Ex-NHLers Traded In Switzerland

Swiss National League teams Fribourg-Gottéron and Ambrì-Piotta have exchanged forwards with NHL experience, the clubs announced on their respective websites on Monday.

Canadian center Chris DiDomenico, 35, is leaving Fribourg and heading south to Ambrì, with 31-year-old Swedish left winger Jakob Lilja going the other way.

“Chris DiDomenico has played an important role in recent years at Fribourg,” said Fribourg-Gottéron sports director Gerd Zenhäusern. “At the end of his contract this season, we gave him the opportunity to shine with another club.”

As for the player he’s getting in return, Zenhäusern said, “Jakob Lilja collected 30 points last season with the Leventin club. We are convinced that he will be able to display his abilities in this new environment.”

DiDomenico played junior hockey for the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs and Drummondville Voltigeurs and was a sixth-round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2007. He won a gold medal with Canada at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship, recording seven points in six games.

Professionally, DiDomenico played 27 NHL games for the Ottawa Senators between 2016 and 2018, recording 10 points. He also played in the minor-league systems of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks. In Europe, he started with two seasons in Italy with Asiago and has played several seasons now in Switzerland with the SCL Tigers and SC Bern in addition to Fribourg.

This season with Fribourg he had nine points in 16 National League games and four points in six Champions Hockey League games. He has played in the Spengler Cup for Team Canada on seven occasions and might do so again this season.

Lilja played junior hockey for Sunne IK and Rögle BK in Sweden but turned pro with Linköping HC in the 2015-16 season. After four solid SHL seasons with Linköping and Djurgården, he played the 2019-20 seasons in North America – he had five points in 27 NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets and 13 points in 22 AHL games with the Cleveland Monsters.

Lilja played three KHL seasons with Barys Astana and is now in his second season in Switzerland. He had one assist in 11 games for Ambrì-Piotta before the trade.

After finishing second in the National League standings and making the semifinals last season, Fribourg has struggled so far in 2024-25, winning five of its first 16 games and sitting 13th out of 14 teams. Ambrì-Piotta is 10th with eight wins in 15 games after finishing eighth last season.