The New Jersey Devils held their end-of-the-season press conferences today and rookies Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec said they will be representing their countries at the World Championship.
The New Jersey Devils held their end-of-the-season press conferences today and rookies Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec said they will be representing their countries at the World Championship.
The tournament will begin on May. 10 in Prague, Czechia. It was confirmed earlier this year that the Devils will kick off the 2024-25 season in Prague when they play the Buffalo Sabres.
Nemec and Hughes had very positive rookie seasons and will play important roles for their countries. Nemec will likely receive a lot of ice time on the Slovakia blue line and depending on who decides to play for the U.S., Hughes will play a large role as well. Both will gain great experience and confidence.
Hughes will likely finish as a Calder Trophy finalist. This season he scored nine goals and 47 points playing in all 82 games. When Dougie Hamilton had his season ended with an injury, the 20-year-old was forced to step into a bigger role and he delivered. He set multiple franchise rookie records this season.
Nemec's season didn't mirror the same production as Hughes but he showed many flashes of what he will provide the Devils on the back end for a long time. In 60 games he scored three goals and 19 points. His ability to move the puck and defend the rush were the strong elements of his game that he consistently showed while the rest of his game continuously improved. As he gets older, stronger and more confident, his all-around game will shine.
This will be the second time Hughes has represented the USA at the World Championship and the third time Nemec has represented Slovakia.
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