The Winnipeg Jets have four players involved in the 2023 IIHF World Championship. So far, all have contributed to their respective teams' successes - but none have done it longer than seven-year World Championship veteran Nino Niederreiter.
On Saturday morning, Niderreiter's first-place Swiss will take on second-place Canada in what will surely be the most exciting game of either team's World Championship schedule thus far.
WIth Switzerland holding a single point advantage over the Canadians - thanks to winning each of its four games via regulation - Niederreiter's fellow countrymen will certainly be amped up for a test against one of the world's very best hockey countries... which also happens to be the 30-year-old's new home, from September to May, that is.
Facing the Slovaks on Thursday morning, Switzerland put up 36 shots to Slovakia's 13, and cruised to a 4-2 victory from Arena Riga in Latvia. Niederreiter scored 4:47 into the second period for his fourth goal in as many games for the Swiss.
Having bulged the twine in each contest thus far, Niederreiter will look to keep the good times rolling against Canada on Saturday morning with his team that just once has been scored on this tournament. Thursday's contest with Slovakia marked the first time that Switzerland had actually given up a goal in a game, as they allowed two to the Slovaks.
Now 4-0-0-0 in the tournament, Switzerland will face off with the 3-1-0-0 Canadians, which trail both the Swiss and the United States for the outright tournament lead.
Led by Winnipeg product Cody Glass, the Canadians most recently beat Kazakhstan 5-1 on Wednesday. They have outscored their opponents 18-4 in the tournament and will look to pick up their fifth win against Niederreiter and Co. bright and early on Saturday morning.
Puck drop is set for 8:15 AM central time, while the game can be viewed live on TSN.
Canada will then close out the round robin with games on Monday and Tuesday against Norway and Czechia, while Switzerland will play the same Czechs on Sunday and Latvia on Tuesday.