Nico Hischier isn't just someone who wants to help his team, but seemingly everyone as the Devils captain was part of a rescue effort in his native Switzerland.
A bit of discussion this offseason was centred around the future of Nico Hischier in New Jersey as he was needing an extension, and with trade talks floating around we didn't know where he stood. But he signed a new deal, is poised to lead the Devils for the foreseeable future and continue in his spot as one of the NHL's best two-way players.
Right now he's focused on a bit of R&R before he heads back to business, and there's no better place like home for the Swiss native.
A family's boat got stuck in the Aare River and Hischier was there to take action
But it was there that Hischier is grabbing headlines and it has absolutely nothing to do with hockey. According to Devils reporter Amanda Stein and confirmed by news outlet Blick, Hischier was involved in a rescue effort in Switzerland after a family ran into some serious trouble while enjoying the Aare River:
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According to Stein and multiple accounts of the situation, Hischier was one of several people who assisted a family whose inflatable boat got caught near a dam in the Aare River in Bern. With other rescuers, he was able to help assist them to shore and get them to safety.
Hischier didn't want the spotlight, he just wanted to help
It was also noted that Hischier wasn't really concerned with his celebrity status or being recognized as a hero or wants to be put on some pedestal - he wanted to help because that's just who he is:
In this situation, everyone is grateful for support, and we were all glad that no one was hurt in the end.
Hischier also mentioned that the others who helped assist including the police all deserve credit for their efforts and that he shouldn't be singled out for helping.
If you weren't sold on the type of person Hischier was before, you have to be now. Not only one of the most cerebral players in the league, he's also one of the kindest and most genuine players too. He makes the locker room feel like a place where you can grow, and his role as leader and captain is more obvious than ever knowing what he did here.
Don't let his nice guy persona fool you however, as Hischier as no problems putting every ounce of his skill out there on the ice and making you look silly. But he's doing it for one reason - to help his team because it's just in his nature.
Do you think Nico Hischier deserves recognition for helping rescue a family in Switzerland?
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