Nico Hischier had a night to remember, and honestly, so did every single fan in the Prudential Center.
Monday night wasn’t just another game—it was the game where the Devils’ captain finally hit that elusive milestone: his first career hat trick.
It was like the hockey gods smiled down and said, “This is your moment, Nico.”
By the time the second period was over, the scoreboard had read 4-1 in favor of the Devils, and Hischier had single-handedly flipped the narrative.
After a frustrating 10-game scoring drought, he erupted with three goals in a span of just 13 minutes and five seconds.
Think about it—three goals in less time than it takes to bake a frozen pizza.
The crowd, all 16,514 of them, went absolutely bananas.
Chants of “N-I-C-O” shook the arena, and hats rained down onto the ice in celebration.
It was the kind of moment that made you fall in love with sports all over again.
After the game, Hischier reflected on the surreal experience during his on-ice interview with MSG Networks’ Rachel Herzog.
He looked around, soaking in the applause, and admitted, “During my interview, I was trying to take a second and soak it in a bit. It was awesome. It is a game I will never forget in my life.”
The Rock serenades their captain with chants of NICO 🗣️ after he scores his first career hat trick, secures the W for @NJDevils and earns the first star of the game ⭐#NJDevils | @RachelMHerzog | @nicohischier pic.twitter.com/ptE852RCKs
— Devils on MSG (@DevilsMSGN) November 26, 2024
You could see the joy in his face—the pure, unfiltered happiness of a guy who had just checked off a major career milestone.
Hischier’s first goal came early in the second period, just 3:52 in, a beauty that seemed to reignite his confidence.
By the halfway mark, with the Devils on a power play, he struck again.
Then, with just three minutes left in the period, the hat trick was complete.
His teammates mobbed him, and the celebration was on.
Even Hischier seemed a little stunned.
“Definitely feels good,” he said afterward, grinning.
“Had a couple of two-goal games in my career, and somehow (this) last one went in. I don’t know how because I want to go up, but I will take it, for sure.”
Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe couldn’t have been prouder of his captain.
“His demeanor didn’t change. His game didn’t change. Most importantly, he didn’t cheat the game,” Keefe said.
“He had confidence the goals would come back again, and here we are—three in a period.”
And let’s not forget it wasn’t a one-man show.
Erik Haula chipped in a goal, and Justin Dowling sealed the deal with an empty-netter.
On the defensive end, Jacob Markstrom was steady on the net, making 19 saves on 21 shots.
Meanwhile, the Devils peppered Nashville’s goalies with a season-high 46 shots.
Juuse Saros started for the Predators but got pulled after two periods, giving way to Scott Wedgewood, who made 15 saves in relief.
Nashville had a rough night.
Despite being one of the league’s best on the power play, converting 22.7% of their chances before this game, they couldn’t capitalize on five opportunities.
Filip Forsberg and Zachary L’Heureux scored, but their efforts weren’t nearly enough.
Steven Stamkos, who usually lights up the Devils, managed just two shots all night.
To top it off, the Predators traded former first-round pick Philip Tomasino earlier that day.
He’s off to Pittsburgh now, exchanged for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick.
While the stats tell part of the story, the real magic of the night came from the connection between Hischier and the fans.
Watching him dominate the second period and celebrate with his teammates was one thing, but seeing how much it meant to him afterward was something else entirely.
“He’s just a guy you root for,” a fan said as they picked their hat off the ice.
Behind the scenes, there’s even more to Nico’s story.
His mom, Katja Hischier, shared a window into the kind of person her son is.
She described him as calm, thoughtful, and deeply grounded—traits that make him not just a great captain but a great person.
“He wants all of them to feel they belong,” Katja said about Nico’s leadership style.
“It’s not important (to him) if you are the president or a regular worker. You are all the same.”
She smiled, clearly proud, and added, “He likes harmony. He is so calm.”
Katja laughed as she reminisced about the young boy who left their Swiss home at 16 to chase his NHL dreams.
“He (left); he was a young boy, now he is an old man,” she joked, though Nico is only 25.
She went on to describe how her son juggles the fast-paced life of an NHL star with the serenity he finds at home in Switzerland during the off-season.
“I think he can make a good difference between normal life and this bubble energy (of the NHL),” she explained.
“The bubble is special, but it’s not normal life. I try to change this in the summer when he is home, for four months.”
When she visits him in New Jersey, Katja doesn’t need to see games to be happy.
“I say to Rino, ‘We don’t come (to New Jersey) together,’” she laughed.
“When I am here, I want to be with (only) Nico.”
Their time together is filled with cooking, puzzles, and conversations—often about life’s big questions.
“Philosophy,” she said.
“Like, what are we doing here? He’s just interested. What’s the history of our world, humans, and the universe.”
Hischier’s curious mind and compassionate heart are part of what makes him so beloved, both on and off the ice.
His teammates often call him the heartbeat of the team, and after Monday night’s performance, it’s easy to see why.
He’s not just a leader because he wears the “C” on his jersey—he’s a leader because he cares.
As Katja put it simply, “Nico is good to all.”
For Devils fans, Monday’s win over the Predators was one for the books.
For Nico Hischier, it was the culmination of hard work, perseverance, and a love for the game that’s impossible to miss.
And for everyone watching, it was a reminder of why we love hockey—because every so often, you get nights like this.