The New Jersey Devils may have put an end to trade speculation surrounding defenseman Dougie Hamilton in their schedule release video.
The 32-year-old stunned fans with his surprise appearance at the end of the video, where he revealed that he was the one in the New Jersey Devils mascot costume.
You can watch the video here:
In the creative release, the team featured the mascot, the NJ Devil, throwing dodgeballs at kids wearing apparel from different NHL teams. After each hit, the video revealed the dates of the matchups against that team.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and several other teams were featured in the video.
While the lighthearted concept was entertaining, it left fans wondering: Was there a hidden message from the Devils?
At the end of the video, the NJ Devil removed his head to reveal none other than Dougie Hamilton.
Hamilton has been the subject of trade rumors ahead of the 2025–26 season.
Sources say Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald was “shopping” Hamilton and listening to offers from other teams.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said on his podcast, 32 Thoughts:
“The next biggest question for the Devils is Dougie Hamilton. He went from a full no-move clause to a partial no-trade. I’m just curious here to see what happens. They paid him his bonus on July 1. I don’t have a great feel for it in terms of percentage chances that anything occurs with him, but I know his name was kind of out there a little bit, and I’ve heard that they have been talking to a couple of teams. So, we’ll see where that goes.”
Hamilton is currently the highest-paid player on the Devils’ roster. He is entering the fifth year of a seven-year, $63 million contract with an AAV of $9 million.
He recently modified his no-trade clause, going from a full restriction to a partial no-trade, meaning he can now be traded to a list of 10 select teams.
A trade could free up valuable cap space, but Hamilton still brings significant value to the team.
Did the Devils shut down the rumors by making Hamilton the only player featured in the schedule release video? It’s hard to say for sure, but it certainly feels like it.
At the end of the video, after the reveal, Hamilton says, “Still got this.”
There are multiple interpretations of what he meant, and what message the organization was sending by including that line.
At 32, Hamilton is older than the core of the Devils’ young roster. Was the message intended to show that he’s still in great physical shape? Age has been one factor fueling speculation about trading him.
Regardless of the exact meaning, the video strongly suggests Hamilton will remain in Newark. While the trade rumors were never confirmed, this schedule drop seems to make one thing clear: Hamilton has “still got it.”
Photo Credit: © Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images