New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier sustained a lower-body injury on May 15 while Switzerland played Germany in the 2025 IIHF World Championship.
At the time, a Devils spokesperson told The Hockey News that the organization had no long-term concerns regarding Hischier's injury and that his missing the remainder of the tournament was a precautionary measure.
In a recent interview with NHL.com, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald elaborated on Hischier's status.
"It was one of those things that he probably could have come back (to play in the tournament), but no one was going to take a chance," Fitzgerald said to Mike Morreale. "He's fine. He is working out. I sat with his agent the other day, who actually just hung up with him at the time. He is back to training and will be ready for training camp (in September)."
Hischier concluded the 2024-25 season with a team-high 35 goals. His 69 points were the third-most on the team behind Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes. After the team's first-round exit to the Carolina Hurricanes, the club's 26-year-old captain received praise from his teammates.
"He leads by example. He is more on the quiet side, but when he speaks up, it gets your attention — like, 'Let's go. Get it together,'" Cody Glass said during his end-of-season media availability. "He is a heart-and-soul guy. Watching him grind makes you want to match that effort. He is just a great human being. You want to be on his side."
"I would follow that guy to the end," defenseman Brett Pesce said of his captain.
Hischier finished fourth in voting for the Selke Trophy, the award given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game. Anthony Cirelli (Tampa Bay Lightning), Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers), and Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers) were this year's finalists, with the latter announced as the winner.
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