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After the New Jersey Devils fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Nico Hischier and Jonas Siegenthaler traveled to Europe to represent Switzerland at the 2023 IIHF World Championships.
Switzerland was expected to have a good team, even better if a few key Devils joined the roster. While Timo Meier and Akira Schmid opted not to participate, the addition of Hischer and Siegenthaler provided a big boost to the Swiss team.
Nico Hischier, who captains the Devils, had 31 goals and 80 points in 81 games this season, reaching the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career. The 24-year-old added one goal and seven points in 12 postseason games.
Adding Jonas Siegenthaler to the blueline may have been an even bigger boost, as the Devils' defenseman immediately became Switzerland’s top guy on the backend.
Siegenthaler tallied 21 points in 80 regular-season games and added one goal and two assists while averaging nearly 21 minutes per night across 12 playoff games.
"It was a pretty easy decision," Siegenthaler told the IIHF media. "They're all good guys, it's always fun to be here playing with the boys. You grow up playing with them, everybody knows each other so well. So it's a lot of fun to be as a group here and play a tournament and fight for your country."
The two Devils have been a huge part of the rising of Swiss hockey on the international stage, as they look to bring a World Championship back to their home country.
In three games, Nico Hischier has tallied two goals and one assist. He is +1 while playing around 19 minutes per contest.
In the big-time matchup against Team Canada, Hischier scored a huge goal in the second period to bring Switzerland level at 1-1.
The Swiss went on to beat Canada 3-2 to improve to 5-0 before beating Czechia to remain undefeated in the preliminary round.
Siegenthaler is playing just under 20 minutes per game for Switzerland and has recorded one goal in three games.
Nico Hischier and Jonas Siegenthaler boost Team Switzerland to new heights
In six games, Switzerland has outscored its opponents 26-6. That +20 differential is tied for second among all teams, just behind the United States, who are atop Group A.
The Swiss sit three points ahead of Canada with one fewer game played.
Team Switzerland plays Latvia in its next game at 1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
