Yes, it's special for Josi. But it's a reward for fans who follow the NHL from afar. It's an inspiration for the next generation.
"When I grew up, the Internet wasn't there, and the NHL seemed so far away," said SC Bern forward Joel Vermin, who grew up in Bern, once watched Josi play for SC Bern in this arena and played 24 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2015-17. "But I mean, nowadays, it's not so far away.
"It's definitely inspiring and also motivating for them to see what it's like if you're in the NHL, to keep on working hard every day to reach that goal."
The first time Josi saw an NHL team in person was in 2008, when he played for SC Bern in an 8-1 exhibition loss to the New York Rangers at PostFinance Arena.
Predators forward Nino Niederreiter, who has scored more NHL goals (181) than any Switzerland-born player, said he never saw an NHL team with his own eyes until his first training camp with the New York Islanders in 2010.
"For me personally, I wish I could have been in this position [like the kids here now]," Niederreiter said. "It's something very special."
The New Jersey Devils played an exhibition against SC Bern on Oct. 1, 2018, winning 3-2 in overtime before a crowd of 17,031.
The main attraction then was Devils forward Nico Hischier, who played three seasons in Bern, including 15 games for the top club in 2015-16, before becoming the first Switzerland-born No. 1 pick when he was selected in the 2017 NHL Draft.