The young captain has collected 300 points (116 goals,184 assists) in 399 NHL games.
New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier is set to skate in his 400th career NHL game tonight versus the Philadelphia Flyers at Prudential Center.
The 24-year-old made his debut on Oct. 7, 2017, in Newark versus the Colorado Avalanche. While Hischier didn't get on the scoresheet, he finished the game with six shots on goal, two hits, one takeaway, and was four-for-nine on face-offs. Jesper Bratt also made his NHL debut that night versus the Avalanche, scoring one goal and adding one assist.
After the game, then Devils' head coach, John Hynes, had this to say about the first overall pick.
"Nico is a player with a strong focus level; he's well aware of expectations but has an innate ability to concentrate on what matters most, and that's preparing for his performance," he said.
Hischier celebrated his first NHL point the following night versus the Buffalo Sabres and scored his first goal on Oct. 19 against the Ottawa Senators.
The years have quickly gone by since then.
Lessons have been learned, skills have been perfected, muscle has been added, and a leader began to form.
In February 2021, the organization introduced the Swiss forward as the 12th captain in Devils' history. At the time, he was the youngest captain in the league.
While teammates and fans in New Jersey have known the kind of player Hischier is, the Swiss forward solidified himself as one of the best in the league last season. He collected 80 points in 81 games, finished second for the Selke Trophy, which is given annually to the NHL forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game, and led his team to the postseason for the first time since 2018.
Tonight, he will skate onto the ice at Prudential Center with 300 points (116 goals, 184 assists). In addition to his on-ice contributions, he has become the glue that keeps things together; at least, that's how head coach Lindy Ruff feels.
"I think you've seen the record since he's come back," Ruff said. "He's that glue, that two-way player that we can play in any situation. He's well respected by his teammates, he's a great captain that is just early in his captain career."
New Jersey's record with Hischier in the lineup this season is 12-5-1.
"It's hard to just put a couple of words to what Nico brings to this team," Brendan Smith said, "He's such an instrumental part of this, of us winning. You can see when he was out, it was tough to find wins, and when he came back, we were able to kind of rally. There's a lot that he does. He's a real show-by-example kind of player out there. ...He tends to say the right things at the right times. It's hard to just put into a couple of words what he means to this organization."
Puck drop between the Devils and Flyers is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. in Newark.