Sven Andrighetto Explained

Birth Date:1993 3, df=yes
Birth Place:Sumiswald, Switzerland
Height Ft:5
Height In:10
Weight Lb:180
Position:Right wing
Shoots:Left
League:NL
Team:ZSC Lions
Former Teams:Montreal Canadiens
Colorado Avalanche
Avangard Omsk
Ntl Team:SUI
Draft:86th overall
Draft Year:2013
Career Start:2010

Sven Andrighetto (born 21 March 1993) is a Swiss professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing with the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL). He was selected in the third-round, 86th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, his last year of eligibility. Andrighetto has also previously played for the Colorado Avalanche.

Playing career

Junior

The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies selected him in the first round, 11th overall, of the 2011 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Import Draft from the GCK Lions of the Swiss National League B (NLB), Switzerland's second-tier professional league. In the 2010–11 season while playing for the Lions, he was selected to represent Switzerland at the 2011 World Junior tournament. Playing 36 games for GCK, he recorded 23 points (11 goals and 12 assists) and 20 penalty minutes. Loaned to eventual NLB champion EHC Visp, he was scoreless in two regular-season games, adding one goal, two assists, and 12 penalty minutes in 17 playoff games.

For the 2011–12 QMJHL season, Andrighetto moved to Canada to play in the QMJHL. Andrighetto had previously played in Canada at the 2006 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a youth team from Zürich.[1] Despite his small size, Andrighetto managed to score 74 points (36 goals and 38 assists), along with 50 penalty minutes. He was a –23 in plus/minus despite his high scoring. The Huskies made it to the playoffs but lost to the Shawinigan Cataractes in a four-game sweep. Andrighetto had two assists and four penalty minutes in those four games.

Andrighetto returned to Rouyn-Noranda and the Huskies for the 2012–13 QMJHL season. He had a successful season in his second year in North America, playing in 53 games for the team but recording 98 points (31 goals and 67 assists) to finish sixth in regular season scoring in the QMJHL, with 45 penalty minutes as well as a +25 plus/minus rating. With the Huskies once again in the playoffs, they made a run to the semi-finals, falling to the Halifax Mooseheads. Andrighetto played in all of 14 games, with eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points with only 14 penalty minutes.

Andrighetto was entering his final year of eligibility for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft; he was 20 years of age when the draft came, held in Newark, New Jersey. The Montreal Canadiens held the 86th pick in the third round of the draft and made him the second Swiss player selected (and the first forward hailing from the country), behind Mirco Müller, whom the San Jose Sharks with the 18th pick.

Professional

Montreal Canadiens

On 15 July 2013, the Canadiens signed Andrighetto to a three-year, entry-level contract, detailed to a two-way deal, worth $625,000 if Andrighetto played in the NHL and $70,000 if he played in the American Hockey League (AHL). The contract also included a $75,000 signing bonus.[2]

Andrighetto reported to the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs for the 2013–14 season, his rookie campaign in the AHL. He scored 44 points (17 goals and 27 assists) in 64 games played and added 40 penalty minutes with a –4 plus-minus rating.

Unable to make the Canadiens out of training camp and pre-season, Andrighetto returned to the Bulldogs for the 2014–15 season. He contributed a goal and two assists in a game on 2 December 2014 against the Adirondack Flames at the Glens Falls Civic Center.[3] Recalled by the Canadiens in December, he made his NHL debut in a 4–1 loss to the Dallas Stars on 6 December, recording his first goal with assists from Tomáš Plekanec and Jiří Sekáč.[4] He registered a point in his first three games to become the first Hab to do so since Pierre Mondou in 1978.

Andrighetto was assigned to begin the 2015–16 season with the Canadiens' new AHL affiliate, the St. John's IceCaps. On 20 November 2015, he was recalled to Montreal for the remainder of the season after producing 23 points in 26 games. After that, he enjoyed the most productive period in his career, scoring seven goals and 17 points in 40 games.

Andrighetto had a slow start at training camp before the 2016–17 season and was reassigned to the IceCaps. Scoring at more than a point-per-game pace in the AHL, Andrighetto earned another recall to Montreal.

