Reto Von Arx: Mister HC Davos

He has been playing for HC Davos since 1995. He has won five national championship titles, has been voted the league’s MVP three times and has scored more than 700 points during his career so far: Reto von Arx is HC Davos’s ultimate leader on the ice.

Von Arx started his career in Langnau and played in Switzerland’s second league when he was just 16 years old. After three seasons in Langnau, both his younger brother Jan and Reto himself got transferred to Davos at the beginning of the 1995/1996 season – this was to be his last transfer within the Swiss league ever.

Switzerland's First NHL Goal Scorer

One year later, HC Davos signed Coach Arno Del Curto, which was a smart move and a very lucky decision. Also for Reto von Arx: the charismatic coach recognized von Arx’s talent immediately, and the player constantly lived up to his potential and showed strong performances during the following seasons. The 1999/2000 season was his most impressive, when von Arx scored an average of one point per game. No wonder he then decided to try his luck in the NHL at the age of 24.

Von Arx, picked by the Chicago Blackhawks in round 9, had a good start in North America, but he soon had to learn how hard life in the NHL can be. He scored two goals in his second NHL game already (the first-ever NHL goals scored by a Swiss player) and was the first Swiss forward in the NHL.

No Longer on Switzerland’s National Team

But von Arx’s life as a hockey player became tougher and tougher and there were several career setbacks: After he didn’t score enough points in his next games for the Blackhawks, von Arx was sent to the organization's farm team in the AHL. Although he was again called up to Chicago’s NHL team for a short while before the end of the season, he wasn’t able to establish himself as a member of the first team. His career AHL record, however, tells a quite different story: He scored 42 points in just 49 games for the Norfolk Admirals. But when he was told that the Blackhawks wanted to leave him with the farm team also for the 2001/2002 season and didn't plan with him for the NHL squad, von Arx stepped on the brake and called it quits. He put an end to his NHL adventure and returned to HC Davos.

In January 2002, another event led to a lot of controversy in Switzerland: The Swiss national team had just been eliminated from the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, when von Arx and Marcel Jenni went out drinking before the now insignificant game against Austria – the consequences were severe. Swiss national coach Ralph Krueger suspended both of them with immediate effect and until further notice – and Reto von Arx did not play for Switzerland's national team anymore.

Deeply Rooted in Davos

Since those days, Reto von Arx has been completely devoted to HC Davos, won the Swiss championship with the club in 2002, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, was elected the league’s MVP three times and has become a leading figure in Swiss hockey due to his charisma and his year-long experience. Together with Arno Del Curto, he’s playing his 16th consecutive season for HC Davos this year. Another sign of his very high status within the club is the fact that he's been granted the privilege to extend his contract for as long as he wants – something that, with the exception of NHL legend Gordie Howe, is unique in the world of professional hockey.

Reto von Arx was awarded another very special honour recently when he was elected Switzerland’s second-best hockey player of all time by a panel of hockey experts – he was only beaten by Mark Streit of the New York Islanders. Some of the essential factors for this decision were not only his more than 700 scorer points, but also his qualities as a leader on the ice and his charisma.

But despite all the success and all the milestones that he’s achieved so far, Reto von Arx has always stayed modest, gives everything for his team in every game and always aims high – a good combination for success at this year’s Spengler Cup and to play himself into the hearts of his supporters.