New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier helped rescue a family in distress on the Aare River in Bern, Switzerland Wednesday morning, according to Devils beat reporter Amanda Stein.
A family with two children was stranded near a dam when their inflatable boat ran into trouble, prompting a police response. Hischier was nearby and joined others in helping with the rescue.
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A witness described his actions as heroic. Hischier's response, in true form, was to downplay his role entirely. He said he was simply happy everyone made it out safely and made sure to credit the many others who helped.
That reaction tells you everything about who he is as a person and a leader.
This is the guy New Jersey built its identity around. Hischier posted 28 goals and 66 points in 82 games this season at a $7,250,000 cap hit, adding 6 game-winning goals. He plays 200 feet, kills penalties, wins faceoffs, and apparently rescues families on his days off.
The Devils finished 42-37-3 this season under coach Sheldon Keefe, twenty-second overall with 87 points. Not the result they wanted. But the franchise has Jack Hughes at 77 points, Luke Hughes at 35, and a captain who leads by example in every possible context.
Hischier's character off the ice defines what the Devils want their culture to be
Leadership in hockey gets talked about constantly and measured almost never. A captain who drags a stranded family out of a river on his summer vacation isn't putting on a show. That's just who he is.
Compare that to the Brady Tkachuk situation in Ottawa, where the captain quietly told teammates for four years he wasn't re-signing. The contrast is stark and instructive.
The Devils have real work to do to become a consistent playoff team. But with Hischier wearing the letter, the foundation of what they want this locker room to stand for isn't in question.
Is Nico Hischier one of the best captains in the NHL today?
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