Nico Hischier is a fantastic representation of the New Jersey Devils. While the team often uses Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton in their marketing materials, Hischier is a consummate captain and a perfect standard for what a leader should be off the ice. He’s not shooting the fun social media video, but you could put him in a room with government leaders and children at a hospital, and he would give off the same energy.
Now, the NHL is catching on to the importance Nico Hischier can have on growing the game abroad. He’s an amazing example of what hockey can be at the next level. He plays the game the right way and treats it the right way.
The NHL announced that Hischier is one of the stars who will head overseas for a Content Collaboration Partnership this week. Stars from four European countries are heading to Italy on Friday to connect with the soccer/football league’s stars. The NHL’s stars include Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho (Finland), Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (Finland), Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (Germany), Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (Sweden), and Hischier.
Inter Milan is the biggest team in Italy with 20 championships to its name. The NHL clearly hopes this helps bring more interest into the Olympics, which takes place in February with many of the games played in the same city.
Hischier was already named a member of Team Switzerland. This isn’t a surprise, as Hischier is possibly the biggest star for the country right now, although Predators defenseman Roman Josi might have something to say about that.
The Olympics are going to be a coming out party for the Devils. They have their stars spread across teams, with Timo Meier and Jonas Siegenthaler joining Hischier for the Swiss team, Jesper Bratt and possibly Jacob Markstrom representing Sweden, and Jack Hughes expected to represent the Americans.
We expect Hischier to continue representing the league ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics. He will be used in marketing materials here in North America and in Europe. He also has a chance to break out during the tournament, which could make his star shine even brighter.