Nino Niederreiter’s dream of becoming a pro hockey player started at the young age of 5. He grew up in Chur and had much support from his parents and two older sisters Romina and Lorena. After playing in the juniors division with the EHC Chur, Niederreiter decided to leave his hometown team and played for HC Davos 2006-2009. Because of his ambition and talent Niederreiter was drafted to the North American junior league (WHL) team Portland Winterhawks at age 16.
Selected fifth overall by the New York Islanders in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Nino Niederreiter became the youngest player in Isles history when he made his debut on Oct. 9, 2010. Niederreiter scored his first NHL goal four days later, writing history as the youngest scorer in team history (18 years, 35 days). After nine games, the Swiss forward was returned to his junior team, the WHL's Portland Winterhawks. The next season, his first full year in the NHL, Niederreiter was plagued by injuries. After the 2012-13 lockout season, during which he played for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL), Niederreiter was traded to the Minnesota Wild. At the end of his second full season (2014-15) with the Wild, Niederreiter became the first Swiss player to score 20 goals in an NHL season and the first Swiss NHL player to score a hat trick. On January 17, 2019, the Chur, CHE, native was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Niederreiter has been playing for the Swiss national team since 2010 and won the silver medal at the IIHF World Championships in 2013 and 2018.
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