All Eyes on Hischier

Halifax Mooseheads sniper Nico Hischier could make history tonight as he hopes to become the first player from Switzerland to ever be taken with the first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft. Hischier and family are in Chicago anxiously awaiting the call of his name which is expected to be announced either first by the New Jersey Devils or the Philadelphia Flyers who hold the second overall selection.

Nico had an impressive rookie season in Halifax with 86 points on 38 goals and 48 assists in 57 games which was good for 10th in QMJHL scoring. He added another three goals and four assists in six playoff games with the Mooseheads. The 2016 sixth overall pick in the CHL Import Draft was named the QMJHL’s Rookie of the Year, Top Professional Prospect and was named to the Rookie All-Star Team. Hischier also picked up the Rookie of the Year Award in the Canadian Hockey League. He made headlines in January during a stellar World Junior Hockey Championship that saw him nearly single-handedly defeat the eventual gold medal winning Americans. He had two goals in the game and came ever so close to a hat trick in the narrow defeat.

Hischier will become the fifth member of the Mooseheads to be selected in the top 10 of the NHL Entry Draft in the last five years. He was preceded by Nathan MacKinnon (1st – 2013), Jonathan Drouin (3rd – 2013), Nikolaj Ehlers (9th – 2014) and Timo Meier (9th – 2015). Halifax is the only CHL team to accomplish this feat in the past five years.

There are other Mooseheads to watch for this weekend that may have their names called on Saturday after being ranked by NHL Central Scouting. Defenceman Jocktan Chainey is the 126th North American skater, while Arnaud Durandeau (previously unranked) comes in at 177th on the list after a strong finish to the season. Also cracking Central Scotuing’s rankings were; Maxime Fortier (181st) and Walter Flower (193rd).

Draft coverage begins at 7:30pm AST on Sportsnet.