Articles in New Jersey Devils

Jake Allen Headed To New Jersey

03/08/2024 at 1:41pm EST

per Elliotte Friedman, Jack Allen to New Jersey gaining traction.

Looks Like Tyler Toffoli Is Headed to Winnipeg

03/08/2024 at 11:26am EST

Lindy Ruff Done In New Jersey

03/04/2024 at 5:31pm EST

NJD press release

The New Jersey Devils today announced that they have relieved Lindy Ruff of his head coaching duties and named Associate Coach Travis Green as Interim Head Coach for the rest of the season. The announcement was made by Devils’ President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.

Green will start in his role at Tuesday’s morning skate in advance of that night’s game versus Florida. He will lead the staff of existing assistants Ryan McGill, Chris Taylor, Sergei Brylin, and goaltending coach, Dave Rogalski.

Video- Oh The Drama In Anaheim

03/02/2024 at 1:14am EST

Jack Hughes can send the game to overtime by scoring on a penalty shot with 2 seconds on the clock.

Late Evening Line -Jack Hughes

02/23/2024 at 2:58am EST
"We've got to digest tonight and then we've got to wrap our heads around changing our attitude and really believing in ourselves. Not just talking and saying that, but actually doing that."

-Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils after a 5-1 home loss to the New York Rangers. Greg Wyshynski of ESPN has more on the game.

Rangers And Devils Going In Opposite Directions

02/22/2024 at 1:09pm EST

from Stan Fischler of The Hockey News,

Don't kid yourself; if you think New York Rangers-New York Islanders is a keen rivalry, believe The Maven when I tell you that The Battle Of The Hudson -- which resumes tonight at The Rock -- is equally intense.

As for this evening, the visiting Blueshirts will be aiming for their ninth straight victory and -- after Sunday's classic -- second consecutive W this week in the Garden State.

On the other side, Lindy Ruff's Devils are in a desperate mode otherwise defined as if-we-don't-make-the-playoffs-it'll-be-awfully-humbling.

Pre-season forecasts had New Jersey finishing second in the Met Division, one notch ahead of the Blueshirts who are running away with a likely first place finish.

While the Rangers -- with a respite here and there -- have breezed along with the breeze, the Devils have been braked in one unpleasant form or another from the get-go last October.

continued

A Lost Season For The New Jersey Devils

02/11/2024 at 4:58am EST

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Maybe ownership and management perceive this as a Gap Year for the Devils, when the players go off on their own pursuits after having put so much work the previous year into not only making the playoffs but winning the first round Battle of the Hudson.

Maybe that is why there has been no material improvement at all to the roster of one of the most disappointing teams in the league, which has been fiddling along below the cut line just about all year.

The goaltending issue that has been allowed to fester has swallowed much of the team’s morale, and it is kind of a surprise that Martin Brodeur, as executive vice president of hockey operations, has, in part, presided over this chaos in the crease.

The Devils rank 32nd, last overall, in save percentage and 30th overall at five-on-five. That goes a long way in explaining the team’s plight — fifth in the wild-card chase — but not entirely, since the Lightning, Avalanche and Hurricanes all have save percentages ranked in the NHL’s bottom five and have not been knee-capped by it....

continued plus more, including topics like this,

Finally, did you hear that the NHL has added to the Blackhawks’ punishment for the organization’s misbehavior as applies to the Kyle Beach sexual assault scandal by awarding Chicago the 2025 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field?

This action, following the 2023 lottery victory that granted the team first-overall draft pick Connor Bedard, should close the book on the disciplinary portion of the program.

And you thought the league wasn’t taking this seriously.

The Devils Need A Goalie

01/24/2024 at 8:46am EST

from Steve Politi of NJ.com,

We won’t know if Fitzgerald doesn’t improve the team’s goaltending. The first half of the 2023-24 season has made that abundantly clear.

“I’m not going to say I’m cool with it — I want our goalies to play better,” Fitzgerald said when asked for his level of concern. “But I want our players to play better in front of them. We still have some areas that we need to clean up, and that’s a daily process with teams.”

Vitek Vanecek isn’t just scuffling just a little bit. The team’s No. 1 netminder has a 3.28 goals against average and a .883 save percentage in 25 starts, numbers that rank 45th and 55th, respectively, in the league. Of the 38 goalies with 20 games played, Vanecek ranks dead last in goals saved above expected (-13.2) and in high danger save percentage (.730).

These numbers are not sustainable, and while Vanecek was very good during the regular season last winter, he regressed in the playoffs. Akira Schmid, an unheralded rookie who replaced him in crucial postseason games, was sent to the AHL to sort out his own struggles. Nico Daws, another promising young goalie in the system, is untested and recovering from hip surgery.

