions ZSC Lions. The HCD won the series 4–0, securing its first Swiss championship under Del Curto without conceding a game in the final.

The victory also brought a personal milestone for the coach. Del Curto became the first Swiss-born head coach to win the championship since Bibi Torriani had guided Visp to the title in 1962.

For Davos, the championship marked the beginning of another sustained period of success. A club that had been playing third-tier hockey little more than a decade earlier was once again setting the standard at the highest level.

2004/05: NHL Stars Bring World-Class Hockey to Davos

The 2004/05 season became one of the most extraordinary chapters in HC Davos history. With a labour dispute shutting down the NHL, many of its players temporarily joined European clubs. In Davos, Joe Thornton, Rick Nash and Niklas Hagman took to the ice under Arno Del Curto.

The three forwards brought different qualities: Thornton’s vision and passing, Nash’s scoring ability, and Hagman’s speed and versatility. Supporters had a rare opportunity to watch established NHL players compete regularly in the Swiss championship.

The team also made its mark at the Spengler Cup. In December 2004, Davos defeated Sparta Prague 2–0 in the final. Alongside the celebrated NHL arrivals, goaltender Jonas Hiller played an important role in the tournament victory.

The Swiss championship followed in the spring of 2005. It was Del Curto’s second league title with Davos after the breakthrough of 2002, completing a season that brought success both domestically and at the club’s international tournament.

The connection with the visiting stars outlasted that exceptional winter. Thornton and Nash returned to Davos during the next NHL lockout in 2012, adding another chapter to a relationship that had begun in 2004.

2007–2015: Six Championships Define the Del Curto Era

After the championship of 2005, HC Davos remained a regular contender for Switzerland’s biggest domestic prize. Further titles followed in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2015. Together with the victories of 2002 and 2005, they brought Arno Del Curto’s championship total with Davos to six.

These achievements extended well beyond the exceptional NHL lockout season. Davos repeatedly won the title without that temporary collection of overseas stars. Developing players and maintaining a strong core became essential to the club’s continued success.

Reto von Arx was one of the defining figures of this period. For many years, his understanding of the game and influence within the team made him a central part of Del Curto’s Davos.

The championship of 2015 proved to be the last of the coach’s six league titles with the club. It also marked the end of his long partnership with von Arx, whose departure was accompanied by disagreement despite their shared sporting success.

This era established another sustained period of achievement in Davos history. Promotion in 1993 had restored the club’s place in the top division; under Del Curto, that recovery developed into repeated championship success.

2018: The Arno Del Curto Era Comes to an End

On 27 November 2018, one of the most influential chapters in HC Davos history ended. Arno Del Curto resigned as head coach with immediate effect, bringing a partnership of more than 22 years to a close.

His achievements included six Swiss championships and five Spengler Cup victories. Beyond the trophies, he had developed generations of players and shaped the club’s sporting identity throughout much of its modern history.

His departure came during a difficult season. After 21 league games, Davos stood second from bottom, twelve points outside the playoff places. Past success could not prevent the need for change.

Michel Riesen initially took charge on an interim basis. In December 2018, the club appointed Harijs Vitolins as its new head coach.

For Davos, this was more than a change behind the bench. After over two decades with the same coach, the club had to establish a new direction while carrying forward the strengths developed during his tenure.

Del Curto left an exceptional legacy. The challenge now was to build a competitive future beyond the era that had brought Davos six of its Swiss championship titles.

From 2019: A Fresh Start Under Christian Wohlwend—and the Pandemic

In the spring of 2019, HC Davos appointed Christian Wohlwend as its new head coach. Following the difficult transition after Arno Del Curto’s departure, the former Swiss under-20 national coach was tasked with rebuilding the team’s competitiveness.

His first season brought a clear improvement. Davos finished third in the 2019/20 regular season and reached the Swiss Cup final, where it lost to HC Ajoie. How far the team could have progressed in the playoffs remained unanswered: the coronavirus pandemic brought the championship to an early end in March 2020.

The pandemic had an additional impact on Davos. The Spengler Cup was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021, depriving the club of an event that provided international visibility and important income.

A memorable sporting achievement followed in the spring of 2022. Trailing the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers 3–0 in their playoff quarter-final series, Davos won four consecutive games to complete a remarkable comeback and reach the semi-finals.

Wohlwend’s tenure therefore combined a promising revival with extraordinary disruption and a dramatic playoff recovery. In January 2023, the club relieved him of his duties, beginning another transition behind the bench.

2023: Josh Holden Wins the Spengler Cup in Its Centenary Year

Josh Holden took over as HC Davos head coach for the 2023/24 season. During his first campaign, he delivered a success with particular significance for the club: a Spengler Cup victory on home ice.

The timing gave the achievement added historical meaning. One hundred years after the tournament’s first edition in 1923, Davos lifted the trophy again, ending a twelve-year wait since its previous triumph in 2011.

The team won all four of its tournament games. In the final on 31 December 2023, Davos defeated Dynamo Pardubice 5–3 to claim its 16th Spengler Cup title, drawing level with Team Canada’s record.

For Holden, it was an early trophy in his tenure as head coach. For the club, it connected a new sporting chapter with one of its oldest traditions.

