Update on Devils' Nico Hischier's Injury Appears Optimistic - The Hockey Writers -

On Thursday, New Jersey Devils‘ captain Nico Hischier went down with an injury at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships. The Swiss forward got tangled up with German player and Edmonton Oilers prospect Joshua Samanski in the first period and did not return for the remainder of the contest.

According to Swiss news outlet lematin.ch, Hischier left the ice “limping and shaking his head.” However, it didn’t appear too serious. Head coach Patrick Fischer said that the medical staff consulted and smartly decided to let Hischier have the rest of the night off, rather than forcing him back with medications or injections.

Nico Hischier left Switzerland's game today against Germany after this "tangle of bodies" and did not return.

Seems like a harmless play but we'll have to wait to see the prognosis. The Swiss went on to beat the Germans 5-1 and are in 1st place. #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/YK5y4ik13e
— Daniel Rebain ???????????????? (@pvtmcbain) May 15, 2025

Injury Doesn’t Appear to Be Serious

Fischer later added, translated to English, “There’s definitely a chance he’ll come back. Maybe not on Friday against Norway, but the chance exists (…) We hope that he will recover quickly and that he will be at our disposal.”

Understandably so, the Devils and their fans will be anxiously awaiting news to be 100% sure of his fate. The last thing the injury-riddled Devils need is for their captain to go down with something serious enough to impact Training Camp, but given that there’s still hope for him to return in this tournament, the worst case is likely out of the picture. To add to the optimism, a report from RSI.ch said that Hischier was seen leaving the game with the scratched players and only had a slight limp.

There’s no real reason to rush Hischier, as Switzerland has earned at least a point in every game so far, sitting second place out of eight nations in Group B with a plus-9 goal differential. While the game was scoreless when Hischier departed, the Swiss still went on to defeat a talented German squad 5-1. They play Norway, Hungary and Kazakhstan to close out the preliminary round; it’s safe to say that even without Hischier, it would be considered a major upset if they lost any of those.

It’s also unfair to fault Hischier for suiting up for his country in a tournament that’s viewed so prestigiously in Europe. For players that drop everything to make a living in North America, it’s the few weeks where they can return to their roots and especially in Hischier’s case, grow the sport of hockey in their country. These NHL players at Worlds are viewed as idols to their nations.

“It’s clear to me that any time I’m healthy and got the chance, I would want to play for the Swiss National Team,” Hischier said in a previous Swiss documentary translated to English.

In Hischier’s absence, Timo Meier and Jonas Siegenthaler will need to keep playing well. Meier has two assists in four games with a plus-5 rating. Siegenthaler has a goal and two assists in those games with a plus-4 rating.

Even if Hischier is fine to play any of the remaining preliminary round games, it’s probably in everyone’s best interest to keep him out regardless. Having a fresh Hischier for the elimination rounds would be huge for a Swiss team trying to finally get over the hump and win their first gold. They fell in the Gold Medal Game to Czechia in 2024 – their third silver medal in 11 years (2013, 2018 and 2024).