Goaltender Antoine Keller will spend the next three seasons back between the pipes for Genève-Servette, the National League club that developed him, after signing a contract running through the end of the 2029-30 season. The 22-year-old, currently with HC Ajoie, will pair with Stéphane Charlin in Geneva’s net beginning next season, the club announced Wednesday, as SwissHabs reported and rts.ch reported.
The move ends Keller’s two-season stint in the Jura and sends one of Switzerland’s most promising young goaltenders to a perennial top-six side. It also closes a loop that began in Geneva’s youth system, where the Franco-Swiss netminder came through the ranks from U17 Elite to U20 Elite before leaving for North America in 2023.
Why Keller Chose a Top-Six Challenge Over Staying in Ajoie
Keller told the podcast La bande du jeudi that the decision was the first time in his career he actually had a choice to make. “It wasn’t an easy choice. It was the first time in my career that I had the choice, with several offers on the table,” he said, according to SwissHabs. “Before, my path had simply chained together step by step: Geneva, the Canadian junior ranks, then the offer from Lausanne. This time, several clubs were interested and it was up to me to decide.”
He said he felt genuinely settled at HC Ajoie under coach Ville Peltonen, but opted for what he called a different challenge. “I feel really good at HCA. What Ville and his staff bring is particularly interesting. But I went looking for a different challenge, in a top-six team with different pressure,” Keller said. “In terms of learning and experience, it can be very enriching.”
Geneva’s general manager Marc Gautschi welcomed the signing in a statement published by the club: “We are very happy to have gotten Antoine back, another goaltender from our academy. He already demonstrated his very great talent when he was selected in the NHL Draft, and at the same time he has progressed enormously over the last three years. We are happy to have him back within the Grenat family for the years to come and to help him exploit his full potential.”
From Dijon to the 2023 NHL Draft: Keller’s Path Through Geneva’s Academy
Keller was born in Dijon, France, and joined Swiss hockey and Geneva’s junior movement at a young age, according to Planète Hockey and the club. He climbed through Genève Futur Hockey’s elite levels until 2023, also gaining early senior experience with HCV Martigny in the MyHockey League.
His potential did not go unnoticed across the Atlantic. In 2023, the Washington Capitals selected Keller in the seventh round of the NHL Draft, 206th overall, and he chose to continue his development in North America, joining the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (LHJMQ) for the 2023-24 season.
That season proved formative: Planète Hockey reports Keller played 37 regular-season games and posted a 92.5% save rate across seven playoff matches. He later had a stint in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays before returning to Switzerland in 2024.
Lausanne, Ajoie and the Numbers Behind the Deal
Back in Switzerland, Keller joined Lausanne HC and made his National League debut during the 2024-25 campaign, appearing in 13 top-flight games while also getting ice time with HC La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss League, according to Planète Hockey. He then moved to HC Ajoie for the 2025-26 season.
His performance in the Jura this season has been steady. rts.ch and blue News report 12 games as a starter with a 90% save percentage, while Planète Hockey credits him with 14 regular-season appearances, a 90.5% save rate and one shutout. Both versions point the same direction: a 22-year-old already trusted with the No. 1 job in the Swiss elite.
Keller also represented France at the Milan Winter Olympics, adding international experience to his résumé before this summer’s move.
A Swiss Duo in Geneva’s Net With Charlin
Geneva confirmed that Keller will form a goaltending tandem with Stéphane Charlin, giving the club two homegrown-style Swiss netminders pushing each other. Planète Hockey described the pairing as one of the most promising and competitive in the National League, with the two expected to drive each other higher and provide Geneva a solid foundation in goal for the coming years.
For Keller, the return carries personal weight. After leaving Geneva to chase development opportunities abroad, he will now defend the colors of the club that accompanied him through his formative years — this time with the ambition of establishing himself in the first team at Les Vernerts.
The NHL Question Stays Open
Keller insisted the three-year commitment is a medium-term deal, not a short-term one, and does not close the door on a move to North America. “I wanted to commit to a medium-length deal with Geneva, not short term. After that, there is always the possibility of leaving for overseas during one of these three years of the contract,” he said, according to SwissHabs. “We know things work a bit differently in the United States and Canada, but this option exists.”
He remains realistic about the steps still required to reach the NHL. “It’s still young for a goaltender. I simply need to accumulate experience, gain consistency and manage to be decisive, even on off days,” Keller said.
Keller’s Move to Geneva-Servette, Answered
- When does Antoine Keller join Genève-Servette? Next season. The club announced the signing on Wednesday, and Keller is expected to line up alongside Stéphane Charlin from the start of the upcoming campaign, with the contract running through the end of the 2029-30 season.
- How did Keller perform at HC Ajoie this season? He was the starter, with rts.ch and blue News reporting 12 games and a 90% save percentage, while Planète Hockey lists 14 games, 90.5% and one shutout.
- Why did he leave Ajoie for Geneva? Keller said several clubs showed interest and it was his first real career decision; he chose Geneva for a different challenge in a top-six environment with different pressure.
- Can he still go to the NHL during the contract? Yes, he said. The three-year deal keeps the option open to move to North America during the contract, and he was still training in the United States this summer alongside Vlad Jadlovski.
- What is his hockey background? Developed in Geneva’s academy through 2023, drafted 206th overall by the Washington Capitals in 2023, played in the QMJHL with Acadie-Bathurst, then Lausanne, the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays and Ajoie before this move.
Geneva has signed him through the 2029-30 season while keeping his NHL dream alive.
