Bahl has appeared in all 33 Devils games this season, earning five points.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Kevin Bahl will celebrate a milestone Friday night at Canadian Tire Centre.
The 2018 second-round draft pick will appear in his 100th career NHL game versus the Ottawa Senators. It's poetic that he is reaching one of his first NHL milestones in the city where his junior hockey career began, as he played four seasons with the Ottawa 67s in the Ontario Hockey League.
After the team's morning skate, Bahl met with attending media members and shared that he grabbed dinner Thursday night with his billet family.
"It's awesome," he said, "I wanted to make sure I went out to see her."
"You're going to a new city when you're 14, 15, 16 years old, and you've got to move in and feel welcomed and comfortable," he continued. "It's like your new parents, your new guardian."
He continued to say that his billet family will attend tonight's game and wear Devils' gear.
New Jersey acquired Bahl on Dec. 16, 2019, from the Arizona Coyotes as part of the return for Taylor Hall. The 6-foot-6 defenseman made his NHL debut on Apr. 29, 2021, versus the Philadelphia Flyers. He earned his first NHL point in his second career game, a secondary assist on a Jesper Bratt goal.
Head coach Lindy Ruff was asked about Bahl's growth as a player and what he has seen from him over the past few seasons.
"I think his understanding of what you need to bring game in, game out," Ruff said. "The details of how the system works, the physicality to end plays, when he can end plays, all that is improving. He's a young man that is still early in his career that has to continue to grow."
This season, Bahl has five assists, with the last two being earned on Dec. 5 versus the Vancouver Canucks. He is one of 10 players on New Jersey's roster who have appeared in all 33 games this season.