The Devils find themselves back where they were prior to last year’s breakout season. If they could count on even average goaltending, they would be well on their way to sewing up another postseason berth. Instead, they are often forced to win in spite of their netminder, which was the case in a 6-5 overtime victory over Las Vegas on Monday.

more

An Extension And Promotion For Tom Fitzgerald In New Jersey

01/23/2024 at 10:53am EST

via a press release from the Devils,

The New Jersey Devils announced today that the club has agreed to a multi-year contract extension with Tom Fitzgerald. Additionally, Fitzgerald has been promoted to President, Hockey Operations/General Manager, having previously served as Executive Vice President/General Manager. Fitzgerald assumed the full-time role of EVP/General Manager on July 9, 2020, initially being named to the interim position on January 12, 2020.

“We are excited to have signed Tom to a multi-year extension, and to promote him to President, Hockey Operations,” said Devils’ Managing Partner David Blitzer. “Over the years, he has built a young, powerful, and dynamic team that our organization can be proud of. Tom has worked tirelessly on revamping the roster via signings, trades, and draft picks to build an established core with a focus on not only today but for many years to come. We have considerable talent, both on and off the ice, and I look forward to what the future will bring together.”

On The Connor Bedard Hit

01/06/2024 at 9:05pm EST

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Of course a response was required in this case, even if players who deliver legal hits should not have to drop the gloves to defend themselves in the normal course of business. But this was Bedard, so this was not the normal course of business. Everyone including Smith — who had a long second-period bout with Nick Foligno — understood that.

Chicago did the right thing. (There are exceptions to every rule, you know.) But doing the right thing in this case did not safeguard the organizational jewel. This was after the fact. And this serves as another example that regardless of how a club loads up, there is no such thing these days — if ever — as owning a weapon of deterrence. Dave Semenko, he was an exception, right?

While Friday’s second period devolved into a heaping of the bad old days, the building became electric with emotion and intensity ratcheted up to a unusual high temperature. There was a type of tension that is exceptionally rare in regular-season matches. Do I expose myself to attack on social media by telling you it was fun and wildly entertaining?

Sorry, but it was.

Yes, you can tell me there was probably electricity and intensity in the audience when gladiators fought to the death. I’m not for a moment suggesting the league or the sport would be better off by going back to the days of bench-clearing brawls and the ethos of the Broad Street Bullies.

But physicality adds a dimension to the game that enflames the competition. A conflagration every now and then is a welcome departure from the incredibly high-skilled, yet relatively vanilla game that is the norm across a schedule that limits divisional play and tamps down rivalries.

more

Brendan Smith Fined For A Dangerous Trip

12/08/2023 at 12:47pm EST

NEW YORK (Dec. 8, 2023) – New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith has been fined $2,864.58, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for a dangerous trip against Seattle Kraken forward Devin Shore during NHL Game No. 403 in Seattle on Thursday, Dec. 7, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 8:17 of the third period. Smith was assessed a minor penalty for tripping.

Two Brothers Beat One In Devils Win Over The Canucks

12/06/2023 at 3:04am EST

from Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet,

Tuesday, when the Hughes boys became just the ninth set of three brothers to play in the same NHL game, Jack had a goal and two assists as the Devils won 6-5.

The Devils are 6-1 against the Canucks and Jack has 13 points since he joined New Jersey, which this season added to their lineup Luke, the rookie defenceman they selected fourth overall in 2021. Like Jack, Luke scored in his first game against Vancouver on a night when Quinn, with two assists, helped push the Canucks back from a three-goal deficit in the third period.

But for all the attention on the Hughes boys, it was Jesper Bratt’s uncontested conversion of the rebound from Nico Hischier’s shot with 33.2 seconds remaining that saved the game for the Devils and left the Canucks with nothing.

“First off, get that one to OT,” Quinn Hughes told reporters after the game. “I mean, it's terrible to lose a game like that. Secondly, I think, them being up 4-1 in the first, we gave up eight shots but there were four Grade-A (chances). I don't think we played terrible, we just gave up big mistakes.”

more

Below find the game highlights.

Video - You Snooze You Lose

12/01/2023 at 8:39pm EST

Five hours later after deciding to take a 20 minute nap, I awake to news.

NEW YORK (Dec. 1, 2023) – New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith has been suspended for two games, without pay, for slashing Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny during NHL Game No. 344 in Philadelphia on Thursday, Nov. 30, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 17:07 of the third period. Smith was assessed a minor penalty for slashing.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Smith will forfeit $11,458.34. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

For a full explanation of the decision, complete with video, please click on the following link: https://www.nhl.com/video/topic/player-safety/smith-suspended-two-games-6342185819112.

NEW YORK (Dec. 1, 2023) – Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for cross-checking New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith during NHL Game No. 344 in Philadelphia on Thursday, Nov. 30, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 17:07 of the third period. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Watch both incidents in one video below.

Jack Hughes Is Considered Week To Week

11/05/2023 at 5:52pm EST

from Tracey Myers of the NHL's webssite,

Jack Hughes is week to week with an upper-body injury the New Jersey Devils forward sustained in the first period of a 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Friday.

