To make Christoph Bertschy's integration onto the Wild easier, team trainers gave the 21-year-old rookie injured Justin Fontaine's locker-room stall, which was smack in between Thomas Vanek and Nino Niederreiter.
Bertschy speaks Swiss-German. Niederreiter, who also hails from Switzerland, also speaks Swiss-German. And Vanek is from Austria, and while he speaks German differently, Bertschy said hours before his NHL debut Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning that he understands the veteran perfectly.
As Bertschy, tied for the points lead at AHL Iowa, came off the ice after his first morning skate, he removed his helmet and unveiled a giant mop of hair.
"His haircut is not typically Swiss," Niederreiter wanted to make clear.
Bertschy got the call at 4 p.m. Friday, took a car service to the Twin Cities, called his family, watched TV shows on his iPad and arrived by 8:30 p.m.
Following Saturday's game Bertschy was sent back to Iowa. Be played eight minutes, recording a pair of shots and a hit.
"I'm pretty excited and obviously a little nervous," Bertschy said before the game. "I didn't expect [a call-up] this soon, so it was pretty shocking. I'll try to do my best and not be too nervous."
Bertschy was to begin Saturday's game at right wing on a line with Vanek and Erik Haula.