Nico Hischier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nico Hischier
Hischier at the 2017 NHL entry draft
Born	(1999-01-04) 4 January 1999 (age 26) Brig, Switzerland
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	New Jersey Devils SC Bern
National team	Switzerland
NHL Draft	1st overall, 2017 New Jersey Devils
Playing career	2015–present

Nico Hischier (born on January 4, 1999) is a talented Swiss ice hockey player. He plays as a centre and is the captain for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Nico started playing professionally in Switzerland in 2015. He played in both the top and second-tier leagues there. In 2016, he moved to North America to play junior hockey for the Halifax Mooseheads. This move helped him get ready for the NHL. In his first season with the Mooseheads, he won Rookie of the Year awards in both the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The CHL is the main group for junior hockey in Canada.

Nico has also played for Switzerland in many international tournaments, including the World Junior Championships. He was seen as a top player for the 2017 NHL entry draft because he's a strong two-way forward (meaning he's good at both offense and defense). The Devils picked him first overall in the draft, making him the first Swiss player ever to be chosen first. He made his NHL debut in 2017 and became the Devils' captain in 2021.

Nico's Journey in Hockey

Starting in Switzerland and Junior Hockey

Nico Hischier played in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament in 2011 and 2012 with a youth team from Zürich. He grew up playing hockey with the EHC Visp program. When he was 15, he moved from his home area of Valais in Switzerland to Bern. He joined the SC Bern team, just like his older brother Luca had done. This allowed Nico to play at the highest levels for Swiss players under 17 and under 20.

He started the 2015–16 season with EHC Visp, which was connected to SC Bern, in the second-highest Swiss league. But because many players in Bern were injured, Nico was called up to the main team on November 13, 2015. He even got to play with his brother! Nico played 15 games with Bern that year, but spent most of the season with Visp.

The Halifax Mooseheads, a major junior team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), picked Nico sixth overall in the 2016 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft. This draft is for players from other countries who want to play in Canada's top junior leagues. After talking with Halifax's general manager and a former Mooseheads player from Switzerland named Timo Meier, Nico decided to join Halifax.

In his first season with the Mooseheads, Nico was the team's second-best scorer and tenth overall in the QMJHL. He scored 38 goals and had 86 points. He also led all QMJHL rookies in both goals and points. For his amazing performance, Nico won the RDS Cup as the QMJHL Rookie of the Year. He also won the Michael Bossy Trophy as the best professional prospect in the league. He was even named to the QMJHL Rookie All-Star Team. On top of that, he was named the CHL Rookie of the Year for the entire Canadian Hockey League. In the playoffs, he led Halifax in scoring with seven points in six games.

As the 2017 NHL entry draft approached, Nico was seen as a top player. Many thought he could be picked first overall. He was ranked the second-best North American skater by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau before the draft. People saw Nico as a player with amazing offensive skills and a great understanding of the game. He was also known for being a strong two-way forward and for his excellent skating. Before the draft, Nico was considered one of the top two picks, along with Nolan Patrick.

Playing for the New Jersey Devils

Hischier scoring a game-winning goal against the Washington Capitals in January 2022

The New Jersey Devils chose Nico Hischier as the first overall pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft. This was a historic moment because he was the first Swiss player ever to be drafted first. He signed a three-year contract with the Devils on July 15, 2017.

After a great training camp and preseason, where he led the Devils in scoring, Nico made the team's opening-day roster. His first NHL game was on October 7 against the Colorado Avalanche. He got his first point, an assist, in his second game on October 9 against the Buffalo Sabres. Ten days later, he scored his first two goals against Craig Anderson of the Ottawa Senators.

Nico finished his first regular season as the Devils' second-best scorer with 52 points (20 goals and 32 assists). His strong play helped the team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2012. After the Devils lost in the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nico shared that he had been playing with a hand injury. This injury kept him from playing in the 2018 IIHF World Championship.

In his second season with the Devils (2018–19), Nico had 47 points in 69 games. Even though his teammate Taylor Hall was injured for much of the season, Nico was a key player for the team. However, the Devils struggled and did not make the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Before the 2019–20 NHL season, Nico played with the Swiss national team prospects. On October 16, 2019, the Devils announced that Nico had an upper-body injury during a game. Two days later, the Devils signed Nico to a big seven-year contract extension worth $50.75 million. The Devils continued to struggle in the 2019–20 season, and Taylor Hall was traded. The season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nico played 58 of the team's 69 games, scoring 14 goals and 36 points.

Hischier in action against the Seattle Kraken in 2023

Nico missed the start of the 2020–21 NHL season due to a leg injury. He made his season debut on February 20, 2021, against the Buffalo Sabres. Before that game, he was announced as the 12th captain in the Devils' history, becoming the youngest captain in the league!

Nico played only five games before getting another injury against the Washington Capitals. A shot from a Devils defenseman hit Nico in the face. The injury was a broken nose, and the surgery kept him out for 24 games. Even though he played only 21 games that season, he finished with six goals and five assists. The Devils missed the playoffs again.

In the 2022–23 NHL season, Nico had his best year yet! He scored a career-high 31 goals, 49 assists, and 80 points. This was the second-highest point total on the team, just behind Jack Hughes. Nico was also nominated for the Frank J. Selke Trophy. This award goes to the forward who is best at playing defense.

On October 27, 2023, Nico got an upper-body injury from a hit to the head by a Buffalo Sabres player. On November 25, 2024, Nico scored his first NHL hat trick (three goals in one game) in a 5–2 win against the Nashville Predators.

Playing for Switzerland

Hischier at the 2017 World Junior Championships
Medal record
Representing  Switzerland
Men's ice hockey
World Championships
Silver	2024 Czech Republic

Nico Hischier first played for Switzerland at the 2015 IIHF World U18 Championships. He scored one goal, and the team finished fourth. He also played in the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, where he had six points in four games. At the 2016 IIHF World U18 Championships, he had four points, and Switzerland placed eighth.

At the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Nico was the youngest player on the Swiss junior team. He also played in the 2017 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, scoring four goals and seven points in five games. This was the most points by any player who was eligible for the 2017 NHL draft. He also played in the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championships, getting six points in five games.

Nico was chosen to play for the senior Swiss team in the 2019 IIHF World Championship. In Switzerland's 9–0 win over Italy, he scored one goal and had two assists. Nico finished the tournament with nine points in eight games.

He represented Switzerland again at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and helped them win a silver medal!

Nico's Playing Style

Nico is known as a well-rounded player who is good at both offense and strong defense. People have compared him to former NHL star Pavel Datsyuk, who was famous for being a skilled two-way forward. Nico himself has said he tries to play like Datsyuk and even wears the same jersey number, 13.

After the Devils drafted him, their general manager Ray Shero said they picked Nico first because of his speed and how committed he is to playing defense. He felt these qualities were perfect for the team. Head coach John Hynes also praised Nico's "speed, skill set, and hockey sense," saying they were already good enough for the NHL.

Nico's Life Outside Hockey

Nico comes from a family of athletes. His father, Rino, played football, and his mother, Katja, was a sports teacher. Nico is the youngest of three children. His older brother, Luca, plays hockey for EHC Biel, and his sister, Nina, played high-level volleyball in Switzerland.

There were no ice rinks in Nico's hometown of Naters, so his mother took both him and Luca to nearby Visp to learn to skate. That's where they discovered hockey! Nico also played football until he was 12, but then he followed Luca and decided to focus only on hockey. Nico is a big fan of the Premier League football club Manchester City F.C..

After the 2018–19 NHL season ended, Nico started his civic military service process in Switzerland.

Awards and Honors