In May, Nico Hischier put on his Swiss national team jersey for the first time with a 'C' stitched to his chest for a men's tournament.
"He did a great job at the World's and which is always you know, you cannot expect it either, you know some guys they get slowed down by a letter on the chest and obviously, the experience with New Jersey helps him, but he realizes also, you know, he still is learning to become even a better leader."
If we turn back the clock, there were rumblings of the boy from Brig who had the potential to do something special andFischer recalls initially meeting Hischier when he was just 16 years old, saying he already knew about him, that he was 'very, super talented.' He took over the Swiss National Team program in December 2015, and soon after he saw that talent evolve first-hand watching in 2017 Nico turn heads at the World Junior Championship, a tournament that truly began to shift the conversation, could Hischier be the first player from Switzerland to be drafted first overall.
Long story short: He was.
"When that happened, then the Devils decided to pick him as first overall, I mean, this was such a big event in Switzerland," Fischer said reflecting on that early morning. "I mean, I mean, as a hockey country, you know, we are still developing we are we trying to, you know, get better and learn from the best, and then having a player getting this honor gives a big, big, big, big motivation (and) impact into all the hockey players in Switzerland."
Fischer believes his country, and the greater hockey world, might only truly feel the impact of that 2017 draft in the next 20 years. Now 46, when Fischer was growing up playing hockey, he had a dream of playing in the Swiss league, calling it 'the dream at the time'. He eventually made it to the NHL briefly, where we played for the Coyotes for 27 games. At the time, he recalls having Mark Streit as another Swiss player in the league, perhaps at that moment with the biggest impact in North America.
"I always believe generations or cultures, they grow through examples and through good examples, and you know we had with Mark Streit a first Swiss guy who was a captain with the Islanders and he was a good, positive example."