Nico Daws

Nicolas Daws (born December 22, 2000) is a German-Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 84th overall by the Devils in the 2020 NHL entry draft.

Playing career In the two seasons leading up to the 2019 NHL entry draft, Daws' first year of draft eligibility, he was the backup goaltender for the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Appearing in just 34 games over those two years, Daws led the OHL in goals against average and save percentage with a 2.06 and .939, respectively. Despite his impressive stat line and an OHL championship, he was not selected in the 2019 draft.

In the 2019–20 season, Daws appeared in 38 games, more than the previous two seasons combined despite the COVID-19 pandemic ending the season prematurely. Daws led the league in save percentage, and was named first team all-star and goaltender of the year.

On November 13, 2020, Daws signed a one-year contract with ERC Ingolstadt of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). In 10 games with Ingolstadt during the 2020–21 season, Daws posted four wins, one shutout, and a 2.90 goals against average. Daws started the 2021–22 season with the Utica Comets of American Hockey League (AHL), the AHL affiliate of the Devils. He was recalled by the Devils on October 21, and made his NHL debut on October 23, in a 2–1 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres.

In the 2022–23 season, playing exclusively for Utica, Daws was named to the 2023 AHL All-Star Game.

In the off-season before the 2023–24 season, Daws underwent acetabular labrum surgery. After missing the beginning of the season, he was activated from non-roster injured reserve and assigned to Utica on December 8, 2023. In his season debut against the Bridgeport Islanders that night, Daws made 31 saves en route to a 4–1 victory. He made his NHL season debut on December 29, making 25 saves on 27 shots in a 6–2 win over the Ottawa Senators.

On July 30, 2024, the Devils re-signed Daws to a two-year, $1.625 million contract extension with an average annual value of $812,500. Over the course of the , Daws made four NHL appearances, posting three wins and a .939 save percentage. With the Comets, he recorded 11 wins and a .893 save percentage in 34 games.

International play Despite his German birth, Daws represents Canada internationally. His lone junior-level tournament appearance came at the 2020 World Junior Championships, where he played in parts of two games for the gold medal-winning Canadian team.

Following the 2023–24 NHL regular season and with the Devils failing to qualify for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Daws accepted an invitation to make his senior national team debut at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.

Personal life Born in Germany, Daws is also a citizen of Canada. His mother is Canadian and his father German.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP W L OTL MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV% 2017–18 Guelph Storm OHL 14 1 7 2 622 42 0 4.06 .880 2 0 0 40 4 0 6.00 .826 2018–19 Guelph Storm OHL 20 10 5 3 1,126 61 1 3.25 .893 2 0 0 38 3 0 4.81 .800 2019–20 Guelph Storm OHL 38 23 8 6 2,254 93 5 2.48 .924 — — — — — — — — 2020–21 ERC Ingolstadt DEL 10 4 6 0 580 28 1 2.90 .898 — — — — — — — — 2021–22 Utica Comets AHL 21 14 4 2 1,205 51 1 2.54 .916 4 2 2 240 12 0 3.01 .891 2021–22 New Jersey Devils NHL 25 10 11 1 1,272 66 0 3.11 .893 — — — — — — — — 2022–23 Utica Comets AHL 33 16 14 3 1,953 88 2 2.70 .904 6 3 3 373 16 1 2.57 .920 2023–24 Utica Comets AHL 10 2 6 2 581 28 0 2.89 .890 — — — — — — — — 2023–24 New Jersey Devils NHL 21 9 11 0 1,145 60 0 3.15 .894 — — — — — — — — 2024–25 Utica Comets AHL 34 11 20 2 1,956 103 1 3.16 .893 — — — — — — — — 2024–25 New Jersey Devils NHL 6 3 1 0 263 7 0 1.60 .939 — — — — — — — — 2025–26 Utica Comets AHL 44 17 16 8 2,530 117 2 2.78 .892 — — — — — — — — 2025–26 New Jersey Devils NHL 3 2 1 0 183 8 0 2.62 .908 — — — — — — — —DEL totals 10 4 6 0 580 28 1 2.90 .898 — — — — — — — —NHL totals 55 24 24 1 2,862 141 0 2.96 .898 — — — — — — — —

International

Awards and honours Award Year RefOHL First Team All-Star 2020 Goaltender of the Year 2020AHL AHL All-Star Game 2023