C Nico Hischier - Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL (2017, 1st, NJD) II

[McKappa]

I've never seen two prospects trying to play themselves out of first overall before lol.

 

[Patmac40]

He had a couple good chances. One one a wrap around and one where he cut to the middle and tried to go over the shoulder but other than that there wasn't a ton generated by him or the team itself. Pretty frustrating game, no one could really get much going. Best chance of the whole game was when the Rouyn goalie and a defenseman ran into each other behind the net but the Mooseheads couldn't even finish that.

 

[JA]

Hischier scored the game-winning goal today; the series against the Huskies is tied 2-2.

Also:

 

[JA]

Last Word on Sports has released its scouting report:

http://lastwordonhockey.com/2017/03/29/nico-hischier-scouting-report-2017-nhl-draft-2/

 

[TimeZone]

If this kid didn't fall into this incredible slump he'd definitely be the favorite go to first overall.

His lack of production the last little while is definitely concerning.

 

[LastWordArmy]

If this kid didn't fall into this incredible slump he'd definitely be the favorite go to first overall.

His lack of production the last little while is definitely concerning.

We had him at number 1 before the slump, but had to drop him to 2.

He could still get it back with a few more good playoff games (and being key to an upset), or a strong U18.

I don't like to overrate small samples, but the two guys are really close. Both have question marks.

 

[93LEAFS]

I keep hearing U-18's for this kid, but I can't help but think he has a decent chance for the World Championships. Switzerland took Fiala and Niederreiter in their draft years, who weren't as hyped Hischier.

 

[jonas2244]

But a team has only 4 spots for Centers and 8 spots for wingers.

Hischier has a chance if he could go to the camp and play some preperation games. If he's into a deep playoff-run and is out just before the WC he wouldn't get consideration.
But he is a candidate, that's for sure.

 

[swissexpert]

But a team has only 4 spots for Centers and 8 spots for wingers.

Hischier has a chance if he could go to the camp and play some preperation games. If he's into a deep playoff-run and is out just before the WC he wouldn't get consideration.
But he is a candidate, that's for sure.

We're not very deep on Centers though..
Would be fun to see him against men this year.

 

[Grantham]

Nico having a great game so far...tying goal near the end of the 2nd and 2 assists so far.

This kid lives for the big games!

 

[JA]

One goal, two assists, three points tonight for Hischier in a 6-5 triple-overtime loss against the second-seeded Huskies.

Tonight, he had 10 shots on goal over five periods -- the game ended 26 seconds into OT3.

In five games in this series so far, he has 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points and 27 shots.

The underdog Mooseheads are down 3-2 in the series.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I don't know that he's really driving the bus in this series, if anyone is its Gravel putting up an incredible goaltending performance. I feel like Groulx and Fortier have done just as much offensively but Hischier seems to have an effect where he makes those around him better.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I don't know that he's really driving the bus in this series, if anyone is its Gravel putting up an incredible goaltending performance. I feel like Groulx and Fortier have done just as much offensively but Hischier seems to have an effect where he makes those around him better.

Groulx has been invisible.

But I would put Hischiers play below Ehlers, Voracek, Drouin and McKinnon

Hischier hasn't really threatened with a shot lately and that concerns me. If I'm picking someone top 5, they need to have an elite shot.

 

[TeddyBare]

Season is over

Heck of year.

I think he should return to the mooseheads next year, as they are one of the youngest teams in the Q. Really just dominate

 

[King Mapes]

Seems like a weak draft at the top this year. Still though, love seeing another Moose near the top

 

[JA]

Nico picked up two awards and was named to the 2017 Rookie All-Star Team at the 2017 Golden Puck Awards yesterday.

http://theqmjhl.ca/article/the-golden-puck-awards-an-unforgettable-evening-4

2017 Rookie of the Year

2017 Best Professional Prospect from the QMJHL (Michael Bossy Trophy)

2017 Rookie All-Star Team member



He is set to participate in the 2017 World U18 Championship in Slovakia next week.

 

[Jarey Curry]

Does Hischier have any history being a capable winger? If Patrick is too injury prone, and the avs get to choose first, I'd consider drafting Hischier and playing him on the wing full time. His foot speed and skills would lead into a lot of breakaways and miscalculations by the opponents D. Yeah he's been good center in qmjhl for halifax on a weak draft. Would he become even better as a winger with added offensive responsibilities on a good line in the nhl and unleash him sort of?

