Nick Bjugstad was enjoying the St. Louis Blues’ dad's trip when he and his father, Mike, were notified that he was traded to the New Jersey Devils.
The 33-year-old was sent to the Garden State in exchange for Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft on Feb. 4, 2026.
On Saturday, he returns to Enterprise Center wearing black and red to face his former team for the first time. After a recent practice, The Hockey News sat with Bjugstad for a mini Q&A. During the interview, he spoke about his love for the game, career trajectory, and more.
The Hockey News: Lisa Kudrow has publicly spoken about how it took a few years to settle into her Friends character, Phoebe Buffay. How long did it take you to get comfortable and understand what it takes to be an NHLer, day in and day out?
Nick Bjugstad: That is one of the best questions I have had in a long time. I haven't thought about it, but honestly, it ebbs and flows. Some days you are comfortable, and some days you are out of your comfort zone, depending on how you are doing, how the team is doing.
I would say two or three years. I got thrown into the mix right away, (when I was) pretty young in Florida. As far as the off-ice dynamics, you definitely sit back and observe as a young guy, or I did at least.
THN: Is there a particular moment in your career that you would love to show to your younger self to say this is going to be you in the future?
Bjugstad: Probably my first NHL game. Honestly, the goal was to make it and play college hockey when I was a kid, and that didn't seem feasible. For me, every level I was going to it was like, ‘Wow, if I could make that team.’ Whether it was high school or college, and then it kind of incrementally happened.
I would say the first game in the NHL, I was like, ‘Wow, I am here.’
(I made my debut against) Washington, and one of my favorite players at the time, Alex Ovechkin. He had a hat trick; it was a wow moment.
THN: Was there ever a moment in your career when you started to lose your love for the game?
Bjugstad: I have been injured a decent bit in my career. The injuries, and when you are faced with the adversity of the pain and possibly not making it back, that has probably been my time where I wonder what I am doing.
Then you make it out of it, and it is a beautiful thing. Those things have been lessons or teachers for me to learn about myself, learn my body, and just get through the storm. There are plenty of storms when you are in the NHL for a long period of time. Any athlete will say that when you look back, you are thankful for those times, but when you are in it, you are really contemplating what is going on and what you are doing.
THN: What has hockey given you?
Bjugstad: It has given me an opportunity to, first and foremost, be around a lot of amazing people. Along with that, learning myself in ways that I don't know that I would have otherwise discovered, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, everything.
It has given me the opportunity to really show up every day and perform at a high level, and it holds you accountable. Hockey holds you accountable every day. One day you feel good about yourself, and then the next day you might not. It is kind of a microcosm of life.
THN: At this point, does hockey feel like a job to you, or is it still your passion that you have had since you were a kid?
Bjugstad: I have never thought of it as a job, honestly. I still enjoy practicing. I guess I will never really consider it a job, just because I have played it for so long when it wasn't. We are lucky to be doing it (for a living).
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