Switzerland's Andres Ambuhl played in his 100th World Championship game in 2019.
photo: Andre Ringuette/IIHF
When Czechia’s Roman Cervenka played in his 100th World Championship game a few days ago, he became the 21st player to join the 100-game club. And he did so in spectacular fashion, scoring a hat trick in a dominant 8-1 win over Kazakhstan.
What about the other 20? When did they reach 100, and how did they play in that game? And how did the team do in that year’s WM? All those answers and more, right here, right now!
109 Jiri Holik (TCH), April 21, 1977/Czechoslovakia 11-Finland 3
The first player to reach 100 games, Holik was held pointless in a dominant win on opening day of the 1977 WM. The Czechs went on to win gold.
101 Lasse Oksanen (FIN), May 5, 1977/Finland 7-West Germany 2
Oksanen opened the scoring for Finland, but in the end they played in the four-team relegation round and finished fifth.
107 Oldrich Machac (TCH), April 29, 1978/Czechoslovakia 8-West Germany 2
Machac was held off the scoresheet in this game midway through the preliminary round, and the Czechs finished with a silver medal.
105 Valeri Kharlamov (URS), April 17, 1979/Soviet Union 9-Sweden 3
Kharlamov scored twice in the final game of the preliminary round and helped the team win gold.
105 Boris Mikhailov (URS), April 17, 1979/Soviet Union 9-Sweden 3
Another Soviet legend shared the limelight this game with Kharlamov. Both were playing in their final WM. Mikhailov, the captain, scored once and was named the team’s Best Player in the game.
103 Vladimir Lutchenko (URS), April 21, 1979/Soviet Union 11-Czechoslovakia 1
Just a few days behind his two teammates, Lutchenko had a goal in a blowout win over the Czechs during the medal round.
102 Vladimir Petrov (URS), April 22, 1981/Canada 4-Soviet Union 4
Petrov had a goal and assist in a tie with Canada en route to gold. He retired after this tournament.
110 Alexander Maltsev (URS), April 22, 1981/Canada 4-Soviet Union 4
A second Soviet player to reach 100 in this game, Maltsev had an assist on a Viktor Golikov goal.
101 Valeri Vasiliev (URS), April 27, 1982/Soviet Union 4-Sweden 0
Captain of this year’s team, Vasiliev was held off the scoresheet, but the Soviets went on to win gold.
119 Udo Kiessling (FRG), April 16, 1990/Canada 5-West Germany 1
The first non-Soviet to hit 100 since Oldrich Machac in 1978, the legendary Kiessling assisted on the team’s lone goal from Helmut Steiger. West Germany finished seventh thanks to a 4-0 win over Norway on the final day of the event.
106 Vyacheslav Fetisov (URS), April 23, 1991/Soviet Union 12-United States 2
One of two Soviets to reach 100 at the 1991 WM, Fetisov had a quiet game despite the lop-sided score. The Soviets struggled in the medal round and finished third.
101 Sergei Makarov (URS)—May 2, 1991/Canada 3-Soviet Union 3
Like Fetisov, Makarov was also held without a point in this game, a key tie for Canada that helped move the Canadians into a silver medal and pushed CCCP to third.
106 Dieter Hegen (FRG/GER), May 9, 1997/Germany 4-Norway 2
The second German to reach 100 games, Hegen was the team captain this year, and Germany finished a distant 11th in the tournament.
104 David Vyborny (CZE), May 1, 2007/Czech Republic 4-United States 3
Only the third Czech to get to 100, Vyborny assisted on a Petr Caslava goal, but the Czechs finished a disappointing 7th. He is being inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame this weekend.
104 Jorgen Jonsson (SWE), May 6, 2007/Sweden 1-Finland 0
Jonsson played his 100th during the qualification round and did not figure in the one goal of the game. The Swedes lost the bronze-medal game to Russia, 3-1, and finished fourth.
107 Ville Peltonen (FIN), May 5, 2008/Finland 3-Norway 2 (Tuomo Ruutu 1:27 OT)
Tuomo Ruutu was the overtime hero in this game, but Peltonen also helped out. The captain scored late in the first period to give the team a 2-1 lead.
104 Petteri Nummelin (FIN), May 10, 2010/Finland 1-Germany 0
Nummelin hit 100 in the team’s second game of the 2010 WM. He was held without a point but did lead all players in time on ice with 25:14.
106 Mathias Seger (SUI), May 9, 2014/Russia 5-Switzerland 0
The first Swiss player to join the 100-game club, Seger was playing in his 16th WM and retired after the event. He didn’t record a point in the game and the Swiss finished 10th.
147* Andres Ambuhl (SUI)—May 11, 2019/Switzerland 9-Italy 0
The king of the WM, Ambuhl had two assists in this game, the team’s first of the tournament. He is still going strong and might hit 150 games played before he retires at the end of this year’s WM
101 Jonas Holos (NOR), May 28, 2021/Norway 4-Latvia 3 (PSS)
The first Norwegian to reach 100, Holos did so in Riga in an empty arena during COVID-19 restrictions. The captain didn’t register a point but he held in TOI with 27:25
101* Roman Cervenka (CZE), May 17, 2025/Czechia 8-Kazakhstan 1
Captaining the Czechs for the fifth time, Cervenka celebrated his 100th in a way none of the previous players had—with a hat trick. After this game, the 39-year-old was tied for the tournament lead with ten points.
