Since turning pro on May 6, 2024, there are a few things fans have come to expect from New Jersey Devils  prospect Seamus Casey: excellent vision on the ice, high hockey IQ, and making an impact in the offensive zone. One thing not expected is 5-foot-10, 181-pound Casey dropping the gloves, but on Jan. 24, 2026, he did just that.

“They are going to go! Casey and Duke. Former teammates at U. Michigan going at it right in front of the Comets’ bench!”

That night, the 22-year-old was one goal shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick as he also earned an assist on Brian Halonen’s second goal of the game.

It was an unexpected turn of events. Not only for the fans watching, but for his Utica Comets teammates on the bench as well.

“I saw them going at it and in no way did I think they were going to drop the gloves,” Casey’s teammate Dylan Wendt told The Hockey News. “All the boys were loving it, especially with him and Dylan Duke being former college teammates and being super competitive. It was awesome to see Casey showing the boys that he is willing to do anything to compete and win.”

Casey began the 2025-26 season with an injury, and after the preseason, remained in New Jersey to rehab. He was loaned to the Comets and made his season debut on October 25th.

An organizational decision was made to keep the youngster in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the majority of 2025-26, with Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe saying, “We made the decision to have him get to Utica and get playing consistently without disruption. We think that it is really important, regardless of what we are going through, just for his own development. We want some stability there for him.”

Casey’s development this season has focused on him becoming a harder player to play against.

“For him, it is body position, working on disrupting plays and ending plays as quickly as he can with his stick,” Comets head coach Ryan Parent said. “It is a focus that he has, and something that he is working on, and we are working on here.”

Comets goaltender Nico Daws and defenseman Colton White, who played 10 games for Utica this season, have seen improvements in Casey’s defensive game.

“From watching his game grow over the past couple of years, I think he has become a lot more well-rounded,” Daws shared. “Obviously, everybody knows about how offensively gifted Casey is. He has all the tools there, but I think defensively, his game has been really good this year. It has been nice. I am a big fan of his.”

“I think his defending has actually gotten a lot better,” White added. “Even this year, like boxing out and stuff like that. He is not going to out-muscle guys, but he is always in the way and way better positionally than he was last year, and I think it is because of how smart he is.”

In 29 games with the Comets, Casey has 19 points (one goal, 18 assists), tied for the second-most on the team with Xavier Parent behind Lenni Hämeenaho.

His play this season earned him a second consecutive American Hockey League All-Star Classic selection. Unfortunately, a lower-body injury kept Casey from participating, with forward Brian Halonen replacing him.

In a phone interview, Parent told The Hockey News they are still waiting for a set timeline for Casey, who hasn’t played since Jan. 25.

The defenseman’s play with the puck continues to be his strength, along with quarterbacking the power play. 
“He is able to create a lot of space for himself with his footwork and deception,” Parent said. “That is something that he does exceptionally well. He has a really good ability to find lanes and work to create little lanes in the offensive zone to get pucks on net.”
As Herb Brook said, “the legs feed the wolf,” and that has always been one of Casey’s best attributes. 
“His skating is unbelievable,” White shared. “He is able to beat guys one-on-one with his skating, but also his hockey sense. He is smarter than most guys on the ice, and that is why he has been able to produce at the NHL level more than a lot of guys can. Even last year, what he was able to do in the American League as a rookie is really hard to do.”
Casey has 16 career NHL games and 59 AHL games under his belt. The foundation of an impactful player is there. The areas that need improvement have been identified, and Casey has shown that he is committed to the process and will venture outside of his comfort zone, like dropping the gloves to Duke to show he is willing to do whatever it takes.
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