A Special Player | FEATURE 

Spend just one minute with Devils captain Nico Hischier and you'll notice it.

He's a leader.

Take one minute on the ice against him. You'll wish he weren't there.

He'll get in your way, he'll prevent you from executing your plan.

To top it off, he'll likely score against you too.

Nico Hischier does it all.

And he does it quietly but effectively.

He's a special player.

When Ondrej Palat joined the New Jersey Devils in 2022, one of the things he brought to the team was his leadership qualities. He is also a quiet leader and a two-time Stanley Cup champion.

Since his arrival in New Jersey, Palat has sat next to Hischier in the locker room, which is likely not by chance. He has provided a support system for Hischier, as their two styles of leadership align with their quiet confidence.

Even at 25 years old and in his fifth year as captain, Hischier is still one of the five youngest captains in the National Hockey League. When he was named captain in February 2021, he was the league’s youngest captain.

And in that time, Palat has seen firsthand his evolution as the team’s leader.

“He grew every year I’ve seen him,” the 34-year-old Palat said. “He’s getting way more comfortable speaking in front of the team, and he’s a great leader.”

Brenden Dillon, a seasoned NHL veteran with thirteen years of experience, joined the team last off-season and has had the privilege of being teammates with some of the league’s greatest leaders over the years, and he wholeheartedly agrees.

“He’s confident enough to speak up in a room in a team environment when it’s necessary to,” he said. “I think those are the best kinds of communication when it’s not just every day, and it gets repetitive. When he does speak, everyone is listening, everyone respects him throughout the lineup and locker room.”

And one who has known him from the very start, Jesper Bratt, has seen Hischier blossom for years.

"When a player like that, who always shows what needs to be done, then maybe realizes the group isn’t following and then he steps up and says something, I mean, he’s so respected in the group that we all listen and we all know that when Nico stands up to say something it’s usually that it’s gone maybe a little too far and he hasn’t gotten guys to follow his lead. I think that’s pretty unique,” he said.

You don’t need eight years like Bratt, a few years like Palat, or a single season like Dillon to notice either.

Spend just a couple of weeks in a locker room led by Hischier and you get it right away.

“When he speaks up, it gets your attention — like, “Let’s go. Get it together.”,” Cody Glass, who joined the Devils at the March Trade Deadline, said. “When emotions take over and he says something, it’s a big deal. He’s a heart-and-soul guy. Watching him grind makes you want to match that effort.”

At every turn, Hischier’s teammates take the opportunity to praise their captain. He’s quiet, but impactful.

Just like he is on the ice.

Subtle yet influential, loud when necessary.

“I’ve just been so impressed by him and how he’s performed this year,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said earlier this year. “I don’t know if I’ve given him an easy shift this season. He gets the hardest assignments every night (…), and to still contribute and produce the way that he has offensively with all those defensive assignments, to me, he has helped make up a much-improved defensive team and an anchor for us that way. It’s been a tremendous season.”

Hischier impacts the game in every way. He’s a complete 200-foot player. He’s called upon in every possible situation and critical moment, from a 6-on-5 to a defensive zone, a dying-second faceoff, and protecting a one-goal lead.

"Nico was in every position all year, and for a guy to be in as many situations as he’s been in and perform the way he did is pretty insane," Paul Cotter said.

“The season Nico had was incredible—especially in the playoffs,” veteran forward Erik Haula shared. “He carried such a heavy load all year: faceoffs, top matchups. I don’t know how he’s not a Selke finalist. He had a phenomenal season and playoff. He wears the C for a reason, and he showed what he’s all about.”

He also happened to score 35 goals this season and added another 4 in five postseason games. His skills touch every part of the game and the team he leads.

"He’s such a unique player, so good defensively and I think a lot of people recognize how really good he is defensively and how hard he is to play against," Bratt shared. "But I think people finally start realizing that he really has that offensive skill, he’s a goal scorer, he’s so easy to play with, you always know where he is on the ice, he’s got great skill, great speed, great puck handling. He’s got a really good shot. He’s such a great player; you don’t come across players like that often.”

Easy to play with, hard to play against.

The complete player.

“I learned that I’m happy I’m not playing against him. I didn’t really realize — I knew he was a really good player, but he’s special,” Devils newcomer Brett Pesce said. “You don’t find many guys like him.”

"All the little things that he does, most of the time, they lead to goals, but even if they’re not, he does them so well, and he’s so underrated how good he actually is,” Keefe said.

And Pesce summed it up best: “He’s our horse, our leader. Guys follow him, and I’d follow that guy to the end.”

What more could you possibly want?