Colorado Avalanche

Struggling to secure a defined role in the team and having contributed only 8 points in 27 games, Andrighetto was traded by the Canadiens at the trade deadline on 1 March 2017 to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Andreas Martinsen.[5] Andrighetto became the first Swiss skater to appear for the franchise when he made his debut at the Pepsi Center in a 3–0 shutout defeat to the St. Louis Blues on 5 March 2017.[6] He recorded his first point in his second game with the Avalanche when he contributed an assist toward their 3–1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.[7] On 11 March 2017, he scored his first goal for the Avalanche in a 4–2 defeat to the Ottawa Senators.[8] Given an extended opportunity in a scoring role on a line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, Andrighetto blossomed to lead the Avalanche in scoring through the month of March and finish the season with 16 points in 19 games.

Protected in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, Andrighetto agreed to a two-year, $2.8 million contract extension with Colorado on 28 June 2017.[9] After his first training camp with the Avalanche, Andrighetto began the 2017–18 season on Colorado's top two scoring lines, collecting his first goal and assist in the third game of the season in a 4–0 victory against the Boston Bruins on 9 October 2017.[10] After collecting 12 points in his first 16 games, Andrighetto slowed offensively before suffering a leg injury against the New York Islanders on 31 December 2017. After missing 28 games, Andrighetto returned to the lineup on 8 March 2018 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.[11] Playing in a reduced role, he appeared in a further eight games before suffering a re-occurrence of his lingering leg injury, missing three games. In his first game back, Andrighetto scored two goals in a 5–0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on 30 March 2018.[12] Helping the Avalanche reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in four years, Andrighetto finished with eight goals and 22 points in 50 games. He made his playoff debut in the first-round series against the Nashville Predators. He scored his first playoff goal, staving off elimination for the Avalanche in a 2–1 road victory in Game 5 on 21 April 2018.[13] He finished with one point in six games in the playoffs.

In his third season with the Avalanche, Andrighetto began the 2018–19 season on the injured reserve after suffering a leg injury during a pre-season game against the Dallas Stars on 26 September 2018. He made his season debut in the Avalanche's seventh game of the season against the New Jersey Devils, scoring a goal in a 5-3 victory on 19 October 2018.[14] Playing in a top 9 role, he appeared in just six games before he was returned to the injured reserve with a week-to-week lower-body injury on 30 October 2018.[15] Upon his return to health, Andrighetto's missed time affected his role, receiving fourth-line minutes and the occasional healthy scratch. Despite averaging just over 11 minutes time-on-ice, Andrighetto produced seven goals and 17 points in 64 games with the Avalanche. In the post-season, Andrighetto was used as the team's first reserve forward, drawing into the lineup on the fourth line in game three of a first-round series against the Calgary Flames on 15 April 2019.[16] He finished scoreless in 5 playoff games before the Avalanche were defeated in the Western Conference Semi-finals against the San Jose Sharks.

As an impending restricted free agent, Andrighetto's tenure with Colorado ended after he was not tendered a qualifying offer on 25 June 2019.[17]

Avangard Omsk

As a free agent with minimal multi-term offers from the NHL, Andrighetto opted to leave North America in agreeing to a long-rumoured two-year contract with Russian club, Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), on 9 July 2019.[18] In his debut season in the KHL, Andrighetto began the 2019–20 season in a top-six role. Unable to increase his offensive influence from the NHL, Andrighetto contributed 13 goals and 27 points in 56 regular season games. He added two assists in Avangard's upset first-round defeat to Salavat Yulaev Ufa in six games.

Exactly one year after he signed with Avangard, Andrighetto opted to end his tenure with the club by mutually terminating the remaining year of his contract on 9 July 2020.[19]

ZSC Lions

On 15 July 2020, Andrighetto officially returned to Switzerland and agreed to a five-year contract worth CHF 4 million with the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL).[20]

International play

He represented Switzerland at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and won a silver medal.[21]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
2008–09ZSC LionsSUI U1728 14 11 25 3810 3 2 5 8
2009–10ZSC LionsSUI U1722 24 31 55 1410 16 8 24 18
2009–10GCK LionsSUI U2014 3 4 7 4
2010–11GCK LionsNLB36 11 12 23 20
2010–11EHC VispNLB2 0 0 0 017 1 2 3 4
2011–12Rouyn–Noranda HuskiesQMJHL62 36 38 74 504 0 2 2 4
2012–13Rouyn–Noranda HuskiesQMJHL53 31 67 98 4514 8 22 30 14
2013–14Hamilton BulldogsAHL64 17 27 44 40
2014–15Montreal CanadiensNHL12 2 1 3 0
2014–15Hamilton BulldogsAHL60 14 29 43 42
2015–16Montreal CanadiensNHL44 7 10 17 6
2015–16St. John's IceCapsAHL26 10 13 23 22
2016–17Montreal CanadiensNHL27 2 6 8 4
2016–17Colorado AvalancheNHL19 5 11 16 8
2016–17St. John's IceCapsAHL20 8 14 22 8
2017–18Colorado AvalancheNHL50 8 14 22 106 1 0 1 6
2018–19Colorado AvalancheNHL64 7 10 17 145 0 0 0 2
2019–20Avangard OmskKHL56 13 14 27226 0 2 2 0
2020–21ZSC LionsNL52 27 28 55 188 3 5 8 31
2021–22ZSC LionsNL47 19 19 38 3318 6 11 17 4
2022–23ZSC LionsNL35 11 12 23 249 3 3 6 6
2023–24ZSC LionsNL40 13 18 31 815 3 11 14 4
NHL totals216 31 52 83 4211 1 0 1 8
KHL totals56 13 14 27 226 0 2 2 0
NL totals174 70 77 147 8350 15 30 45 45