A century after Carl Spengler launched the tournament, a Davos team was once again celebrating with the trophy. The anniversary victory demonstrated how closely the club’s present remained connected to its international hockey heritage.

2025: Farewell to Andres Ambühl and Marc Wieser

In the spring of 2025, two players who had shaped HC Davos for many years ended their playing careers: Andres Ambühl and Marc Wieser. Their departures marked another significant change of generation.

Ambühl’s final appearance in Switzerland’s top division came in Game 6 of the playoff semi-final against the ZSC Lions on 10 April 2025. He scored once more in the 6–4 defeat. It was his 1,322nd game at that level—a record reflecting extraordinary longevity.

Although closely associated with Davos, his career also took him to North America and the ZSC Lions. He won six Swiss championships in total: five with HC Davos and one with Zurich. His years in Davos connected the championship teams of the Del Curto era with the club’s subsequent rebuilding.

Marc Wieser also reached a major milestone during his final season, joining the group of players with 1,000 appearances in Switzerland’s highest league. Together, the two forwards represented a wealth of experience and a lasting connection to Davos hockey.

Their retirement left the next generation to carry the club forward. Players who had grown up watching Ambühl and Wieser were now helping to write the next chapter of HCD history.

2025: A 17th Spengler Cup Title Makes Davos the Sole Record Holder

On the final day of 2025, HC Davos added another milestone to its Spengler Cup history. A 6–3 victory over the US Collegiate Selects secured the club’s 17th tournament title, moving Davos ahead of Team Canada as the sole record holder.

The route to the trophy included a pre-semi-final victory over IFK Helsinki and a hard-fought semi-final win against defending champions Fribourg-Gottéron. The final brought a different challenge: a selection of players from North American college hockey.

The contest remained finely balanced. After two periods, the score was tied at 3–3. Davos then struck three times in the final five minutes to secure victory in front of its home supporters.

For Josh Holden, it was a second Spengler Cup triumph as Davos head coach, following his success in 2023. The result also showed that the team could continue winning international silverware after the retirement of long-serving players.

Almost a century separated Davos’s first tournament victory in 1927 from its 17th title. Throughout that history, the Spengler Cup remained a constant: a meeting place for international hockey, a financial support for the club and a stage for new sporting achievements.

2025/26: A Record-Breaking Season Ends One Goal Short of the Title

The 2025/26 season brought HC Davos closer to the Swiss championship than it had been for years. Josh Holden’s team collected 117 points in the regular season, setting a new club record.

Davos maintained that strength in the playoffs. A 4–1 quarter-final series victory over EV Zug was followed by another 4–1 success against defending champions ZSC Lions in the semi-finals. Fribourg-Gottéron awaited in the final.

The championship was decided in Game 7—and even then, sixty minutes were not enough. On 30 April 2026, Fribourg-Gottéron scored the decisive goal in overtime, leaving Davos as runners-up.

It was a painful conclusion to an outstanding campaign. Having already won the Spengler Cup, Davos narrowly missed adding the Swiss championship. Nevertheless, the team demonstrated that it could compete for the national title right through to the final game after a significant change of generation.

The season also brought a record in the stands. An average of 5,577 spectators attended Davos’s home games, setting another club milestone.

Although the final goal belonged to its opponent, the campaign became an important chapter in HCD history: a season of renewed championship contention, international silverware and growing support.

Conclusion: More Than a Collection of Trophies

The history of HC Davos combines championship triumphs with setbacks and remarkable recoveries. From its beginnings on natural ice, the club developed into a defining force in Swiss hockey. The early teams of Bibi Torriani and the Cattini brothers belong to that story just as much as relegation to the third tier, promotion under Mats Waltin and six championships under Arno Del Curto.

The difficult years show that the club’s standing was never guaranteed. Its recovery depended on people willing to take responsibility, players such as Gilles Thibaudeau and supporters who remained loyal through the lower divisions.

The Spengler Cup remains an essential part of this history. Since 1923, it has connected Davos with the international hockey community, serving as a sporting stage, an important source of income and a tradition reaching far beyond the host club.

With 31 Swiss championships and 17 Spengler Cup titles, HC Davos has built an exceptional record. Its appearance in the 2026 championship final also demonstrates that the story continues.

Watching a home game in Davos means encountering more than a team. It means visiting a place where over a century of hockey history remains closely connected to the present.

Sources and Further Reading

This article draws on the official histories of HC Davos and the Spengler Cup, historical literature and contemporary sports reporting. Some sources are available only in German.

• HC Davos: Official Club History and Season Reviews
https://www.hcd.ch/de/der-hcd/geschichte

• HC Davos: History of the Davos Ice Stadium
https://www.hcd.ch/de/eisstadion/geschichte-eisstadion

• Spengler Cup: Official Tournament History
https://www.spenglercup.ch/en/tournament/history

• HC Davos Anniversary Book: Historical Extract Published by Chronos
https://www.chronos-verlag.ch/public-download/3064

• Keystone-SDA / SWI swissinfo.ch: A Review of Arno Del Curto’s 22 Years at HC Davos
https://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/die-22-hcd-jahre-unter-arno-del-curto/44576014

The historical account covers events through the end of the 2025/26 season.

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