"I mean, obviously there were like talks with Sunny (Mehta, general manager)," Hischier said. "I think, when he came in. I saw him before I left the World Championship, and I was always interested in coming back. Like, I'm obviously super excited too that we were able to make it work and find an agreement and there were just a lot of talks and obviously I was curious what the plan is, and I mean Jersey has been home for me, so like I'm super excited that like we got to agreement here, and now I'll get back to work."
The No. 1 pick by the Devils in the 2017 NHL Draft, Hischier has 488 points (199 goals, 289 assists) in 609 regular-season games, including at least 20 goals in each of the past five seasons.
Named Devils captain on Feb. 20, 2021, Hischier has 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"When I took this job, I knew that Nico was one of the core pieces that I definitely wanted as part of our future," said Mehta, who was hired on April 16. "The way he plays the game, his leadership, and selflessness are qualities we value for this team. We all look forward to him leading this franchise, on and off the ice, for years to come."
Hischier also represented Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he had four points (one goal, three assists) in five games. He has won silver with Switzerland at each of the past three World Championships.
"Since the day he was drafted as the number one overall pick in 2017, Nico Hischier has represented the New Jersey Devils with class, commitment, and a dedication to the community," Devils managing partner David Blitzer said. "He puts the team before himself and wants nothing more than to win here in New Jersey. The entire organization is extremely proud that Nico wears the ‘C’ for us, and we couldn’t be happier that he’s signed this contract extension."
