Key Devils Forward to Miss Home Opener

Connor Brown will miss the New Jersey Devils’ season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, Oct. 1, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed following Wednesday’s practice at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House.

Brown sustained a lower-body injury during Monday’s practice, when he tweaked something near the end of the on-ice session. 

“At the end of our practice on Monday, he tweaked something and didn’t feel right,” Keefe said. “He is going to need a little bit of time. We don’t expect it to be anything too extensive, but he won’t be available for us this week.”

The Devils will open the season at home Thursday before traveling to Long Island on Saturday, Oct. 3, to face the New York Islanders. Brown is expected to miss both games as he recovers.

With Brown unavailable, Stefan Noesen will move into the lineup and join Cody Glass and Amadeus Lombardi on the Devils’ fourth line.

“That is why you have depth, to be able to respond to these situations and not be phased by it,” Keefe said. “As much as Connor Brown is a very important piece of our team and brings a lot, Noesen’s got a ton of experience, and we like him as well.”

Noesen and Jesper Boqvist had been serving as the team’s extra forwards, while Lombardi earned the final spot among a healthy group of forwards entering the season.

Brown is entering his second season with the Devils after signing with New Jersey as a free agent on July 1, 2025. During his first season with the club, the 32-year-old matched a career high 43 points, recording 18 goals. He finished the campaign on New Jersey’s top line alongside Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt.

The Devils will now begin the season without one of their key veteran forwards, as well as defensemen Johnathan Kovacevic and Seamus Casey. Their absences will create an early challenge for New Jersey, but also provide an opportunity to see how the team’s depth can step up.

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