SDA
23.1.2026 – 07:22
With 1000 NHL games in the regular season for one team, Roman Josi belongs to a rare circle. In addition to his professionalism, the Bern native is also down-to-earth.
Keystone-SDA
23.01.2026, 07:22
SDA
It's not easy to reach Roman Josi this week. When he does succeed, the first thing he says is: "Sorry, there's a lot going on." No wonder: the 35-year-old from Bern played his 1000th game in the NHL regular season on Friday night Swiss time. What's particularly remarkable is that Josi played all of his 1,000 games for a single organization, the Nashville Predators – no one has played for the team more often, and only around 50 players in NHL history have played 1,000 games for the same franchise.
"It's very cool," says Josi in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency. "The city has become like home – the relationship with the fans, I met my wife here, my children were born here. I've experienced a lot in these 15 years." Asked about highlights, Josi replies: "There are many. The first game was special, of course. And then certainly the Stanley Cup Final. The whole playoffs back then were definitely the highlight in Nashville so far."
The Predators reached the final in 2017, although no playoff participant had scored fewer points in qualifying. The euphoria in the city was huge, the streets in the center were flooded with people. However, the Predators were denied the really big coup, losing 4:2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Josi did not make the leap to the NHL via a North American junior league, but instead recommended himself for higher tasks at SC Bern. He was only 16 years old when he made his debut in the top Swiss league in November 2006. In his last season with SCB in 2009-10, he won the championship with the team, recording six goals and seven assists in 15 games in the playoffs.
In 2008, he was drafted by the Predators at number 38. He played his first season in North America with the Milwaukee Admirals farm team, but on November 26, 2011, the time had come: Josi made his first appearance in the world's best ice hockey league in Detroit. He would never have imagined what followed, not even in his wildest dreams. He developed into one of the best defenders in the world. In September 2020, he was awarded the Norris Trophy for the best defender of the 2019/20 season. He was among the three finalists in the voting two more times. In the 2021-22 regular season, he almost broke the 100-point mark with 23 goals and 73 assists in 80 games.
Josi has been captain of the Predators since the 2017/18 season. For him, one key to his impressive career is that he has never lost the joy of ice hockey. "That's the most important thing," emphasized the Bern native. That's why the years in the NHL have flown by for him.
Josi has also had his fair share of setbacks. He battled concussions several times. He suffered the last one last February. After that, he even feared brain damage. Tests then revealed that he suffers from postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) – a disorder of the autonomic nervous system in which the heartbeat increases sharply after standing up and can cause dizziness, palpitations or exhaustion.
After the long break, Josi still struggled at the start of the season. "It was up and down at the beginning, I needed some time to find my automatisms on the ice again," says Josi. Now he feels more comfortable again. And that is obvious. He was voted the second-best player of the past week after scoring seven points (2 goals/5 assists) in the three games. In the game before, he had scored one goal and two assists.
Josi emphasizes that the team is also playing better. On November 25, the Predators were still the worst team in the league after winning just six of their first 22 games. They can now hope to make the playoffs again. "We never really found our feet last season and we played very inconsistently again at the start of this one. Now we've found our identity, we've realized how we have to play to be more successful," says the three-time World Championship silver medallist.
According to Josi, Mark Streit had a big influence on his career. "He was definitely one of my idols, had a big influence on my hockey career and my life," Josi once said about the Swiss NHL pioneer. The two got to know each other better in 2009 and subsequently spent some time training together in the summer.
Mark Streit already saw in 2009 "that he had all the tools to have a great career", as the former NHL defenseman told Keystone-SDA. "If he had played in a college or in a North American junior league instead of Switzerland, he would certainly have been drafted in the first round. His game is very well balanced. He's strong defensively, even when shorthanded, and has incredible instincts on offense. He can manage a game like few in the league can and also has the ability to make all players better," Streit continues.
He also emphasizes his professionalism and attitude. That's why Josi teamed up with Benoît Pont. He works as a consultant for the Swiss national team and founded ProKeyCoach. He profiles people and identifies motor and personality-related preferences. Josi: "He has helped me to refine my game and make it more efficient and sustainable. Each of us has our own way of moving, generating energy and reading the game. And these profile-based differences are where our real strengths lie." Streit adds: "He always tries to get the best out of things, is open to new things and breaks new ground."
Josi is not a loudspeaker, but he has an aura that few have. "He's very approachable, down-to-earth and respectful towards everyone," says Streit. "That's the reason why he goes down well everywhere. Nevertheless, he has the necessary bite on the ice."
Josi's contract with the Predators runs until 2028, so there are likely to be a few more games to come.
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