Kevin Fiala makes NHL return with an assist in Kings' 2-5 loss to Islanders

Fiala's first NHL game since February

Kevin Fiala (30) returned to the NHL on the night of Thursday, 12 November, into Friday, 13 November, Swiss time, when the Los Angeles Kings lost 2-5 to the New York Islanders. The Swiss forward had not played since February and recorded one assist in 16 minutes and 37 seconds on the ice, including 3 minutes and 21 seconds on the power play. He finished with three hits and no shots on goal. His helper came on the Kings' power-play goal that cut the deficit to 2-3 shortly before the midpoint of the game, but Los Angeles could not turn the match around. According to Blick, the loss was the Kings' 12th in their 17 games this season.

Injury at the Olympics

Fiala was hurt in February during the Olympic group game against Canada, when a check from Tom Wilson sent him off the ice on a stretcher. He had surgery on his leg afterwards and missed the rest of the tournament in Milan-Cortina as well as the home world championship in Switzerland. Reports describe the injury as a leg injury, with some specifying the lower leg. Nine months later he was back on the ice for the Kings.

A message from home

Before the game, his wife Jessica Fiala posted a long message on Instagram. Her post described a long run of setbacks, including treatments, rehabilitation sessions, tears and moments when the odds seemed against him. She wrote that for most people the night would look like an ordinary hockey game, while for the family it meant much more. Her closing words were:

“I have never been so proud of you.”

Other Swiss players in the NHL

Timo Meier (30) recorded an assist on the early power-play goal that gave the New Jersey Devils a lead in their 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals. The Devils have won six of their last seven games, and Jonas Siegenthaler and Nico Hischier (27) recorded no points. Janis Moser (26) played almost 24 minutes for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the most of any teammate, in a 3-1 win at the Columbus Blue Jackets, without recording a point. Akira Schmid made 24 saves as the Florida Panthers came back from 1-4 down to beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-4. Pius Suter's St. Louis Blues won 1-0 in a shootout against the Utah Mammoth after no goal was scored in the game itself, with the first two shooters scoring and the next ten missing in 16 attempts.

Bichsel's injury in Dallas

In the Dallas Stars' 3-8 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, Lian Bichsel played only two shifts, totalling 1 minute and 14 seconds. After a collision, the game was over for him within a few minutes, and he had to go to the dressing room with a lower-body injury. Nino Niederreiter, the other Swiss player in the game, was again a surplus player in the stands for Winnipeg. The Jets won the game 8-3.