You could pick any New Jersey Devils practice.
Any single one between September and April, and you are guaranteed to see one thing.
It may happen during a drill. It may happen between repetitions. But at some point, you will see Connor Brown wave his stick in the air or bang it against the glass, an enthusiastic smile stretching across his face.
Every. Single. Practice.
You don't need advanced analytics to recognize the 32-year-old's passion for hockey. Spend a few minutes watching him at the rink, and it is obvious how much he loves the game. If you need further proof, just ask the teammates who share the ice with him.
“A lot of energy,” Jack Hughes said. “A guy who really loves playing in the NHL. For me, I really appreciate people who love the game and come to the rink every day and have a lot of fun with it.”
“He just loves the game,” Jesper Bratt added. “For guys like me and Jack, who play with him, we can have those constant talks about improvement and trying to get better. Just talk the game, send clips to each other, send videos and just find ways to create more and more all the time. He is extremely invested.”
Brown did not begin the 2025-26 season alongside the duo affectionately known as “peanut butter and jelly.” That changed when Hughes approached his coach, Sheldon Keefe, and made a request.
“Brown is very personable, likes to talk, and is a student of the game,” Keefe said last season. “Guys like [Hughes] and Bratt are drawn to that because of Brown’s personality. Then you look at his experience, playing with elite guys; he picks up on different things, being around them every day. They want to know about and hear about. He also gives them some confidence. He can help them. He can play with them.”
In his first season with the Devils, Brown made an immediate impact both on the ice and in the locker room. His 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) matched the single-season career high he set during the 2019-20 season. He also led the team’s forwards in shorthanded ice time while contributing on the power play.
Over time, he proved to be exactly what the Devils needed on the ice —a versatile depth player who could seamlessly move up the lineup and hold his own when called upon to play top-six minutes.
Off the ice, his value was just as evident. Brown brought a thoughtful, knowledgeable presence to the locker room and quickly became one of the team’s more candid voices, offering insightful analysis and an honest perspective whenever he stepped in front of a microphone.
“A lot of experience and a lot of knowledge from [playing with] different types of teams, but mostly those two years with the Edmonton Oilers,” Bratt said. “A really good voice in the room. A guy who wants to teach everyone else around him the things that he has.
“He is very, very good at expressing his opinions and his knowledge about the game.”
In many ways, the Toronto native was the perfect offseason addition for a team determined to take the next step. After making back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025, Brown understands what it takes to push a team to the brink of a championship—and what it demands to get there.
“He has honestly been a great add for us on the ice,” Jack Hughes continued. “ In the locker room, away from the rink, just a really fun guy to be around.”
Emerging as a leader within the locker room while quietly making his mark on the scoresheet, defenseman Brett Pesce may have summed it up best.
“We are lucky to have him.”
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