Sven Bärtschi
Sven Bärtschi | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 5, 1992 Langenthal, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Former professional ice hockey forward |
| Years active | 2009–2023 |
Sven Bärtschi (also spelled Baertschi; born 5 October 1992) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey forward. His career commenced in 2009 with SC Langenthal competing in Switzerland's National League B. Subsequently, he transitioned to North America to play for the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he finished as runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award. Selected 13th overall by the Calgary Flames during the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Bärtschi made his NHL debut in 2012.
Playing career
Bärtschi began his professional journey in the 2009–10 season with SC Langenthal in the National League B. Although SC Bern from National League A showed interest, he opted to advance his development in North America. Chosen seventh overall by Portland in the 2010 CHL import draft, he led all WHL rookies in the 2010–11 season with 34 goals and 85 points, ultimately finishing second in voting for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy awarded to the league's top rookie.
Ranked seventh among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Bärtschi was taken 13th overall by Calgary and inked a three-year entry-level contract valued at US$1.45 million annually. After participating in Flames training camp, he returned to Portland for the 2011–12 campaign, where he maintained an impressive two points per game average (94 points across 47 games). During that season, he earned WHL player of the week honors on three occasions, was named Portland's Most Valuable Player, and secured a spot on the WHL Western Conference second all-star team.
In March 2012, due to injuries within Calgary’s roster, Bärtschi was called up on an emergency basis. He made his NHL debut and quickly scored his first goal. Over five NHL appearances that season, he recorded three goals before returning to Portland. He then led all scorers in the 2012 WHL playoffs with 34 points over 22 games as Portland advanced once more to the league championship series.
With the onset of the 2012–13 season and an NHL lockout underway, Bärtschi turned professional by joining Calgary’s AHL affiliate Abbotsford Heat. He amassed 17 points in 19 contests before a neck injury forced him out for five weeks.
On 2 March 2015, following a trade request, Bärtschi was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a second-round draft pick. He made his Canucks debut in April 2015 and soon after scored his initial goals with the team. Later that summer, he secured a one-year contract extension with Vancouver and achieved personal bests of 15 goals and 28 points during that season.
In June 2016, Bärtschi agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $3.7 million with Vancouver and subsequently signed a three-year deal valued at $10.1 million in July 2018. Unfortunately, during the 2018–19 season, he missed 56 games due to post-concussion syndrome resulting from a head injury caused by an opponent’s check.
Ahead of the 2019–20 season, Bärtschi was placed on waivers; although he cleared waivers, he did not appear at the NHL level throughout that year. After spending seven years within Vancouver’s organization, he signed a one-year two-way contract with the Vegas Golden Knights on 28 July 2021.
Spending most of the 2021–22 season with Vegas’s AHL affiliate Henderson Silver Knights, Bärtschi eventually returned to Switzerland by agreeing to a three-year contract with SC Bern of the National League. Following an unproductive campaign back home, he announced his retirement from professional hockey on 2 August 2023.
International competition
Bärtschi took part in international tournaments with the Swiss national junior ice hockey team on four occasions. He competed in the Under-18 World Championships during 2009 and 2010, recording one goal and two assists in each event. The Swiss squads secured 8th place in 2009 and improved to 5th place in 2010. Additionally, he represented the under-20 team at the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he contributed one goal and one assist, helping Switzerland to a fifth-place finish. In the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, his participation was limited to two games due to a concussion that forced him out of the tournament.
Personal background
Originating from Langenthal, Switzerland, Bärtschi grew up in a family deeply involved with hockey; his father was a professional player in the National League A. Following his parents' separation when he was 11 years old, his mother took on two jobs to financially support both his and his brother's pursuits in hockey.
Regular season and playoffs
... [Statistics continue with no change] ...| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2006–07 | SC Langenthal | SUI U17 | 23 | 34 | 38 | 72 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | SC Langenthal | SUI U17 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 38 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | SC Langenthal | SUI U20 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | SC Langenthal | SUI U17 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | SC Langenthal | SUI U20 | 37 | 21 | 32 | 53 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | SC Langenthal | NLB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 292 | 66 | 72 | 138 | 78 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Switzerland | U18 | 8th place | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Switzerland | U18 | Finished fifth | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2011 | Switzerland men's national junior ice hockey team | IIHF World U20 Championship (WJC) | Fifth place | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships | Switzerland | WJC | Eighth place | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 IIHF World Championship | Switzerland men's national ice hockey team | Ice Hockey World Championships (WC) | Tenth place | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 20 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||||
| Senior totals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| WHL | ||
| West Second All-Star Team | 2011–12 | |