Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter is off to the World Hockey Championships.
After the Jets lost Game 6 in Dallas ending their run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Niederreiter has chosen to head to Denmark to represent his country Switzerland. The 32-year-old is one of only three players (Roman Josi and Reto Berra) to have been on every medal winning team in the modern era.
"It's obviously bitter for Nino that the playoffs ended this way, but for us it's a huge win," said Head Coach Patrick Fischer to the Swiss hockey website. "With his experience, commitment, and leadership qualities, he's an important addition to our team."
Niederreiter had four goals and two assists in 13 playoff games for the Jets, he will join a Swiss team that lost their captain Nico Hischier to an injury. Switzerland beat Hungary 10-0 this morning and sit atop Group B with a 5-0-1-0 record and 16 points. They have already qualified for the quarterfinals and will close out the round robin portion of the tournament against Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
Niederreiter helped Switzerland finish second at the 2024 World Hockey Championships and had seven points (3G, 4A) in 10 games. This will be the ninth time he has played for Switzerland at the World Championships.