 

[JA]

A new NHL.com article:

https://www.nhl.com/news/nico-hischier-staying-humble-before-nhl-draft/c-288485676

2017 Draft: Nico Hischier staying humble
Halifax forward, potential No. 1 pick defers credit to teammates for successful first season in North America
by Guillaume Lepage @GLepageLNH / LNH.com Staff Writer
April 6th, 2017

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia -- His name is on everyone's lips here and his game makes NHL scouts salivate, with several among them thinking he might be the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.

But you won't hear any of that coming from Nico Hischier.

...

However, personal statistics don't mean much to Hischier. He humbly answers questions about his success and gives credit to his team.

...

"Nico is an incredible player," linemate Maxime Fortier said. "He does everything well. He is so strong offensively and defensively, with or without the puck. He's also very smart and you can see that on the ice."

That might be Hischier's greatest asset. He is a strong skater who plays on the power play and the penalty kill, and is just as likely to score a highlight reel goal as he is to steal the puck from an opponent.

"He plays a complete game, he's not one dimensional," Halifax general manager Cam Russell said. "He's got world-class skills, great hands, great vision, but he's also our best defensive player. When you have a player that is your most skilled and basically your best player on the team, and he's also your best defensive player, it provides great leadership for your younger players."

...

A large part of Hischier's success this season can be attributed to his attitude. He didn't leave his family and friends behind to be a passenger in Halifax.

"I didn't have any expectations," Hischier said. "I just wanted to come over and have fun and improve as a hockey player."

Named an alternate captain at the start of the season, Hischier had a positive influence on his younger teammates even though he was 17-years-old when he arrived in Halifax.

"Having a player like Nico helps a lot, but having a person like Nico helps us even more," coach Andre Tourigny said. "From the way he prepares to the way he works to the way he practices he couldn't be a better role model for our guys.

"It's happened often where I'll ask our younger players, 'Do you see what Nico is doing?' They have to follow his example."

Russell said he made a calculated risk counting on Hischier to contribute immediately, but that risk has paid off.

"He's one of the best people I've ever met," he said.

And if Hischier has trouble giving himself credit for his on-ice exploits, he is at least able to recognize one thing he did well.

"It was a hard decision for me to come to Canada but I really wanted to and I think it's the best way to become a better hockey player," Hischier said. "I'm 100 percent happy with my decision."

The words of his coach (note the quotation marks):

https://recrutes.ca/nico-hischier-his-coachs-perspective/

Nico Hischier – His Coach’s Perspective
February 26, 2017 By Grant McCagg

...

“He can beat you in so many ways. He can beat you with faceoffs. he can beat you with defensive play..he’s really, really proud of his defence, he can beat you with his work ethic, his intensity, his skill, he can beat you on the rush. He can beat you on the power play, he can beat you on the PK.

He’s a really complete player. I compare him a lot to Henrik Zetterberg when he was in his prime. When you were playing against him he was always efficient in every area of the game.

Nico is really competitive, and he has a great skillset. He can skate, he’s really shifty, he can pass, he has quick hands, good shot. He works so hard defensively. I’ve never seen a player his age so proud of his defence. He’s the whole package.

If you pick top five that means you have to build your team around that player, I would be so happy to build my team around him for the next 20 years …a person like Hischier…a player like Hischier. Nico is such a good man, good heart. He’s very polite, respectful, I’ve spoke to his parents and I can’t say enough about the values. A lot of reasons why he’d be a really really good pick.

When you are that good defensively at that age….I’ve never seen that before. I’ve coached really good players at U-18’s and World juniors, in the NHL The pride he has to play well defensively..I’ve never seen that. He studies so much defensively.

We’re doing a drill with defencemen under pressure on a breakout, a drill where defencemen have to break out under hard pressure..and Nico asked me if he could go as a defenceman. I asked why, and he said sometimes during the game when I’m back with the puck I’m under pressure..I want to make sure I can break out with the puck from my own one.’

I said ‘oh my god.’

He wants to be a pro, he wants to be good defensively. Every time he’s here in my office the first thing he asks me about is his defence. He is special, he’s an awesome player. He sees the games sometimes where nobody can.

