Devils Players Reveal Their Welcome to the NHL Moment

Every NHL player has experienced a unique welcome to the NHL moment.

Whether it was being on the receiving end of a big open ice hit or the first time lining up against an NHL star, every player can reference that particular moment, usually with a smile.

Over the past few days, Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News asked New Jersey Devils forwards Curtis Lazar, Chris Tierney, Nico Hischier, and Erik Haula about their welcome to the NHL moment.

Curtis Lazar

"You're going to get a kick out of this one."

(You know it will be good when Lazar starts a story like that.)

"It was opening night in Nashville. I remember the Anthem was going on, and I was pretty nervous. My head coach, Paul Maclean, patted me on the shoulder and said, 'Relax, this is the same game you played your whole life.' So that meant a lot. I felt good. I jumped over the boards, and I toe-picked and fell right on the ice," he said with a laugh. "I was like, okay. I gathered myself up, and away I went."

"Later that period, I reached for a pass in the neutral zone and (was on the receiving end of an) open ice hit by Anton Volchenkov," he continued. "I thought, okay, these guys know how to play; these are men out there. I got that out of the way quickly."

Chris Tierney

"Probably one of my first road trips, a game at Nassau Coliseum, it was maybe ten games in. It was physical and fast. I felt like a boy amongst men out there. That was probably my first wake-up call," he said. "My first game was against the LA Kings after they won the Stanley Cup. They had the big ceremony before, and that was a tough game, too. (It was the) same thing, an older team that knows how to win."

"I don't know if there is one specific moment, but those two games really stick out, like this is the real deal. I think shortly after the New York Islanders game, I got sent down to work on my game," he said with a smirk. "I think it is a bit of a learning curve."

Nico Hischier

"Probably one of my first preseason games. We were in Washington playing against Alexander Ovechkin and those guys. That was pretty cool," he said. "My real welcome was my very first NHL game. We beat Colorado here (at Prudential Center)."

Erik Haula

"You're taking me pretty far back now. I don't know if I have a specific one for you."

After some thought, Haula referenced a moment in the postseason.

"Probably playing the (Chicago) Blackhawks in the second round of the playoffs. That was probably that moment of going against (Patrick) Kane when I think they won the Stanley Cup that year. The atmosphere in Chicago, I think that was probably my "Okay, I think I made it." 

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