*active
What about the other 20? When did they reach 100, and how did they play in that game? And how did the team do in that year’s WM? All those answers and more, right here, right now!
109 Jiri Holik (TCH), April 21, 1977/Czechoslovakia 11-Finland 3
The first player to reach 100 games, Holik was held pointless in a dominant win on opening day of the 1977 WM. The Czechs went on to win gold.
101 Lasse Oksanen (FIN), May 5, 1977/Finland 7-West Germany 2
Oksanen opened the scoring for Finland, but in the end they played in the four-team relegation round and finished fifth.
107 Oldrich Machac (TCH), April 29, 1978/Czechoslovakia 8-West Germany 2
Machac was held off the scoresheet in this game midway through the preliminary round, and the Czechs finished with a silver medal.
105 Valeri Kharlamov (URS), April 17, 1979/Soviet Union 9-Sweden 3
Kharlamov scored twice in the final game of the preliminary round and helped the team win gold.
105 Boris Mikhailov (URS), April 17, 1979/Soviet Union 9-Sweden 3
Another Soviet legend shared the limelight this game with Kharlamov. Both were playing in their final WM. Mikhailov, the captain, scored once and was named the team’s Best Player in the game.
103 Vladimir Lutchenko (URS), April 21, 1979/Soviet Union 11-Czechoslovakia 1
Just a few days behind his two teammates, Lutchenko had a goal in a blowout win over the Czechs during the medal round.
102 Vladimir Petrov (URS), April 22, 1981/Canada 4-Soviet Union 4
Petrov had a goal and assist in a tie with Canada en route to gold. He retired after this tournament.
110 Alexander Maltsev (URS), April 22, 1981/Canada 4-Soviet Union 4
A second Soviet player to reach 100 in this game, Maltsev had an assist on a Viktor Golikov goal.
101 Valeri Vasiliev (URS), April 27, 1982/Soviet Union 4-Sweden 0
Captain of this year’s team, Vasiliev was held off the scoresheet, but the Soviets went on to win gold.
119 Udo Kiessling (FRG), April 16, 1990/Canada 5-West Germany 1
The first non-Soviet to hit 100 since Oldrich Machac in 1978, the legendary Kiessling assisted on the team’s lone goal from Helmut Steiger. West Germany finished seventh thanks to a 4-0 win over Norway on the final day of the event.
106 Vyacheslav Fetisov (URS), April 23, 1991/Soviet Union 12-United States 2
One of two Soviets to reach 100 at the 1991 WM, Fetisov had a quiet game despite the lop-sided score. The Soviets struggled in the medal round and finished third.
101 Sergei Makarov (URS)—May 2, 1991/Canada 3-Soviet Union 3
Like Fetisov, Makarov was also held without a point in this game, a key tie for Canada that helped move the Canadians into a silver medal and pushed CCCP to third.
106 Dieter Hegen (FRG/GER), May 9, 1997/Germany 4-Norway 2
The second German to reach 100 games, Hegen was the team captain this year, and Germany finished a distant 11th in the tournament.
104 David Vyborny (CZE), May 1, 2007/Czech Republic 4-United States 3
Only the third Czech to get to 100, Vyborny assisted on a Petr Caslava goal, but the Czechs finished a disappointing 7th. He is being inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame this weekend.
104 Jorgen Jonsson (SWE), May 6, 2007/Sweden 1-Finland 0
Jonsson played his 100th during the qualification round and did not figure in the one goal of the game. The Swedes lost the bronze-medal game to Russia, 3-1, and finished fourth.
107 Ville Peltonen (FIN), May 5, 2008/Finland 3-Norway 2 (Tuomo Ruutu 1:27 OT)
Tuomo Ruutu was the overtime hero in this game, but Peltonen also helped out. The captain scored late in the first period to give the team a 2-1 lead.
104 Petteri Nummelin (FIN), May 10, 2010/Finland 1-Germany 0
Nummelin hit 100 in the team’s second game of the 2010 WM. He was held without a point but did lead all players in time on ice with 25:14.
106 Mathias Seger (SUI), May 9, 2014/Russia 5-Switzerland 0
The first Swiss player to join the 100-game club, Seger was playing in his 16th WM and retired after the event. He didn’t record a point in the game and the Swiss finished 10th.
147* Andres Ambuhl (SUI)—May 11, 2019/Switzerland 9-Italy 0
The king of the WM, Ambuhl had two assists in this game, the team’s first of the tournament. He is still going strong and might hit 150 games played before he retires at the end of this year’s WM
101 Jonas Holos (NOR), May 28, 2021/Norway 4-Latvia 3 (PSS)
The first Norwegian to reach 100, Holos did so in Riga in an empty arena during COVID-19 restrictions. The captain didn’t register a point but he held in TOI with 27:25
101* Roman Cervenka (CZE), May 17, 2025/Czechia 8-Kazakhstan 1
Captaining the Czechs for the fifth time, Cervenka celebrated his 100th in a way none of the previous players had—with a hat trick. After this game, the 39-year-old was tied for the tournament lead with ten points.
*active