From his home in Switzerland, Devils captain Nico Hischier couldn’t hide his excitement.
This moment has been years in the making: the Devils’ captain is officially headed to the Olympics.
He’s been named before, but never got the chance to play. In 2022, the dream was put on hold when NHL players were pulled from the Beijing Games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, that dream is alive again, and this time, it feels different. It feels real.
For Hischier, it’s more than just a tournament. It’s the honor of representing his country on the world’s biggest stage, something he’s long imagined, and he will finally get to live out.
“I was excited back then, but obviously even more excited now because it is one thing I haven’t done yet, haven’t been a part of and I think it’s something that I’m really going to enjoy,” Hischier said from Switzerland. “For an athlete, that’s really special. The Olympic Games is worldwide, it is very special. I mean, it’s every fourth year. It’s totally different than, like, for example, our World Championship. I think the Olympic Games are for the world, it’s pretty exciting. Everybody’s watching. I think the fact that it’s every four years makes it very special. And just the whole event, like with all the other athletes, it’s just a big event for an athlete.”
Though never in doubt, as one of the current top Swiss players and a cornerstone of their national team, the honor of being named one of the first six players to the roster is meaningful. Especially as his name appeared alongside two of his Devils teammates, Timo Meier and Jonas Siegenthaler, they’ll seamlessly transition from Devils teammates to Olympians together when NHL players depart for Milan in February 2026.
“I try to be thankful, because I don’t think it’s very common, especially for Swiss guys, to have three Swiss guys in the same (NHL team) and we’re all doing well with each other,” Hischier said. “I’m just very thankful and it’s going to be a very, very fun time, and I’ll try to enjoy it as much as possible.”
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