Here is some Akira Schmid news that's as delicious as Swiss chocolate

Akira Schmid has had a roller coaster season for the Vegas Golden Knights. He started off as the backup netminder before Adin Hill got hurt. Once Hill goes down (again), the Swiss netminder steps in and plays the role of the starting goalie. Then, Carter Hart enters the picture and everyone's talking.

But people are talking about Schmid differently on Wednesday. The goaltender got the incredible honor of being named to Team Switzerland for the 2026 Winter Olympics. That's right, folks. Schmid's going to join big names like Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Mitch Marner in the Olympic festivities.

As mentioned, this season has been, well, bizarre for Schmid. While he has a save percentage of .894 in 21 games played, he also has a GAA of 2.52 and two shutouts. He's made a team-high 428 total saves, stepping in nicely for the Golden Knights when the team's goaltending situation has been a proverbial dumpster fire.

Schmid is the only goaltender for Team Switzerland who's currently playing on an NHL roster. Reto Berra currently plays for HC Fribourg-Gotteron of the National League, while Leonardo Genoni plays for EV Zug of the National League.

The 2025-26 season might've been bumpy for Schmid, but the Team Switzerland nod is well-earned

Let's face it. 2025-26 has been a rocky season for the Golden Knights in net. As mentioned, they've watched their starting netminder go down with a lower-body injury and their newest acquisition suddenly cool off. That isn't good news for a team looking to contend for the Stanley Cup.

So what's a team to do when the deck's stacked against them? Why, you send in the "relief pitcher..." literally. That's what Schmid has done so well during the 2025-26 season, for he's relieved his teammates on numerous occasions. One can point to dates such as October 14, October 20, and December 29 as perfect examples of Schmid's "relief pitching."

Of course, the only difference is that he's not throwing pucks from the mound. I don't think they even do such a thing in Geneva. But if they did, you can bet that the 25-year-old would be the team's closer in a hybrid sport.

Still, Schmid will bring his patented size and movements to a Swiss team that also features prominent names such as Roman Josi, Nico Hischier, and Timo Meier. Let's be honest for a moment and admit that Switzerland probably won't win a gold medal this season. However, you can bet that a movie could be made regarding the Golden Knights and their Olympic-sized travels throughout Milan. Now, that would be a summer blockbuster.