| Played For: | Edmonton Oilers EHC Biel HC Davos Rapperswil-Jona Lakers |
| Ntl Team: | Switzerland |
| Position: | Right wing |
| Shoots: | Right |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 2 |
| Weight Lb: | 185 |
| Birth Date: | April 11, 1979 |
| Birth Place: | Oberbalm, Switzerland |
| Draft: | 14th overall |
| Draft Year: | 1997 |
| Draft Team: | Edmonton Oilers |
| Career Start: | 1994 |
| Career End: | 2014 |
Michel Riesen (born April 11, 1979) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey winger. Most of his career, which lasted from 1994 to 2014, was spent in the Swiss Nationalliga A, though he also played 12 games in the National Hockey League with the Edmonton Oilers during the 2000–01 season. Internationally Riesen played for the Swiss national team in several junior tournaments and three World Championships. After retiring he turned to coaching and has worked at the junior level in Switzerland since 2015.
He was selected in the first round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, 14th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers. At the time he was the highest-drafted Swiss player in NHL history.
Riesen was twice a member of Switzerland's World Junior team (1997, 1998) and a member of its World Championship team (1998). Riesen made his North American debut on the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs team in 1998–99. Riesen played three seasons in Hamilton with his best season being in 1999–00 when he registered 60 points (29G-31A).[1]
Riesen made his NHL debut in the 2000–01 season with the Oilers, playing in 12 games in what would be his only NHL season. On July 1, 2001, Riesen was traded from the Oilers, along with Doug Weight, to the St. Louis Blues for Marty Reasoner, Jochen Hecht and Jan Horacek. Riesen never played for the Blues, opting to head back to Switzerland for the 2001–02 season to rejoin HC Davos.[1]
In the 2006-07 season, Riesen was the top goal scorer in the NLA with 37 goals.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |||||
| 1994–95 | EHC Biel | SUI-U20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | EHC Biel | NDA | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | EHC Biel | SUI U20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | EHC Biel | NLB | 34 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1996–97 | EHC Biel | NLB | 38 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | HC Davos | NDA | 32 | 16 | 9 | 25 | 8 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 1997–98 | EHC St. Moritz | SUI-3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 60 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1999–00 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 73 | 29 | 31 | 60 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | ||
| 2000–01 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 69 | 26 | 28 | 54 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | HC Davos | NLA | 35 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 28 | 16 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 52 | ||
| 2002–03 | HC Davos | NLA | 44 | 17 | 17 | 34 | 30 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 2003–04 | HC Davos | NLA | 47 | 16 | 13 | 29 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Davos | NLA | 44 | 18 | 14 | 32 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | HC Davos | NLA | 39 | 17 | 12 | 29 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 8 | ||
| 2006–07 | HC Davos | NLA | 44 | 37 | 14 | 51 | 70 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 37 | ||
| 2007–08 | HC Davos | NLA | 39 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 18 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 2008–09 | HC Davos | NLA | 50 | 24 | 17 | 41 | 32 | 21 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 2009–10 | Rapperswil–Jona Lakers | NLA | 41 | 11 | 18 | 29 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Rapperswil–Jona Lakers | NLA | 46 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Rapperswil–Jona Lakers | NLA | 35 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Rapperswil–Jona Lakers | NLA | 47 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | EHC Basel | NLB | 33 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| NDA/NLA totals | 555 | 210 | 176 | 386 | 288 | 133 | 48 | 37 | 85 | 131 | ||||
| NHL totals | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Switzerland | EJC | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1995 | Switzerland | EJC | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1996 | Switzerland | WJC | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1997 | Switzerland | WJC | 6 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 8 | |
| 1997 | Switzerland | EJC | 6 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1998 | Switzerland | WJC | 7 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1998 | Switzerland | WC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1999 | Switzerland | WJC | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| 2000 | Switzerland | WC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2001 | Switzerland | WC | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 41 | 19 | 8 | 27 | 16 | |||
| Senior totals | 9 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | |||