CHICAGO — Nico Hischier was only 10 the first time he slipped a Devils sweater over his head during a youth hockey tournament in his native Switzerland.

Eight years later, the Devils made Hischier, 18, the first overall pick in the N.H.L. entry draft Friday night as he became the first Swiss-born player to be selected No. 1.

As he walked off the stage at United Center, Hischier, a native of Naters, Switzerland, grabbed his chest as he struggled to come to grips with the reality of what had just happened. He immediately hugged his mother, who had started crying moments after her son was selected.

Hischier, a 6-foot-2 center, said he had no idea the Devils would select him after it was widely believed that the club, which missed the N.H.L. playoffs for a fifth consecutive season, would select Nolan Patrick, who instead was tabbed with the No. 2 pick by the Philadelphia Flyers.