On Thursday night, former Adirondack Thunder [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/adirondack-thunder-adds-ncaa-championship-experience-to-roster]forward Xavier Parent became the 776th former ECHL [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/]player to reach the National Hockey League. Parent debuted with the New Jersey Devils [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils]on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning]. He is the eighth former ECHL player to make his NHL debut during the 2025-26 season. The Devils fell 8-4 to the Lightning at Prudential Center. New Jersey has struggled of late, losing its fifth consecutive home game and six of its last seven overall. The 24-year-old left-shot forward was recalled from Utica of the AHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/]and participated in the Devils’ Thursday morning skate. In their loss to the Lightning, he logged 9:42 minutes of ice time. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound Parent made his pro debut with Adirondack during the 2022-23 season, recording 51 points (23g-28a) in 50 games. After that season, Parent earned a full-time AHL look and suited up for the Comets for the past two seasons. In 2024-25, he recorded 17 goals and 36 points in 61 games. Parent then signed his first two-way NHL deal with New Jersey. In 20 games with Utica this season, he scored six goals and 12 points. A native of Laval, Quebec, Parent has totaled 99 points (41g-58a) in 166 career games with Utica. Following his junior career with Sherbrooke of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League [https://thehockeynews.com/qmjhl/]in 2022, Parent signed a minor-league deal with the Devils organization and joined Adirondack.
