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Nino NiederreiterIce hockey player, forward of the Swiss youth team
Date of Birth: 08.09.1992
Country:  Switzerland |
Content:
- Nino Niederreiter: A Swiss Hockey Star
- International Play: Representing Switzerland
- NHL Career: Journeyman with Multiple Teams
Nino Niederreiter: A Swiss Hockey Star
Junior Career: Paving the Way to the NHLUnlike many Swiss hockey players, Nino Niederreiter opted to play junior hockey in North America to increase his chances of making the National Hockey League (NHL). Previous Swiss first-round draft picks, Luca Cereda and Michel Riesen, had been dubbed the "Swiss Miss" as they never made an impact in the NHL. Niederreiter followed in the footsteps of fellow Swiss player and friend Luca Sbisa and declared for the Canadian Hockey League's Import Draft. He was selected by the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and thrived during his rookie season.
At the 2010 CHL Top Prospects Game, Niederreiter was chosen to play for Team Orr, coached by Bobby Orr. After scoring a dazzling "trick shot" goal in the skills competition on January 20, 2010, Niederreiter opened the scoring during the game itself the following day. He beat top goaltender Calvin Pickard with 2:38 left in the first period to give Team Orr a 1-0 lead heading into the intermission. Team Cherry eventually won 4-2.
In his first season in North America and his rookie campaign with the Winterhawks, Niederreiter led the team in goal-scoring with 36 goals. This output ranked him 18th in the WHL and second among WHL rookies. He added 24 assists for 60 points on the season, which was fourth on the Winterhawks. He chipped in another 16 points in 13 playoff games, which was second on the team. Niederreiter was recognized by the WHL, being named to the Western Conference's Second All-Star Team.
The NHL's Central Scouting Bureau projected Niederreiter to be the fourth Swiss player selected in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. TSN hockey analyst Bob McKenzie suggested that he could become the highest-drafted Swiss player ever. The NHL's Central Scouting Bureau ranked Niederreiter 14th among North American-trained players in their midterm rankings. The Central Scouting Bureau ultimately ranked Niederreiter 12th in their final draft rankings. These projections proved accurate as he was selected fifth overall by the New York Islanders. At the time, he was the highest-drafted Swiss hockey player in NHL history; he held the record until 2017 when Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils became the first Swiss player to be drafted first overall.
International Play: Representing Switzerland
Niederreiter first competed internationally when he participated in the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships in Russia, playing for the Switzerland men's national under-18 ice hockey team. Switzerland finished eighth overall, and Niederreiter recorded two points in six games. He then appeared in the 2009 tournament in the United States and notched six points in six games as the Swiss again finished eighth.
At the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Niederreiter led the Switzerland men's national junior ice hockey team with a game-tying goal and an overtime winner in a 3-2 upset over Russia; his first goal came with less than a minute left in regulation and sent the game into extra time. He finished the tournament with six goals and four assists, good enough for seventh overall among all skaters in the tournament. He was also named to the tournament All-Star Team. During the tournament, Niederreiter and Canadian Nazem Kadri sparked controversy when Kadri refused to shake hands with Niederreiter after their semifinal game. Kadri did not specify what prompted his refusal but absolved Niederreiter of using ethnic slurs, stating, "Obviously, in big games like that, guys tend to lose their composure a little bit, but I didn't take offense to anything he said. I just didn't feel like I needed to shake his hand." Kadri later had second thoughts about his refusal, stating, "I kind of regret it a little bit."
NHL Career: Journeyman with Multiple Teams
Niederreiter made his NHL debut with the Islanders early in the 2010-11 season before being returned to his junior club, the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. After struggling to find playing time with the Islanders, Niederreiter requested a trade and was subsequently dealt to the Minnesota Wild, where he spent parts of five seasons. In the sixth year of his Wild tenure, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, where he signed a contract to play the next three seasons. He then signed with the Nashville Predators, who traded him to the Jets just partway through a season as the team fell out of playoff contention.
