The New Jersey Devils announced on Saturday that they signed
2017 number one overall draft pick, Nico Hischier, to a three-year entry-level
contract worth 925,000 per season, plus performance bonuses.
Executive Vice President and General Manager, Ray Shero,
made the announcement following the conclusion of the team’s development camp that
the 18-year-old, Swiss-born player was inked to the maximum salary allowed for
entry-level contracts.
The Devils made Hischier the first ever player from Switzerland
to be chosen first overall, during last month’s National Hockey League Entry Draft
in Chicago, Illinois. The Devils received their first ever number one slot in
the NHL Draft, after winning the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery and moving up from the
fifth slot to the top spot in the draft.
On Saturday, Hischier participated in the team’s Red and White
Scrimmage between the prospects that were invited to the development camp, at
the RWJ Barnabas Hockey House in Newark, New Jersey. Season ticket holders were invited to watch
the scrimmage between the team’s future stars.
During the 2016-2017 season, Hischier played for the Halifax
Mooseheads, of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, as he led all rookies in
scoring with 38 goals and 48 assists in 57 games. He added three goals and four
assists in six QMJHL playoff games.
The Canadian Hockey League and QMJHL Rookie of the Year, was
also QMJHL Offensive Rookie of the Year, a member of the QMJHL All-Rookie Team
and recipient of the Mike Bossy Trophy for QMJHL Best Professional Prospect.
During the second day of the NHL Draft, he was awarded the E.J. McGuire Award of
Excellence, given to the player that best exemplifies the commitment to
excellence through strength and character, competitiveness and athleticism.
The Brig, Switzerland native, represented his homeland
during the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships
in Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. He put up seven points during the tournament.
The team also announced that Hischier will become the second
player in team history to don the number 13. He wears the number for the
Mooseheads, for his favorite player, former Detroit Red Wing star, Pavel Datsyuk.
Hischier’s playing style has also been compared to Datsyuk.
Shero said, “He has
been everything I had hoped he would be, I know this is not an evaluation but
certainly his on-ice skill set is really fun to watch. He is a respectful kid
and the way that he carries himself is nice to see and he has interacted well
with the younger players and veterans that came in. That is his upbringing, but
it has been a great learning week for him and it has been nice to see the type
of person he is as well.”
The Devils also noted that they are continuing to work to
sign former Harvard Crimson forward, Alexander Kerfoot and restricted free
agent defenseman, Damon Severson to contracts with the club. Kerfoot can become
an unrestricted free agent on August 16, if the Devils can’t work out a
contract agreement.
The 22-year-old Harvard captain, put up 16 goals and 29
assists in 36 games last season. He was a first-team All-Ivy League player, as
well as a finalist for the 2016-2017 Eastern College Athletic Conference Player
of the Year.
The Devils fifth round pick, 150th overall in the
2012 NHL Draft also finished in the top 10 for the Hobey Baker Award, for top player
in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division I hockey.
Severson, 22, is coming off a three-year, two-way, 2.85
million-dollar contract with New Jersey. He was given a qualifying offer on
June 26, which gives them a little bit of more time to work a way with the right-handed
defenseman.
In 80 games, during the 2016-2017 campaign, Severson put up
three goals and 28 assists while patrolling the blueline with captain Andy
Greene.
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