Swiss Connection | FEATURE

Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler used the NHL All-Star break as a chance to get away and relax. His destination was Tulum. And to his surprise, he wasn't the only Swiss hockey player to visit the popular tourist city in Mexico.
Siegenthaler ran into San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier.
"We didn't plan it, but he was at the same place," Siegenthaler said. "We talked a little bit. I told him a little bit about New Jersey."
Meier was inquiring about the Garden State because for some time the rumors mills had New Jersey as a possible landing spot for the power forward, who was on the trade market. That became a reality when New Jersey and San Jose completed a major swap Sunday evening.
"He's a good guy. He's pretty calm, chill. We get along together," Siegenthaler said. "He'll fit in perfectly in here. I can't wait to see him actually."

Siegenthaler, 25, would know. He's played with Meier, 26, for Team Switzerland in international play since the two were teams at the Under-16 team, and as recently as last summer's World Championship.
"We're really excited. I've known him for a couple of years. He's a great player," Siegenthaler said. "He's a great addition to our group. We're excited to have him. It's even more exciting that he's from my home country. He's going to be huge for us."
Also, a part of that WC team was Nico Hischier. The Devils captain first played with Meier at the Under-20 World Junior Championship in Helsinki. Hischier knows the asset that Meier is and what he can provide on the ice.
"I feel like it's something that will be really good for us, the way he plays," Hisciher said. "He's not afraid to use his body. He's a great player. He can score goals. He's a competitor. It's all these things we can use. He's going to be a big piece of the puzzle we want to get to."

The Devils now have four Swiss players on their squad with Hischier, Siegenthaler, Meier and goaltender Akria Schmid. That is by far the most by any team in the NHL, beating most teams by four.
"It was pretty big news back home. You don't see it very often when you have four Swiss guys on one team. It's pretty rare," Siegenthaler said. "I was already excited just to be with Nico, two Swiss guys. Now we're four. It's even better."
While four is a nice number, so is 31. That's how many goals Meier has scored this season, his third 30-goal season in the NHL. Siegenthaler has seen Meier's scoring ability up close and sees a knack in his game.
"He's a big body. He can score from anywhere. That's kind of his thing," Siegenthaler said of the 6-foot-1, 220-pound forward. "Any team he was on he would score from weird angles. He can just put the puck in the net. That's good to have. He's can play the body. That's what we're missing, but now we have it."
Meier will not only help the players on the ice, but his internal drive will also permeate throughout the locker room.
"He wants to win. He's a super competitor," Hischier said. "That's good for us because we want to have guys here that want to win."