The NHL is at the foot of an Emmentaler

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In his words he makes an understatement. But the glow on his face betrays that Akira Schmid (22) is over the moon. “It wasn’t that bad,” he said after his New Jersey Devils knocked out the New York Rangers 4-0. It is the second shutout and the fourth victory in the fifth playoff game for the Emmentaler, who saved 95.1 percent of all shots and closed the gaps in the defense.

“The Legend of Akira Grows,” headlined the NHL Network. Historical facts are also presented about the heroic deeds of Schmid, who replaced the regular goalkeeper Vitek Vanecek at the start of the derby series after two 1:5 hits. For 15 years and since Schmid’s role model Carey Price (Montreal), no rookie has shutout in a Game 7. And the last freshmen to win their first decider were Jordan Binnington (2019, St. Louis) and Matt Murray (2016, Pittsburgh ). What do the two have in common? They then won the Stanley Cup.

The Devils are not that far yet. The team with the four Swiss – in addition to Schmid, also Captain Nico Hischier, Jonas Siegenthaler and Timo Meier – still has twelve victories to go for the Holy Grail. The next opponents on Thursday night are the Carolina Hurricanes.

The high flyer convinced everyone with his coolness. “He’s ice cold, has no pulse and is always relaxed and collected,” said Devils star Jack Hughes. And striker Erik Haula loosely referred to the man who sank the unloved Rangers as “Schmido the torpedo”. He is “on fire” and plays great. “I’m so happy for him. He works hard and is calm as a cucumber. It’s pretty impressive.” Hischier is enthusiastic: “He never loses focus, makes it look easy and that gives us confidence.”

Schmid had to overcome severe setbacks

And after Schmid’s lone playoff loss in Game 6, coach Lindy Ruff was asked if the Swiss’ confidence had been shaken. The former rugged replied: “You can never say that with the boy. He has a great attitude. And that won’t change.”

Schmid’s North American adventure got off to a bad start five years ago when he left the SCL Tigers, where he played for the NL at age 17. After an unsuccessful match with the Canadian junior team Lethbridge, he was immediately eliminated again because the club had taken on too many Europeans. “I was a bit nervous and played very badly. I had to leave two days later. I was told in advance that they knew I still needed time,” says Schmid, who owes his first name to his parents’ passion for karate and has been in a relationship with American student Brooke Hubert (21) since 2021.

The man of 1.95 meters was not deterred. Not even when he had to take a ten-month break after hip surgery. He played in US junior leagues at Corpus Christi, Omaha and Sioux City. Last season, he shone on the Devils’ AHL farm team in Utica and made his first, but not the best, NHL appearances.

That changed this season. Schmid was already convincing in 18 appearances in the regular season before he surprisingly got a chance in the playoffs and grabbed it with both hands.

Where does the Schmid fairy tale end? Two Swiss goalkeepers have already won the Stanley Cup: David Aebischer from Fribourg in 2001 with Colorado and Schmid’s second idol, Martin Gerber from Emmental, in 2006 with Carolina.

Source : Blick