Before arriving at the Lenovo Center on Saturday afternoon, New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer will take his pregame nap. Usually, he strives for two hours.
“I like sleeping,” he told The Hockey News with a smile. “I like napping on game days, and if I get the opportunity to sleep in, I love sleeping in. I enjoy my sleep very much.
“On an off day or practice day, I like to enjoy my day, but definitely, on game day, I like getting the long nap in.”
After he naps, he and his teammates will arrive at the arena and prepare for their 5:00 p.m. game against one of their most challenging opponents, the Carolina Hurricanes.
When Mercer steps onto the ice, it will mark his 400th consecutive NHL game since making his debut on Oct. 15, 2021.
On Feb. 25, 2023, with Scott Gomez at Prudential Center, Mercer passed Gomez’s record of 141 consecutive games played to start his career. By Saturday night, he will be two games away from surpassing Travis Zajac’s all-time iron man record for 401 straight games from 2006-11.
Before the Devils left for their current road trip, The Hockey News caught up with Mercer to discuss his versatility, ironman streak, and more.
On whether having too much versatility as a player can be a negative...
“Depends on how you look at it. As of now, we have been pretty fortunate. It is good without the injuries. There hasn't been a lot of switching since (Jack Hughes) has come back. Right now, it has been nice to be steady in the same position.”
On if he came close to losing his ironman streak...
“Well, early on, back when it was COVID-19, (during) the first year, I was worried about that. In terms of anything else, no, not really, I wouldn't say so. Knock on wood, the body has been pretty good.”
On whether he credits his durability to his recovery or the way he plays the game...
“For me, I try not to put myself in positions to get injured. Just play a bit smart. At the same time, I am a player who goes around the net, goes on the walls, and battles. You just have to know who you are going against and kind of balance it to give you the best outcome to still win the puck.”
On his line with Nico Hischier and Timo Meier...
“We are trying to work on (certain) aspects like creating more offense and getting pucks in, but as a line overall, I think we communicate pretty well. We are on the same page. We have played a good amount of games together, so just trying to keep pushing it to make sure that we can find a way to create more offense.”
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