I talked to a lot of scouts this weekend and they were saying he will go really early. He weighs 177. He’s lean right now but he will fill out. You look at Kyle Turris…Kyle will never fill out..he’s so skinny..that’s not the case with Nico. ..he will fill out, get bigger.

When we recruited him he answered all the good questions..what’s your workout program..he had all of that planned out.”

 

[SergeConstantin74]

Nice words from his Halifax head coach André Tourigny. Let's not forget Tourigny was assistant coach for a few years with the Colorado Avalanche and also had Nikita Kucherov on his team in Rouyn-Noranda.



Leroux: Is it possible that Hischier played his last junior game tonight?

Tourigny: Yes, that's a possibility. Listen, he is an absolutely phenomenal player, not only in terms of his skills, but also in terms of his positioning on the ice, his level of competitiveness, his personality, his humanity. I could talk about it ...

Leroux: He's one of the best you've coached?

Tourigny: He is the most complete player I've ever coached. I've coached very very skilled guys, but complete like him, his leadership, his personality, ... he's great.

 

[JA]

According to Mooseheads play-by-play announcer John Moore during a TSN 1040 radio interview on Friday, Nico's injury that caused him to miss the February 17 and 18, 2017 matches was a wrist injury.

http://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040-i-1410/moore-hischier-s-hockey-sense-is-off-the-charts-1.718616

https://swisshockeynews.ch/index.php/shn/35-medrep/8704-halifax-mooseheads-nico-hischier-dealing-with-a-minor-injury

Halifax Mooseheads' Nico Hischier dealing with a minor injury
Source: Halifax Mooseheads
Published: 18 February 2017 - 1:06 pm

As the Halifax Mooseheads revealed on their website, Nico Hischier was not able to play for the QMJHL team last night.

The 18-year-old center is dealing with a minor injury and thus sat out last night's game against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Hischier has recorded 37 goals and 39 assists in 45 games this season thus far.

https://www.swisshockeynews.ch/index.php/shn/35-medrep/8725-halifax-mooseheads-nico-hischier-ready-to-return-to-game-action

Halifax Mooseheads' Nico Hischier ready to return to game action
Source: John Moore
Published: 20 February 2017 - 6:33 pm

According to John Moore (sportsandmoore.com), Nico Hischier will return to the Halifax Mooseheads' lineup tonight.

Hischier was sidelined with an undisclosed minor injury. The 18-year-old center has recorded 37 goals and 39 assists in 45 games for the Mooseheads this season thus far.

 

[Jon Riley]

Of course it depends on who will draft him, but hisvfather stated again that playing a year in Bern is a real option since the NLA is a much higher level than the QMHL.
I think it would do him good

 

[tigervixxxen]

I think he's going to the AHL, I really don't see why he wouldn't.

 

[AstrophysicalJet]

HARD choice between two lower end 1-2 oa picks.

Underwhelming year, think im ok with a pick outside the top 5- even 10 and get a solid Dman.

That cold streak Nico went on, coupled with him not being able to drive the team in PO, has changed my mind slightly on him.

But he is not my personal clear #1 like a few months ago.

PS, dont bite my head of, this is just an opinion from a guy who has mostly statwatched these 2 with the wjc and memcup and a few games in their respective leagues being the exception.

 

[Jon Riley]

I think he's going to the AHL, I really don't see why he wouldn't.

Because he may not be allowed to. Not quite sure about the rules but it seems that he could play in the AHL only if he is now playing in Halifax on loan from Bern.
That's what all the QMHL vs NLA thing is about.
Or at least that is how I understood it

 

[JA]

HARD choice between two lower end 1-2 oa picks.

Underwhelming year, think im ok with a pick outside the top 5- even 10 and get a solid Dman.

That cold streak Nico went on, coupled with him not being able to drive the team in PO, has changed my mind slightly on him.

But he is not my personal clear #1 like a few months ago.

PS, dont bite my head of, this is just an opinion from a guy who has mostly statwatched these 2 with the wjc and memcup and a few games in their respective leagues being the exception.

The slump began right around the time of the wrist injury.

