For most NHL players heading to the Olympics, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent their home country on the international stage. For one Golden Knight participant, the games offer a unique extra benefit as well.
Every time you play for the Swiss National Team, that counts towards time spent in the military because you’re representing the country. They say you are defending the country in another way. -Akira Schmid
Every Swiss male is obligated to serve in the military for one year before the age of 35. Typically, men begin with the recruitment phase around the age of 18, with a fairly extensive two to three-month “boot camp,” or Rekrutenschule. Then, each recruit is divided into a specific track for the remainder of their service. Some young men spend an entire year completing their service, while others spend a few weeks or months at a time over a period of a few years.
As a professional athlete playing abroad, Golden Knights goalie Akira Schmid was automatically placed into the Spitzensport track, which is slightly different.
There’s a sports school, which is the one I’m doing. The 1st six weeks, you do actual military training and all that stuff. No shooting, though. And then after that, it’s mostly just kind of working out. -Schmid
This takes place at a military facility called the Kompetenzzentrum Sport der Armee or the Swiss Armed Forces Sport Center of Competence, in the northern portion of Switzerland near Bern. Schmid did his first stint there a few years ago as the earliest part of his required year of service.
We have everything up there, it’s a great place. I can’t really say I’m in the military though. The only real military thing I have to do is wake up early. -Schmid
He’s disappointed he wasn’t able to do even more.
The sport military classes used to go through the shooting program. They don’t do that anymore. We were one of the first sport classes that didn’t get to do it and I would have liked to. I actually missed a lot of the basic military stuff because the year I was going to do it I went to Worlds (IIHF World Championship) so basically all I did was workout and live there. -Schmid
Like other Swiss men, Schmid is required to serve for a year before he turns 35. So, each year, he spends time in the summer working out with other athletes. However, when he plays in international events such as the IIHF World Championships or the upcoming Olympics, the time spent with the Swiss national team counts towards his service. And, the last time he played for Team Switzerland he earned a promotion.
I got promoted when we won silver in 2024 (World Championships). I went from Soldat (Soldier) to Gefreiter (Corporal). -Schmid
Unfortunately, there’s no further promotion available, but rest assured, if Schmid leads the Swiss to a medal at the 2026 Olympic games, he’ll be regarded as much more than Gefreiter. Either way, every day Schmid spends stopping pucks in Milan is also a day spent serving the Swiss “Armee.”
Bring it on, Private McDavid and Sergeant Eichel, Gefreiter Schmid is reporting for duty.
Emmanuel
No shooting?
Jose
Hey Ken, why is Canada such a significant favourite over the United States? That surprises me. I am Canadian by the way which is why I spell the word favourite with a “u” in it.
MacKinnon, McDavid and Makar are probably the three best players in the tournament but I think the American team is deeper. The United States defense to me looks like one of the best ever assembled. I truly believe that after Makar the next six best defenders are American. (between Canada and USA) Canada’s goaltending is bad but I guess all they need is for one of them to get hot.
Am I missing something here?
Go Canada Go
SHS
Because Canada has way better coaches than team USA. Case in point – Sullivan has left Eichel off of both USA power play units, which is inexplicable! Plus, USA left three of the top 4 American NHL goal scorers from the roster. They’d rather have “tough guys” in a competition that does not allow fighting. So the rosters are tilted in a manner in which Canada has way more skill. The egregious unforced errors from Team USA are terrible.
Jose
I agree with you there. Canada does have the better coaches. At least one of Caufield or Robertson should be there.
Ken Boehlke
Based on the numbers, they really are not. Canada are considered a slight favorite but it’s extremely close. A lot of it will come down to things beyond both teams control such as the path they each must take to get there and injuries.
JB
USA. Women win again, face Canada Tuesday! Go get em girls!
Brettgolfs10
great read ken. where did you hear of this story?
Ken Boehlke
Was tipped off by a friend who met him. Was then able to chat with him for about 10 minutes about it.
Linnea Lund
Love interesting stories like this. Thanks Ken for discovering it. Great reporting.
TS
Great side story! I think America should also require some form of National Sevice as well..the idea has been around for decades, but never made a requirement
.Builds character, integrity, the value of hard work in our young adults. Kinda like Scouting is, but Scouting has fallen way off in recent years. America NEEDS our young people to be good citizens, they are our future!