Mirco Müller Explained

Mirco Müller
Birth Date:21 March 1995
Birth Place:Winterthur, Switzerland
Height Ft:6
Height In:3
Weight Lb:210
Position:Defence
Shoots:Left
League:NL
Team:HC Lugano
Former Teams:Kloten Flyers
San Jose Sharks
New Jersey Devils
Leksands IF
Ntl Team:Switzerland
Draft:18th overall
Draft Year:2013
Draft Team:San Jose Sharks
Career Start:2012

Mirco Müller (also spelled Mirco Mueller; born 21 March 1995) is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing with HC Lugano of the National League (NL). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks and the New Jersey Devils from 2014 to 2020. The Sharks selected Müller in the first round (18th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

As a youth, Müller played in the 2008 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Swiss Eastern team.[1]

Müller played for the Kloten Flyers organization between 2010 and 2012, mostly at the junior level. During the 2011–12 season, Müller played seven games in the National League A.[2]

Müller was selected 11th overall by the Everett Silvertips in the 2012 Canadian Hockey League import draft. "Over the last few years, a couple Swiss players played in North America, and they told me how high the playing level is there[3] and I’ve always been interested to play in another country, so I was very happy to be picked by Everett," said Müller.[4]

Müller was selected in the first round, 18th overall, by the San Jose Sharks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, and on 22 September 2013, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sharks, and returned to Everett.[5] He did not play any exhibition games with the Sharks in 2013 due to an injury.[6]

On 17 June 2017, Müller (along with a fifth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft) was traded to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a second and a fourth-round pick in the same draft.[7] On 27 February 2019, Müller was stretchered off the ice due to an injury sustained in a New Jersey home game against the Calgary Flames.[8]

On 1 February 2021, Müller signed a one-year contract with Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).[9]

International play

Müller played for Switzerland in the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Ufa, Russia. Ahead of the tournament, Müller said, "I'm looking forward to playing against the best players in junior hockey, especially the Canadians, Americans, Swedes and the other top nations. It's in a new country that I've never been to before, and I'm excited to see what it's like over there."[10]

Personal life

Müller is the older brother of hockey player Alina Müller, a forward who plays for Boston in the PWHL[11] and formerly played internationally for the Switzerland women's national ice hockey team.[12]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
2010–11Kloten FlyersSUI U1732 12 19 31 1410 0 6 6 12
2010–11Kloten FlyersSUI U201 0 0 0 0
2011–12Kloten FlyersSUI U174 1 3 4 0
2011–12Kloten FlyersSUI U2026 3 3 6 84 1 2 3 2
2011–12Kloten FlyersNLA7 1 0 1 0
2012–13Everett SilvertipsWHL63 6 25 31 576 0 1 1 6
2013–14Everett SilvertipsWHL60 5 22 27 315 1 1 2 4
2013–14Worcester SharksAHL9 0 2 2 2
2014–15San Jose SharksNHL39 1 3 4 10
2014–15Worcester SharksAHL3 1 0 1 4
2015–16San Jose SharksNHL11 0 0 0 7
2015–16San Jose BarracudaAHL50 1 10 11 354 0 0 0 4
2016–17San Jose SharksNHL4 1 1 2 0
2016–17San Jose BarracudaAHL62 2 18 20 2215 0 5 5 6
2017–18New Jersey DevilsNHL28 0 4 4 43 0 0 0 0
2017–18Binghamton DevilsAHL2 0 0 0 2
2018–19New Jersey DevilsNHL53 1 10 11 17
2019–20New Jersey DevilsNHL50 2 5 7 23
2020–21Leksands IFSHL13 4 3 7 143 0 0 0 0
2021–22HC LuganoNL50 3 15 18 364 0 0 0 6
2022–23HC LuganoNL52 0 14 14 208 0 1 1 6
NHL totals185 5 23 28 613 0 0 0 0

International

YearTeamEventGP G A Pts PIM
2011SwitzerlandIH184 0 2 2 0
2013SwitzerlandWJC6 0 2 2 6
2013SwitzerlandWJC185 1 2 3 2
2014SwitzerlandWJC5 1 1 2 14
2015SwitzerlandWJC6 0 1 1 6
2018SwitzerlandWC10 1 5 6 8
2021Switzerland WC5 0 1 1 14
2022SwitzerlandOLY5 0 0 0 4
Junior totals 26 2 8 10 28
Senior totals 20 1 6 7 26

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA. 2018. Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2019-01-05.
  2. Web site: Kloten Flyers team status . Eliteprospects.com . 2012-06-03 . 2012-06-04.
  3. Specifically, Nino Niederreiter and Sven Bärtschi, who also played in the WHL.
  4. Web site: Mueller. Mirco. Future Considerations. Future Considerations. 15 May 2013. 2 November 2012.
  5. Web site: Yerdon. Joe. Sharks sign '13 first-round pick Mueller, send him to juniors. NBC Sports. 22 September 2013. 22 September 2013.
  6. News: Pollak. David. Sharks' Mueller, Goldobin will see first NHL action. Contra Costa Times. 23 September 2014. 23 September 2014.
  7. Web site: Devils acquire D Mirco Mueller and pick No. 143 from San Jose. NHL.com. 18 June 2017. 17 June 2017.
  8. Web site: Devils' Mirco Mueller avoids serious injury after collision into boards . Sportsnet.ca . 1 February 2021 . 1 March 2019.
  9. Web site: Brasar . Richard . Mirco Müller klar för Leksands IF . Leksands IF . 2 February 2021 . sv-SE . 1 February 2021.
  10. http://www.juniorhockey.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=77447 Mueller to Play for Swiss at World Juniors - Junior Hockey News
  11. Web site: Kennedy . Ian . 2023-10-30 . Alina Muller Agrees To Terms On A Three-Year Contract With Boston . 2024-03-18 . The Hockey News Womens News, Analysis and More . en.
  12. News: Hascup. Jimmy. Alina Muller, sister of NHL's Mirco, shines in Switzerland's rout at Winter Olympics. 14 February 2018. USA Today. 10 February 2018.