Timo Meier
Timo Meier | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 8, 1996 Herisau, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey forward |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Known for | Playing as a winger for the New Jersey Devils in the NHL; drafted ninth overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2015 NHL Entry Draft |
Timo Meier (; born October 8, 1996) is a Swiss professional ice hockey forward currently playing as a winger for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted ninth overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Meier became the third Swiss athlete chosen by that franchise.
Growing up in Herisau, Switzerland, Meier developed an early passion for hockey. At age 15, he began an apprenticeship with the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, a team competing in Switzerland’s top-tier National A League, where he gained valuable experience alongside seasoned players such as David Aebischer and Jason Spezza. Following his 2012–13 season with the U17 Lakers, Meier was selected 12th overall in the 2013 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft by the Halifax Mooseheads. He spent three seasons with Halifax before concluding his major junior tenure with the Rouyn–Noranda Huskies.
Although Meier impressed during San Jose’s 2016 training camp, illness postponed his NHL debut until December 16 of that year. He soon established himself as a regular roster member and continued to advance his game, highlighted by a historic five-goal performance on January 17, 2022—a milestone no player had previously achieved for the Sharks. After seven seasons with San Jose, Meier was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 2023.
On the international stage, Meier has represented Switzerland at two Ice Hockey World Championships, securing a silver medal in 2018.
Early life
Born on October 8, 1996, in Herisau, Switzerland, to parents Claudia and Charly, Meier was the younger of two siblings and developed an early enthusiasm for ice hockey. At 15 years old, he embarked on an apprenticeship with the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, where he absorbed professional knowledge from veterans like David Aebischer and Jason Spezza.
Major junior
During the 2012–13 season, Meier competed at the Elite Jr. A level with the U17 SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers in Switzerland, attracting attention beyond his home country. He was picked 12th overall by the Halifax Mooseheads in the 2013 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft and was anticipated to be a key contributor alongside Nikolaj Ehlers. At just 16, Meier transitioned to the CHL for the 2013–14 campaign, adapting to a more physical environment against older opponents. He finished his rookie year with 17 goals and 17 assists, totaling 34 points over 66 games.
Following that season, Meier worked closely with former professional Sandro Bertaggia to elevate his skills significantly. In his second year, he earned the Mike Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL’s Best Professional Prospect and was named to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team. During this period, he maintained an impressive point streak spanning 27 games and concluded with career-high numbers: 44 goals and 46 assists amounting to 90 points across 61 games. These performances drew considerable NHL interest prior to the 2015 Entry Draft. Ranked twelfth by TSN analyst Bob McKenzie, Meier was selected ninth overall by the San Jose Sharks, marking him as their third Swiss draft pick. He promptly signed a three-year entry-level contract and participated in the Sharks’ Development Camp.
Meier returned to Halifax for the start of the 2015–16 season as team captain, posting 11 goals and 25 assists in just 23 games before being traded on January 6, 2016, to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in exchange for several draft selections. With Rouyn-Noranda, he played a pivotal role in securing the best regular-season record in the QMJHL. During playoffs, Meier contributed 13 points over four games while sweeping their first-round opponents and ended with a total of 11 goals and 23 points through an eighteen-game postseason run that culminated in winning the President Cup as league champions.
San Jose Sharks
Although Meier showed promise during training camp, his NHL debut for the 2016–17 season was postponed due to illness. After being sidelined for almost a month with mononucleosis, he was sent to the Sharks' AHL team, the San Jose Barracuda, on 26 October 2016. In the AHL, Meier demonstrated consistent scoring ability, amassing 15 points in 17 contests by mid-December, leading the Barracuda in goals and ranking second in overall points. Following a burst of four goals over two games, the Sharks intended to recall him on 7 December, but another illness delayed this move. He was eventually called up on 15 December and made his NHL debut the following day against the Montreal Canadiens, where he scored his first NHL goal against Carey Price.
Meier secured a spot in the Sharks' lineup, displaying his talents alongside seasoned players such as Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. In early January 2017, he led the game with seven hits and took two shots on goal before sustaining an upper-body injury that temporarily sidelined him. Although reassigned to the AHL multiple times, he was swiftly brought back each occasion. The Sharks concluded the season third in the Pacific Division, with Meier participating in five playoff games versus the Edmonton Oilers, making significant contributions before returning to support the Barracuda's run to the Western Conference Finals.
In the 2017–18 campaign, Meier established himself as a regular player, appearing in 81 games and tallying 36 points despite a sluggish start and being a healthy scratch in late October. He incurred a $2,403.67 fine for an on-ice incident in November but regained scoring momentum from late December through January. His efforts aided the Sharks’ advance to the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, where he recorded three points over four games against the Anaheim Ducks before joining Switzerland’s national squad for the 2018 IIHF World Championship following San Jose’s elimination.
For the 2018–19 season, after Erik Karlsson joined the team and based on Meier’s previous season performance, he began on the second line alongside Logan Couture and Tomáš Hertl. He started impressively with a nine-game point streak that included goals in five consecutive matches, making him the second youngest player in Sharks history to accomplish this feat. By mid-December, Meier led San Jose in goals, plus/minus rating, power-play goals, and ranked second in total points and shots on goal. Despite missing three games due to injury, he quickly rebounded by scoring five goals across four games after returning. His offensive output contributed to maintaining a solid team record.
