HC Ambrì-Piotta have been confirmed as the fifth Swiss team to feature in the upcoming 2019/20 CHL season and because they’ve never featured in the competition, here are some things you probably need to know about them.

HC Ambrì-Piotta were founded in 1937 in the valley villages of Ambrì and Piotta, in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. Even though the combined population of these alpine villages, located high up in the mountains, is no more than a thousand inhabitants, they have little problem filling their stadium every match day, as thousands of fans travel to support the club from afar. They are one of the oldest clubs in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland and, together with arch-rivals HC Lugano from the south, they divide up the support of all hockey fans in the region. Untouched by modern urbanisation trends in hockey, they pride themselves in keeping a family like and personal approach to everyone their fans, players and everyone they work with, which has gained them a cult like status with fans not only from Switzerland, but from all over the world.

The club’s iconic home – the Valascia, is located 1000 meters above sea level in Ambrì. It’s known throughout Europe for its freezing temperature, due to the fact the arena is partially open (the north and south stands), which allows cold air to flow through freely. Originally constructed in 1959 as an outdoor hockey arena, today it can hold up to 6500 hockey fans. Despite its relatively small size, the atmosphere in the packed venue, when the local fans full heartedly start to sing their beloved “La Montanara”, is moving for all spectators. Their Italian victory hymn is a traditional mountain song, that is widely known in the region and is part of Italian Alpine culture.

The name of the venue – Valascia (valley in danger of avalanche in local dialect), is sadly fitting. As new stadium regulations from the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation come into place and risk of avalanches rises in the region, a new venue is needed for the hockey club. Construction of the Nuova Valascia has already commenced, and it should be finished in time for the start of the 2021/22 National League season.

The “Biancoblù,” – the white and blue, as they are nicknamed, have been National League regulars since their promotion in 1985. They came to international fame during the 2012/13 NHL lockout, when the club became a popular destination for several high-profile NHL stars. Matt Duchene, Cory Schneider and Max Pacioretty were among those who spent limited time with the club that season. Although they have never won the Swiss top flight, they won the regular season in 1998/99 and made it all the way to the playoff final, where they eventually lost to bitter rivals HC Lugano.

This season they finished fifth, which is a big improvement over their eleventh-place finish last year and subsequent play-out battle. This is in part due to a prolific first season from Czech star Dominik Kubalík who, with 57 points, was the league’s most productive player.

We look forward to seeing what HC Ambrì-Piotta have to offer in the CHL and we recommend you watch closely – especially home games, as only the Valascia offers a home advantage like no other venue in the CHL.