Kurtis MacDermid's agent, Ian Pulver, confirmed that the forward is strongly interested in returning to New Jersey.
NEWARK, N.J. -- During his end-of-season media availability, New Jersey Devils forward Kurtis MacDermid told reporters that he enjoyed his brief time in the Garden State.
"It has been a great experience," he said. "Right from day one, when I got here, the team was awesome; the staff and everyone made me feel so welcomed right when I got here. I enjoyed my time here."
On May 9, his agent, Ian Pulver of The Will Sports Group, reiterated to Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News that his client remains interested in returning to the Devils.
"Kurtis definitely has a strong interest in returning and enjoyed his time (in New Jersey)," Pulver said in a phone call with The Hockey News. "We had some discussions with general manager Tom Fitzgerald."
Prior to the Devils 2023-24 season concluding, Fitzgerald revealed he was trying to re-sign MacDermid during an interview with MSG Networks.
The 6-foot-5, 233-pound forward appeared in 16 games for the Devils after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche on Mar. 1 in exchange for Zakhar Bardakov and a 7th-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Two weeks later, he earned his first point with New Jersey against the Dallas Stars, an assist on Chris Tierney's second goal of the season.
He most notably fought New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe after the latter's previous hits on Nathan Bastian and Jonas Siegenthaler. It was a moment that earned him respect among his new teammates.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phGAeWcsSw8[/embed]
"(MacDermid) wasn't even here when the original incident happened, and he is the first guy to step in and stick up for guys he has known for a couple of weeks," Bastian said during his exit interview.
"I think a lot of people can pretty much tell he is that big, intense character guy," Dawson Mercer said of MacDermid. "For sure, in the game, he gives that presence of don't mess around and don't do anything stupid because he is there."
Through those 16 games, he amassed 29 hits and made his presence on the ice known even when he was not dropping the gloves, making his teammates more comfortable.
"I would say he really cares about his teammates and the way that he presents himself; you definitely feel pretty comfortable with a guy like that," Mercer continued.
The 30-year-old is expected to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.