By March 2019, Meier was one of five Sharks players with at least 24 goals and received a $2,000 fine for embellishment during a game. He completed the regular season with career-best numbers: 30 goals and 36 assists (66 points) over 78 games, placing him among team leaders in multiple offensive categories. Although he missed San Jose’s final regular-season game due to injury, he was anticipated to be ready for postseason play. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Final against the St. Louis Blues, Meier scored two goals and added an assist; he finished the playoffs with 15 points in 20 contests. His breakout season culminated in signing a four-year contract extension on 1 July.
Following Joe Pavelski’s departure prior to the 2019–20 season, Meier took on increased roles on both power-play and penalty-killing units. After a slow start for San Jose, they achieved three consecutive wins by mid-October as Meier reached his 200th NHL appearance. On 28 December, he notched his first career hat-trick during a commanding victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. When play was suspended due to COVID-19, Meier led all Sharks skaters in points and was honored as the team's "Player of the Year" for 2019–20.
During the abbreviated 2020–21 season, Meier played on San Jose’s second line alongside Ryan Donato and Tomáš Hertl amid a challenging schedule that saw early struggles and a last-place division finish. Although his offensive production declined somewhat, Meier remained one of five Sharks players reaching double-digit goals; however, goaltending difficulties contributed to another missed playoff opportunity.
The start of the 2021–22 season saw San Jose win their first four games before Meier entered COVID-19 protocol along with teammate Kevin Labanc. Upon returning, he maintained momentum with a three-game point streak totaling six points. On 16 December, Meier became only the fourth player in franchise history—and first since Joe Thornton—to accumulate at least 29 points within just 25 games.
By January 2022, Meier led all Sharks players in assists and overall points while ranking ninth across the league in points per game (1.22), earning him selection for the 2022 National Hockey League All-Star Game. Shortly thereafter, he set a franchise milestone by scoring five goals in a single game against the Los Angeles Kings. This standout performance earned him recognition as one of the NHL’s three stars of the week after adding another goal versus the Seattle Kraken.
New Jersey Devils
On 26 February 2023, Meier was involved in a multi-player transaction that sent him to the New Jersey Devils. Following his recovery from injury, he made his debut for the Devils in a game against the Arizona Coyotes on 5 March. Meier concluded the regular season with nine goals and 14 points across 21 appearances, playing a key role in helping the Devils secure their first playoff berth in five years. During the postseason, he led the team in hits and added two goals and four points over 11 contests.
Approaching restricted free agency, Meier agreed to an eight-year contract extension worth $70.4 million with New Jersey on 28 June 2023.
International play
Meier competed for Switzerland at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, where he tallied three goals and seven assists in ten games, contributing to Switzerland’s silver medal finish.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2011–12 | Pikes EHC Oberthurgau | SUI U17 | 29 | 23 | 23 | 46 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Pikes EHC Oberthurgau II | SUI.4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Rapperswil–Jona Lakers | SUI U17 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Rapperswil–Jona Lakers | SUI U20 | 33 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | 66 | 17 | 17 | 34 | 48 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | ||
| 2014–15 | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | 61 | 44 | 46 | 90 | 59 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 18 | ||
| 2015–16 | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | 23 | 11 | 25 | 36 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Rouyn–Noranda Huskies | QMJHL | 29 | 23 | 28 | 51 | 24 | 18 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 30 | ||
| 2016–17 | San Jose Barracuda | AHL | 33 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 40 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 41 | ||
| 2016–17 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 34 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 81 | 21 | 15 | 36 | 51 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | ||
| 2018–19 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 78 | 30 | 36 | 66 | 55 | 20 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 34 | ||
| 2019–20 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 70 | 22 | 27 | 49 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 54 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 77 | 35 | 41 | 76 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 57 | 31 | 21 | 52 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 21 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 22 | ||
| 2023–24 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 69 | 28 | 24 | 52 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 80 | 26 | 27 | 53 | 58 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
| NHL totals !621 | 217 | 218 | 435 | 380 !51 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 74 | ||||||
International
| Year | Team | Tournament | Placement | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Switzerland U18 | U18 World Championship | 6th place | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | Switzerland U18 | Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament | 6th place | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2015 | Switzerland U20 | World Junior Championship | 9th place | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Switzerland U20 | World Junior Championship | 9th place | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2018 | Switzerland | World Championship | Silver Medal | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Switzerland | World Championship | Finished 6th | 8 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | |
| 2022 | Switzerland | World Championship | Ranked 5th | 8 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 9 | |
| 2025* | Switzerland | World Championship | Silver Medal | 10 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 4 | |
| Junior career totals !18 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 10 | |||||
| Senior career totals !33 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 21 | |||||
- Event planned
Awards and honours
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) | |
| Second All-Star Team selection | 2015 |
| Michael Bossy Trophy recipient | 2015 |
| National Hockey League (NHL) | |
| NHL All-Star Game participant | 2022 |