New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe stood behind his players, watching line change after line change at Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday night as his team faced the Calgary Flames.
He saw his team take a 1-0 lead in the second period, and eventually celebrate a victory as Simon Nemec scored the game-winning goal in overtime.
The Devils bench is normally a quiet one regardless of the score, hits, or fights that may take place on the ice.
“We are not a super vocal group,” defenseman Brenden Dillon shared. “Guys aren't really barking on the bench or screaming. Even when we are scoring goals, it is not like we are an overly jubilant team.”
For those who have never sat on the bench during an NHL game, that quote could make you raise an eyebrow, but according to Connor Brown, who reached the Stanley Cup Final the last two seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, a lot of teams are similar.
“It is relatively the same,” Brown said. “Obviously, every coach is different, and I think every coach brings a different type of energy. Every captain brings a different type of energy. Everyone’s personality is different. It is understanding the mix of personalities we have, and how our guys respond to get the most out of our group.”
Within that eclectic blend of personalities there is always that one player who is considered the loudest and most vocal of the group. Earlier this season, Keefe revealed who that player was for the Devils, unbeknownst to that individual.
“Me?! No.”
Sitting at his stall, Brett Pesce couldn’t believe what his coach said and pointed to Dillon, who happened to be collecting his belongings from his stall, immediately to Pesce’s left. An unexpected and swift debate began, with Pesce asking one of their assistant equipment managers to settle things once and for all.
“I would say probably you,” their equipment manager said, staring directly at Pesce.
As laughter consumed that small corner of the locker room, Dillon, being the good friend he is, settled the debate, saying, “Either way, it is no. 5 or no. 22.”
While it came as a surprise to Pesce, it is not hard to believe that the Italian from New York is the loudest player on the Devils’ bench. It is a fork found in kitchen situation, really.
Pesce focuses on keeping things upbeat during games and is usually joking around with his teammates. Having played 724 career NHL games, he understands how that positivity can impact a team.
“It is huge because it is such a long year, and there are so many stresses in hockey that I think keeping it light instills confidence in your group,” Pesce said. “I am a big believer in keeping it light. I think that is when you play better. When you are gripping your stick, you are going to be scared to make a play. Your game is not going to be fully there.”
It is a sentiment that Brown agrees with.
“You want to be relaxed,” he said. “I think being happy or making jokes can lead to being a bit more loose, reactionary, and instinctual.”
When the team is in a rut, like the Devils have been, the last thing fans want to see is players joking on the bench when down on the scoresheet, but in that moment it is important for the group.
“Sometimes you see guys laughing on the bench and to the fans those players might look like they are disengaged, not interested or whatever, but it is a game, so you have to kind of approach it that way," Brown continued. "You have to be having fun if you want to play your best.”
A perfect example that proves Brown’s point is Game 7 between the Devils and New York Rangers in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Nico Hischier and his team were laughing and hollering playing sewer ball ahead of the game, loose and enjoying every moment leading up to that night’s challenge. Down the hall, near the visitor’s locker room, one could hear a pin drop, as the air was thick with tension as Rangers players prepared for the elimination game.
That night, New Jersey defeated their Hudson River Rivals, 4–0.
© Ed Mulholland-Imagn ImagesAs positive as Pesce wants to be, he can feel when the energy begins to drain from the bench, and when that does, the head coach can only do so much.
“Obviously, the coach can help a little bit, which he does, just addressing some structural things,” Pesce explained. “But if guys aren't going, if everyone is kind of lagging behind, you have to drag each other into the fight.
“Sometimes someone has got to drag me into the fight,” he candidly continued. “Obviously, I don't have it every night, no one does, right? It is nice when you hear someone step up and be vocal and positive, or even negative, whatever it is, just to show any type of emotion, gives a boost to the group.”
Dillon, who has played over 1,000 NHL games echoed what Brown shared about understanding how guys respond to get the most out of individual players.
“You can yell and scream, and some guys react to that positively,” he said. “Some guys go into a shell. I think in between periods is when the adjustments or the actual conversations of what needs to happen or change happen.”
“Everyone makes mistakes,” Pesce said. “I make mistakes. The guys know when you mess up. (If) it happens a few times in a game, then maybe you say something. At the end of the day, whatever you say, it is just trying to help your team win.”
With age and experience, players learn how to control their emotions as they sit, waiting for their next shift. In addition to their roles on the ice, players have taken on a role on the bench as well. Hischier, a captain who leads by example, will always look to drag his team into the fight. Pesce, who jokingly said he doesn’t shut up, will play his part to keep his teammates loose.
It doesn’t always go according to plan as no team finishes a season with an 82-0 record, but understanding the emotional highs and lows and managing it is a crucial part of the game. On Monday night, the team was successful in doing so, earning a 2-1 victory over the Flames. The Devils will look to continue that trend on Tuesday night against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place.
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