Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter will be a flag bearer for Switzerland at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony on Friday in Milan, TSN’s Danielle Bain reports.
He will join two-time Olympic bronze medalist Fanny Smith, who is a ski cross athlete.
Niederreiter, 33, is one of 10 NHL players who will be part of Switzerland’s roster for the Winter Olympics. He and Nashville Predators defenceman Roman Josi are the only NHL players on the team to have participated in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the last time NHL players were permitted to participate in the Winter Olympics.
A native of Chur, Switzerland, Niederreiter has spent 15 seasons in the NHL, including the past three with the Jets after joining the team at the trade deadline in the 2022-23 season. He has eight goals and 19 points in 55 games this season for Winnipeg.
Other NHLers on the Switzerland roster include Kevin Fiala (Los Angeles Kings), Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils), Philipp Kurashev (San Jose Sharks), Timo Meier (Devils), Pius Suter (St. Louis Blues), J.J. Moser (Tampa Bay Lightning), Jonas Siegenthaler (Devils) and Akira Schmid (Vegas Golden Knights).
Niederreiter has also represented Switzerland twice at the World Juniors, in 2010 and 2011.
Switzerland is seeking its first medal at the Olympics in men’s hockey since 1948, when they captured a bronze.