Roman Josi

Roman Josi (born 1 June 1990) is a Swiss professional ice hockey player. He is a defenceman and captain for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Josi was drafted 38th overall by the Predators in the 2008 NHL entry draft.

Growing up in Switzerland, Josi played with the local SC Bern from 2006 to 2010. He made his debut in the National League in the 2006–07 season and became a regular player during the 2007–08 season. In 2008, Josi was one of only four 17-year-olds to play in Switzerland's top division. During the 2010 NLA playoffs, Josi led all defensemen in goals as SC Bern won the Championship title.

After winning the championship, Josi joined the Predators' organization for the 2010–11 season. He played his first season with the Predators' American Hockey League affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, before becoming a regular in the Predators lineup during the 2011–12 NHL season. Throughout his NHL career, Josi has set and broken many franchise records. In 2019–20, Josi became the first Swiss player and the first player in Predators' franchise history to win the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's best defenceman. In 2021 he passed Mark Streit to become the highest-scoring Swiss-born NHL player. In March 2023, Josi became the second-fastest active defenseman to reach 600 points in his NHL career. He is widely regarded as one of the best defencemen of his generation.

Early life

Roman Josi was born on 1 June 1990, in Bern, Switzerland. He grew up in a family that loves sports. His mother was a swimmer on the national team, and his father played soccer. Josi played soccer and ice hockey when he was young but chose ice hockey when he was 10 years old. His father and older brother also played ice hockey. Roman likes the local soccer team, BSC Young Boys.

Playing career

Roman Josi grew up in Switzerland and played with the local SC Bern team from 2006 to 2010. He started playing in the National League during the 2006–07 season and became a regular player in the 2007–08 season. That year, he was chosen 38th overall by the Nashville Predators in the NHL draft. After the draft, he went back to play in Switzerland, where he led all young players in points, goals, and assists. He was one of only four 17-year-olds to play in Switzerland's top league. Despite missing almost four weeks during the 2009–10 season, Josi scored 20 points in just 24 games by the end of December 2009. He finished the season ranked second among Swiss defensemen in points per game, even though he could only play 26 games. During the 2010 playoffs, Josi led all defensemen in goals as SC Bern won the Championship title.

Josi joined the Nashville Predators for the 2010–11 season after signing a contract on May 28, 2010. He first played for their minor league team, the Milwaukee Admirals, and helped them improve to a 5–0–0–1 record by scoring his first goal in early November. He scored 14 points in his first 35 games before having a 13-game scoring streak from January 20 to February 20. By February 26, Josi had 12 points in 11 games during February and was among the top 15 rookies in scoring. He finished the regular season with six goals and 34 assists for 30 points in 69 games. During the playoffs, Josi had an assist in each of his first four games against the Texas Stars.

In the following years, Josi became an important player for the Predators. He played his first NHL game in the 2011–12 season and scored his first NHL goal in December 2011. After an injury to a key player, Josi played more and helped the team make the playoffs. He returned to his youth team, SC Bern, during a league pause in 2012–13 and then came back to the Predators. He signed a long-term contract in June 2013 and continued to improve each season. In the 2014–15 season, he helped the Predators return to the playoffs and set several team records. He was also a top candidate for a major defenseman award that year.

Josi was named an alternate captain before the 2015–16 season and had a strong start, setting new team records. He was chosen for the NHL All-Star Game that season and later set a new team record for points by a defenseman. Despite injuries during the playoffs, he helped the team advance far and was again a top candidate for a major defenseman award.

In the following seasons, Josi continued to lead the Predators. He became the team's captain in 2017–18 and helped them win their first Central Division title. He was named to the NHL All-Star Game multiple times and won a major defenseman award in the 2020–21 season. He set many team records and had several standout seasons, finishing near the top in scoring among defensemen. In the 2021–22 season, he set a new team record for points in a season with 96 points. Despite injuries in later seasons, he continued to play at a high level and was a finalist for a major defenseman award multiple times.

Josi played 53 games in the 2024–25 season before suffering a season-ending injury on February 25. He was later diagnosed with a condition that affects blood pressure when standing up. The team's general manager expects him to return for the 2025–26 season.

On January 22, 2026, Josi played in his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the first player to do so all with the Nashville Predators. He is the 414th NHL player to reach 1,000 games and the 83rd to do so with the same team.

International play

Roman Josi has played for Switzerland in many big ice hockey tournaments. He started when he was just 16 years old in the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He kept playing in big tournaments like the 2007 IIHF World U18 Championships, the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, and the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships.

In the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Josi scored three goals and helped his team win five games in a row. Because of his great play, he was picked as the Best Defenseman of the tournament. He also played in the 2009 IIHF World Championship and later in the 2010 Winter Olympics, even though he couldn’t play at first because of an injury. He finally made his big Olympic debut in the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Josi helped Switzerland reach the final of the 2013 IIHF World Championship and was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. He also won a silver medal with Switzerland at the 2018 IIHF World Championship and again at the 2024 IIHF World Championship. In 2025, he was named to the Swiss men's ice hockey team for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Personal life

Roman Josi married Ellie Ottaway, who is a model and musician, on June 20, 2019. They have a son and a daughter.

When the NHL stopped playing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Josi helped support people in Tennessee. He raised money for tornado relief in Nashville and gave $20,000 to a food bank. He also gave another $20,000 to help people in need in Nashville.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

All statistics come from NHL.com.

International

Awards and achievements

Records

Nashville Predators

Roman Josi has set several important records with the Nashville Predators. He holds the record for the most assists, with 402 in total. In the 2021–22 season, he also had the most assists in a single season, with 73. That same season, he achieved the most points overall, with 96.