International

YearTeamEventResultGP G A Pts PIM
2010SwitzerlandU185th6 0 3 3 2
2011SwitzerlandU187th6 2 3 5 8
2012SwitzerlandWJC8th6 1 1 2 2
2013SwitzerlandWJC6th6 5 3 8 4
2016SwitzerlandWC11th7 3 4 7 4
2018SwitzerlandWC9 2 7 9 27
2019SwitzerlandWC8th6 3 0 3 2
2021SwitzerlandWC6th8 2 2 4 2
2022SwitzerlandOLY8th5 0 3 3 0
2024SwitzerlandWC10 1 2 3 0
Junior totals24 9 9 18 16
Senior totals45 11 18 29 35

Awards and honours

AwardYear
QMJHL
All-Rookie Team2011–12
AHL
Player of the Week (2–9 February 2014)2013–14
NL
Media Swiss All-Star Team2021
Media All-Star Team2021
Champion (ZSC Lions)2024[22]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA. 2018. Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2019-01-06.
  2. Web site: Canadiens sign third-round pick Andrighetto . . 2013-07-15 . 2013-07-15.
  3. Web site: Andrighetto helps power Hamilton offence . . 2014-12-02 . 2014-12-02.
  4. Web site: Seguin scores twice to lead Stars past Canadiens. Hunt. Steve. 2014-12-07. NHL.com. 2014-12-07.
  5. Web site: Avalanche acquires Andrighetto from Montreal . . 2017-03-01 . 2017-03-01.
  6. News: Avalanche lose to Blues, suffers 11th shutout loss of season . . 2017-03-05 . 2017-03-05.
  7. Web site: Avalanche beat Hurricanes, 3-1 . . 2017-03-07 . 2017-03-07.
  8. Web site: Anderson sets mark; Sens extend win streak to six . . 2017-03-11 . 2017-03-11.
  9. Web site: Avalanche signs Andrighetto . . 2017-06-28 . 2017-06-28.
  10. Web site: Varlamov makes 29 saves in win over Boston . . 2017-10-09 . 2017-10-09.
  11. Web site: Andrighetto could return soon . . 2018-03-06 . 2018-03-06.
  12. Web site: Andrighetto scores twice in his return . . 2018-03-30 . 2018-03-30.
  13. Web site: Avalanche top Predators in Game 5, extend series . . 2018-04-21 . 2018-04-21.
  14. Web site: Andrighetto to make season debut . . 2018-10-18 . 2018-10-18.
  15. Web site: Injured again - Avalanche's Andrighetto considered week-to-week . swisshockeynews.ch . 2018-10-30 . 2018-10-30.
  16. News: Avalanche, Cale Makar provide memorable moments in dominating Game 3 victory . . 2019-04-15 . 2019-04-15.
  17. Web site: Andrighetto not qualified by Avalanche . coloradohockeynow.com . 25 June 2019 . 25 June 2019.
  18. Web site: Sven Andrighetto is at Avangard! . . 9 July 2019 . 9 July 2019.
  19. Web site: Thanks for the Game! . . 9 July 2020 . 9 July 2020 . Russian.
  20. Web site: Sven Andrighetto signs five-year deal with the ZSC Lions . swisshockeynews.ch . 15 July 2020 . 15 July 2020.
  21. Web site: Silver it is - Czechia beats Switzerland in the World Championship final . swisshockeynews.ch . 26 May 2024 . 26 May 2024.
  22. Web site: The ZSC Lions win the 2023-24 championship . swisshockeynews.ch . 30 April 2024 . 30 April 2024 .