His father has also stated that, at this point in the season, he is a little bit mentally fatigued from the long campaign; he has never played such a long season before.

http://www.24heures.ch/sports/rino-hischier-raconte-deux-fils-nico-luca/story/30784346

Rino Hischier raconte ses deux fils, Nico et Luca
Hockey sur glaceL’un brille outre-Atlantique, l’autre pourrait être sacré champion de Suisse pour la 2e fois.
Par André Boschetti Viège Mis à jour à 08h07

...

«Ces prochaines semaines s’annoncent effectivement passionnantes, commence Rino Hischier. Avec Berne, Luca a une chance de gagner un deuxième titre national consécutif, ce qui serait extraordinaire. Quant à Nico, il sera, à 18 ans, l’un des tout premiers choix de la draft. Mais avant cela, il disputera encore, dès jeudi, les Mondiaux M18 en Slovaquie. Mentalement, je le sens un peu fatigué après une première saison très intense au Canada (ndlr: il y a brillé en Ligue junior avec les Halifax Mooseheads), mais il tient beaucoup à participer à une compétition au cours de laquelle il donnera, comme d’habitude, le meilleur de lui-même. En juin, enfin, toute la famille se réunira à Chicago pour suivre ce moment plein d’émotion que sera le repêchage.»

...

«Cette décision de quitter la Suisse pour l’Amérique du Nord est à 100% celle de Nico. Berne a tout tenté pour qu’il reste, mais lorsqu’il m’a demandé mon avis, je l’ai encouragé à tenter cette aventure. Pour ne pas avoir de regrets par la suite. Cette expérience n’a pas été toujours simple mais elle l’a bien préparé, je crois, à ce qui l’attend ces prochaines années. Ainsi, en janvier, Nico a dû, d’entente avec l’organisation des Halifax Mooseheads et son agent, se protéger face aux très nombreuses sollicitations. Il n’avait presque plus de temps pour lui, pour décompresser un peu.

...

Translation:

Rino Hischier talks about his two sons, Nico and Luca
Hockey on the Atlantic for one, the other could be crowned champion of Switzerland for the 2nd time.
By André Boschetti Visp Updated at 08:07

...

"These next few weeks are definitely exciting," says Rino Hischier. With Bern, Luca has a chance to win a second consecutive national title, which would be extraordinary. As for Nico, he will be, at 18 years, one of the first choices of the draft. But before that, he will compete in, as of Thursday, the U18 World Championships in Slovakia. Mentally, he feels a bit tired after a very intense first season in Canada (note: he has shined in the Junior League with the Halifax Mooseheads), but he is keen to participate in a competition where he will give, as is his habit, the best of himself. Finally, in June, the whole family will meet in Chicago to follow this exciting moment that will be the draft. "

...

"This decision to leave Switzerland for North America is 100% Nico. Bern has tried everything to keep him, but when he asked me for my opinion, I encouraged him to try this adventure. So as not to have regrets afterwards. This experience was not always simple, but it prepared him well, I believe, for what to expect in the next few years. For example, in January, Nico, in consultation with the Halifax Mooseheads organization and his agent, had to protect themselves from the many solicitations. He had almost no time left for him to decompress a little.

...

A wrist injury and fatigue, in my opinion, don't take away from his high level of play from late-October to early-February. Between October 26, 2016 and February 5, 2017, he had 32 goals, 63 points in 30 games. Consider that he was a QMJHL rookie, and that he accomplished this feat on one of the youngest teams in the entire CHL with only one drafted player, Otto Somppi (206th overall, 2016), on it. At the 2017 World Juniors, he was a star for Team Switzerland and played excellent games against all of the teams, including Team Canada during the pre-tournament and Team USA during the quarterfinals -- he was arguably the best player on the ice in the games featuring Canada and the US.

If fatigue is the reason that one wants to pass on him, they could come to regret it when his conditioning improves and his body matures. He has never experienced a lengthy season before, as European hockey schedules are generally not as intense. For example, last season he played 25 regular games between the Swiss Elite Jr. A and National League B leagues, as well as 15 playoff games. He played 15 games in the National League A under Guy Boucher with a limited role as a 17-year-old; it was a good experience for him to practice with NLA professionals, but he was well-rested during this period. In the U17 Top Novizen and Elite Novizen leagues that he played for the previous two seasons, the schedule is only 22 games in length; the U15 Top Mini league that he played for at the ages of 13 and 14 features schedules that were only 27 games long.

The concept of the lengthy season is brand new to him, and he used this year as a stepping stone.