Hughes is in New Jersey with the Devils' medical staff and will not play against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, NHLN, NBCSCH, SN, TVAS).

The 22-year-old crashed shoulder first into the end boards at 9:56. He split two defenders and carried the puck into the slot before taking a shot that was stopped by Blues goalie Jordan Binnington. Hughes then lost his balance and slid into the boards.

He got up on his own and skated to the bench, then was part of a power play that began at 10:50 but soon left the ice for good. He missed the final 9:05 of the first and all the second period before New Jersey announced he would not return.

"Actually, I think we're fortunate," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. "He came back, he tried a shift, we got him on his way home to be taken care of by people back in Jersey."

continued

Video of the injury is below.

A Contract Extension for Lindy Ruff In New Jersey

10/11/2023 at 10:14am EDT

from the New Jersey Devils,

The New Jersey Devils announced today that the team has re-signed head coach Lindy Ruff to a multi-year contract extension. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.

“This young, exciting team has developed and thrived under Lindy’s stewardship since he joined the Devils organization,” said Devils’ Managing Partner David Blitzer. “Lindy is one of the winningest coaches in NHL history and his extension is well deserved. I’m looking forward to continued team success this upcoming season and beyond.”

“We’re incredibly fortunate as an organization to have Lindy Ruff behind the bench to guide this group, who’ve made significant strides under his leadership,” said Fitzgerald. “I’ve always believed that Lindy was, and continues to be, the right man behind the bench for this team. From the beginning, he’s done a tremendous job piloting our young group, and we’re excited to see this team’s continued success under his watch as we take the next steps.”

“I’m thrilled to commit here to this situation and couldn’t be prouder of the great progress that our group made last season,” said Ruff. “We have a special group in Jersey and there’s an opportunity to accomplish long-term success, make a lot of positive memories and give our fans a lot to cheer about – because our Devils’ fan base is one of the best in the League and they deserve to see a winner.”

continued

Jack Hughes Reflects On His Rookie Year

09/26/2023 at 2:39am EDT

from Arpon Basu of The Athletic,

Now beginning his fifth NHL season, Hughes does not have fond memories of his rookie year. He was a player who had excelled his entire life, an elite player and prospect who had never really known personal failure until that rookie season. Because playing in the NHL as an 18-year-old is not easy, and Hughes’ experience simply confirmed that.

Hughes had 21 points in 61 games and was a minus-26, not necessarily a meaningful stat but the worst plus-minus on the team by a decent margin (P.K. Subban was second worst at minus-21)....

“I was just small and weak, I just got beat up my rookie year,” Hughes said Monday night. “So I was really motivated, went 10 months hard and came back and put some weight on and developed my game. It was just a really good time period for me to fix my head and start to really work on my body.

“That was massive for my development.”

Getting beat up was not only physical for Hughes. It was mental, as well, and that is a big hurdle for someone who has never lacked confidence.

But he lacked it that year.

“Oh yeah, totally,” Hughes said. “When you go 18 games, no goals, you start to wonder. Like, Jesus Christ. But yeah, it’s a part of the game. I’ve always been a really confident kid, all the way since I was growing up, and for a good reason. I put a lot of work in, a fun kid and really passionate.

“But yeah, it’s hard to not lose some confidence when you’re struggling like that.”

more ($)

Video- This Is Jack Hughes

09/05/2023 at 9:38am EDT

via Sportsnet's YouTube page,

This kid can PLAY! The New Jersey Devils sure got a special one with Jack Hughes. Take a look at all of his best moments from the 2022-23 season.

Video- Imagine Connor Hellebuyck Playing For The New Jersey Devils

08/22/2023 at 3:06pm EDT

Video- The NHL Draft Ends With A Very Cool Moment

06/29/2023 at 2:35pm EDT

An Eight-Year Deal For Timo Meier In New Jersey

06/28/2023 at 1:17pm EDT

Tyler Toffoli Jersey Bound

06/27/2023 at 7:05pm EDT

San Jose Sharks Acquire Mackenzie Blackwod

06/27/2023 at 5:04pm EDT

Erik Haula Re-Signs With The New Jersey Devils

06/23/2023 at 1:09pm EDT

via the New Jersey Devils,

The New Jersey Devils today re-signed forward Erik Haula to a three-year contract worth $9,450,000 with an annual average value of $3,150,000. The contract breakdown is as follows: 2023-24: $3,900,000, 2024-25: $3,150,000 and 2025-26: $2,400,000. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.

Travis Green Named Associate Coach For The New Jersey Devils

06/22/2023 at 3:46pm EDT

via the New Jersey Devils,

The New Jersey Devils announced today that the team has named Travis Green as an associate coach to join head coach Lindy Ruff's staff. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.

"Travis has a wealth of coaching experience from his time at the junior, AHL and NHL levels," said Lindy Ruff. "He is super excited about working with our team and I know his attention to detail within the game will have a positive impact. Travis's energy and engaging personality are great assets for our group, and a huge benefit when working with our players one-on-one.


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