All the sights and sounds from the fourth day of Devils' on-ice sessions.
The New Jersey Devils held their final scrimmage before preseason begins on Monday, Sept. 25. Intensity continues to be high as the 57 players vying for a roster spot look to make a lasting impression on the front office and coaching staff. Below are some news and notes from the fourth day of training camp.
Training Camp Groups
Group A
Forwards: Tyce Thompson, Michael McLeod, Curtis Lazar, Max Willman, Jesper Bratt, Tyler Toffoli, Filip Engaras, Jack Hughes, Tomas Nosek
Defensemen: Brendan Smith, Colin Miller, Luke Hughes, Cal Foote, Michael Vukojevic, Kevin Bahl, Joe Gambardella (skating as a defenseman)
Goaltenders: Tyler Brennan, Vitek Vanecek
Group B
Forwards: Alexander Holtz, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Joe Gamberdella, Justin Dowling, Kyle Criscuolo, Brian Halonen, Cam Squires, Xavier Parent, Ryan Schmelzer, Josh Filmon
Defensemen: John Marino, Simon Nemec, Tyler Wotherspoon, Colin Felix, Daniil Misyul
Goaltenders: Akira Schmid, Isaac Poulter
Group C
Forwards: Chris Tierney, Shane Bowers, Ondrej Palat, Nolan Foote, Erik Haula, Chase Stillman, Cole Brown, Timur Ibragimov, Dawson Mercer, Graeme Clarke
Defensemen: Dougie Hamilton, Tobias Vilen, Robbie Russo, Jonas Siegenthaler, Santeri Hatakka
Goaltenders: Keith Kinkaid, Erik Kallgren, Jeremy Brodeur
- Chase Stillman will be kept off the ice, per Fitzgerald. "He's going to miss a little bit of time. You know, some bumps and bruises from rookie camp, but nothing we expect long-term."
Erik Haula Misses Practice
One player noticeably missing from Sunday's practice was veteran Erik Haula. After the team's scrimmage, head coach Lindy Ruff explained the forward took a maintenance day.
"Everything is good with him," Ruff said. "He'll play tomorrow. (We) just gave him an extra day of rest."
Haula appeared in 80 games last season for New Jersey and finished with 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists). Since the on-ice sessions began, he has been skating on a line with Palat and Mercer.
09/24/23 Scrimmage Group A versus Group B
Lineups:
Group A
Bratt - Hughes - Toffoli
Nosek - McLeod - Lazar
Willman - Engaras - Thompson
Gamberdella
Bahl - Miller
Smith - Foote
Vukojevic
Kallgren
Brodeur
Group B
Meier - Hischier - Holtz
Filmon - Dowling - Halonen
Parent - Schmelzer - Criscuolo
Squires - Friedmann
Hughes - Marino
Wotherspoon - Nemec
Misyul - Felix
Kinkaid
Poulter
Final: 3-2 Group B in overtime
Goal Scorers Group A: Hughes, Smith
Goal Scorers Group B: Hischier, Dowling, Meier
I stood near the glass for the team's final scrimmage, and at times, things looked intense on the ice. Players were crashing into the boards and fighting for position around the net. Two of the more physical players were forward Curtis Lazar and defenseman Colin Miller.
Each group won one scrimmage, with all three games requiring overtime to decide a winner. 13 different players found their names on the scoresheet, with Hischier, Palat, J. Hughes, and Mercer all tallying two goals a piece.
Up Next: Preseason Hockey
The Devils will play three preseason games this week beginning Monday. The club will start with a split squad, with one game being played at Prudential Center versus the Philadelphia Flyers and one at Bell Centre versus the Montreal Canadiens.
Tomorrow's games will be streamed on the Devils' official website. Additionally, fans can listen to New Jersey's home game versus the Flyers on Devils Hockey Network.