Toronto Toxicity to Swiss Serenity: ex-Maple Leafs Frederik Gauthier's Hockey Life
Craig Button stirred the pot again recently when he called the Toronto hockey environment toxic, especially for high-profile players like Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews. He’s not the first to say it, and he won’t be the last. The constant noise, the daily scrutiny, the way every mistake gets turned into a character flaw? It’s a lot. Even for guys who are well-paid and live in a big city with every convenience, it can wear on you.
Following the Hockey Career of Frédérik Gauthier
Now look at the other end of the spectrum: former Toronto Maple Leafs centre Frédérik Gauthier.
He played a depth role during his time in Toronto — not tasked with carrying the team, not the face of the franchise, and nowhere close to the microscope Marner and Matthews live under. After he left the NHL, he bounced around a bit: a stint in Switzerland, some time in the KHL near Moscow, and eventually a return to Porrentruy, a tiny town of about 6,700 people in the French-speaking Jura region of Switzerland. That’s where he plays now with HC Ajoie.
Life in the Swiss National League — Especially in Porrentruy
In Porrentruy, the game feels different. The arena holds maybe 5,000 when it’s full. Rolling hills and forests surround the town. Life moves more slowly. As a French Canadian from Laval, he’s in a place where the language and culture feel familiar. The hockey expectations are modest: help the team avoid relegation, be a good teammate, and enjoy your days around town. The pressure that comes with being “the guy” in Toronto simply doesn’t exist here.
The cost of living is low for Switzerland (thanks to its closeness to France). He gets housing and a car, earns a solid salary for the league (around $350,000 CAD), and can walk down the street without being hounded. He plays about 50 games a season with minimal travel. And because life in Switzerland runs on rails, he sleeps in his own bed most nights — even after games.
The hockey is still competitive — the National League is no joke — but it’s played with a kind of purity that’s hard to find in the NHL. Less media circus. Less “you owe us” energy. None of that suffocating weight that comes with playing in a hockey-mad market that hasn’t won in 59 years.
Not Every Player Wants This Life — But There’s Something Appealing About It
I’m not saying every player should pack up and move to a small Swiss town. But Gauthier’s choice is the opposite of the toxic environment Button described. It’s a reminder that for some guys, especially later in their careers (though Gauthier is only 30), happiness and peace might matter more than chasing one more NHL contract or trying to be a hero in a city that can turn on you in a heartbeat.
Toronto gives its stars everything — money, fame, spotlight — but it can take something too. Gauthier seems to have found a quieter place where the joy of the game hasn’t been squeezed out yet. For some, what he has now is about as good as it gets.