The first two days of training camp are in the books for the Devils.
The New Jersey Devils officially opened training camp on Thursday morning when the first of three groups hit the ice at 9:00 A.M.
The organization has invited 57 players to camp: 32 forwards, 17 defensemen, and eight goaltenders. New Jersey invited one player on a PTO (professional tryout), Max Willman, 28, who spent last season with the Philadelphia Flyers organization. Below are some news and notes from the first two days of Devils training camp.
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
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09/22/23 Scrimmage Group B versus Group C
Lineups:
Group B
Meier – Hischier – Holtz
Filmon – Dowling – Halonen
Parent – Schmelzer – Criscuolo
Squires – Friedmann
Marino
Wotherspoon – Nemec
Misyul – Felix
Schmid
Kinkaid
Group C
Palat – Haula – Mercer
Foote – Tierney – Clarke
Ibragimov – Bowers – Bastian
Brown
Siegenthaler – Hamilton
Hatakka – Vilen
MacKinnon – Russo
Vanecek
Kallgren
Final: 4-3 Group C in overtime
Goal Scorers Group B: Criscuolo, Hischier, and Holtz.
Goal Scorers Group C: Mercer (2), Brown, and Palat.
Connection, Commitment, and Compete
"The three C's, the connection, commitment, and compete, are non-negotiable for this organization and our players." - Tom Fitzgerald.
Make no mistake: the Devils' standards and expectations are high this season. When Fitzgerald and head coach Lindy Ruff met with reporters on Thursday, Sept. 21, the general manager again emphasized the importance of culture on and off the ice.
"For me, it's about culture on and off the ice, how we represent the organization, what we expect from one another," he said. "What we permit from each other is what we promote from each other. What you tolerate is what you celebrate."
He admitted that this training camp feels different from his perspective, and as an observer, it's hard to argue. The players understand the challenges that lie ahead once their season begins on Oct. 12 against the Detroit Red Wings, but that challenge is something the team has patiently waited for.
"We gotta be ready," said Hischier. "It's not going to be easy. I would say it's going to be even harder. Teams are going to be ready for us this year, but that's what you want. You want those expectations to be high, and we all have really high expectations, and that's how you become a winning team."
The early days of camp are about the players returning to game pace, fine-tuning all the little details, and learning their system. The goal is to work hard and have a high level of competition among the players.
The next scrimmage will be held on Saturday, Sept. 23, and will feature Groups A and C. The Hockey News will continue to provide updates from RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House as the team prepares for their first preseason game of the season.