Niederreiter bonds with new Predators teammates on Global trip

BERN, Switzerland -- Nino Niederreiter did not join the Nashville Predators because they were traveling to Switzerland. The forward was looking for the best fit as an unrestricted free agent, and he found it in Nashville, signing a two-year, $8 million contract on July 21.

But the four days the Predators spent in Niederreiter's native country became an incredible bonus, from introductions before the preseason game against SC Bern on Monday, to a special moment with his family afterward, to interactions with local kids and new teammates.
It helped him bond with the Predators and should translate to the ice, starting with the first two games of the regular season against the San Jose Sharks at O2 Arena in Prague on Friday and Saturday (2 p.m. ET; NHLN, BSSO, NBCSCA) in the 2022 NHL Global Series.
"It was definitely icing on the cake being able to play here," Niederreiter said.
Niederreiter grew up in Chur, Switzerland, a mountain town about 155 miles east by car. He had played in Bern at lower levels, competing against Roman Josi, a Bern native who is now the Predators captain. But he had never played before a full house at PostFinance Arena.
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The 17,031 fans treated Niederreiter as one of their own. After all, the 30-year-old has scored more goals (181) in the NHL than any other player born in Switzerland. When he was introduced before the game, the fans did what they do for their own players, what they did for Josi.
"Nino!" the PA announcer said.
"Niederreiter!" the fans shouted.
Niederreiter had many family members and friends in the stands, including his father, Rene, who had a stroke in January; his grandmothers, Anna and Maria, who had never seen him play professionally; and one of his schoolteachers, who used to let him leave school early for practice.
"He's definitely a big reason why I'm here," Niederreiter said.
After the Predators' 4-3 win in the 2022 NHL Global Series Challenge, his parents and grandmothers were waiting outside the dressing room. Niederreiter came off the ice and gave each of them a hug. Even if you didn't speak Swiss German, you could hear the pride and happiness in their voices.
"I mean, they loved every minute of it," Niederreiter said. "It was just an unbelievable feeling and something I definitely dreamed about. It's very fortunate they have a chance to see me play, and for myself, it was just super special."
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The next morning, the Predators worked out at PostFinance Arena before their flight to Prague. There happened to be a bunch of youth hockey players there, and a coach asked Niederreiter if he would visit with them. Of course, he did, taking pictures, answering questions.
"I know how much this meant, because I know how much it would have meant when I was younger," Niederreiter said. "So that's why it was special for me, seeing their eyes, like, how happy they are, the smiles."
Later, while the rest of the team prepared to go to the airport, Niederreiter went with Josi to a local hospital to visit with more kids. He knew how much that would have meant when he was younger too, because he spent a lot of time in the hospital after he was hit by a car at age 8. He had four surgeries on one ear.
Niederreiter and Josi took pictures, signed autographs, and gave away Predators and SC Bern gear.
"We're fortunate to be in the place we are in, so I always enjoy going to the hospitals and giving back that way," Niederreiter said.

Niederreiter is a key addition to the Predators, a tenacious, two-way forward with speed. He has scored at least 20 goals five times in his NHL career, and he has 82 games of experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With the Carolina Hurricanes the past four seasons, he often played with center Jordan Staal against other teams' top lines. So far with the Predators, he has been with center Ryan Johansen in a more offensive role.
When asked what Niederreiter brings, forward Matt Duchene didn't hesitate.
"Scoring," Duchene said. "We didn't have enough scoring last year. We had some big years from guys. But through the lineup, we didn't have enough of that, and that killed us as the year went on, and it hurt us badly in playoffs too. He's just a perfect fit because of the way he plays."
This trip has helped Niederreiter fit in quickly. He has spent a lot of time with his new teammates, and they've leaned on him and learned about him because of his Swiss roots.
"He's an experienced guy here, right?" coach John Hynes said. "He's a new player on our team, but now guys are kind of going to him, because he's from here. It helps him interact with the teammates. Guys get to know him more. That's part of the big benefits of being able to have these opportunities."
Niederreiter called that the biggest thing for him from a hockey perspective.
"They're getting to know me better, what kind of person I am or where I'm from, how much it means for me coming from Switzerland," he said. "I think that definitely helps. We had a lot of conversation during dinner with the whole food situation, what to eat, how we eat it.
"So I feel like it's been definitely clicking very well, and I feel very comfortable and very welcomed here. Definitely, for me personally, it was a great transition."