Blackhawks loan Pius Suter to Swiss National League

The Chicago Blackhawks have a large prospect pool to choose from heading into the 2020-2021 season. Now, they have assigned one of these players for some more conditioning in a top European league.

Blackhawks prospect Pius Suter has been re-assigned to the National League, the highest level of ice hockey in Switzerland, where he will play for the ZSC Lions. This will be his second stint with the Lions, as Suter played with them previously in prior seasons. However, he was loaned this past September to the GCK Lions in Switzerland’s second-highest league, the Swiss League.

While Suter only played six games with GCK, he was able to rack up 2 goals and 3 assists in those contests. His time with ZSC was much more productive, as he scored 30 goals and added 23 assists for a 53 point season. He earned MVP honors last season, as his 30 goals were a career-high.

Suter has played five seasons total for the ZSC Lions and was part of the 2018 club that won the National League championship. In total, he has scored 168 points during his career with the Lions.

Born in Zürich, Switzerland, Suter has played hockey at numerous different levels in many leagues. This includes 66 games with the Guelph Storm of the OHL, as well as representing Switzerland on the international stage at the World Junior Championships and the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Although he was undrafted, Suter was signed to a one-year, entry-level contract with the Blackhawks valued at $925,000. Although Suter could technically compete for a roster spot with Chicago, it is also possible that he could stay with ZSC Lions for the entire season. This is perhaps even more likely given that the NHL is reportedly looking at a 48-game season for 2021.

It may be better for Suter, who is still only 24 years old, to get more experience in the National League before coming over to Chicago to compete for a roster spot. After all, it is still the highest level of play in Switzerland and could provide him with valuable experience that could help him immensely during a potential transition to the NHL in the coming years.