Devils Top Oilers, 5-3, in Matinee

The New Jersey Devils continued their early-season roll by besting the Edmonton Oilers, 5-3, today in an NHL matinee at the Prudential Center in Newark.

Brett Pesce (New Hampshire) assisted on the Devils' game-opening goal in the second period, while Jack Roslovic (Miami) had an assist for the Oilers on their first goal, after the Devils had taken a 2-1 lead. Luke Glendening (Michigan) notched four hits in all and also helped set up New Jersey's third goal, which came shorthanded. 

New Jersey outshot Edmonton, 30-23, on the afternoon, while the Oilers won 29 out of 50 faceoffs overall. The two teams will finish their two-game season series on Jan. 20 in Alberta.

Devils Done After 5-4 Double OT Loss

The New Jersey Devils 2024-25 campaign came to end with a 5-4 loss in double overtime at Carolina on Tuesday night. The Hurricanes win the first-round Stanley Cup playoff series, four games to one, becoming the first NHL team to end a playoff series this spring.

Shayne Gostisbehere (Union) assisted on both the tying and winning goals for Carolina, which fought back from 3-0 and 4-3 deficits to oust New Jersey for the fifth time in the postseason since 2002. Jackson Blake (North Dakota) also scored for the Hurricanes, assisted by Mark Jankowski (Providence). Paul Cotter (Western Michigan) assisted on New Jersey's final goal, while Seamus Casey (Michigan) made his NHL playoff debut for the Devils with two blocks and one hit.

Also in the Eastern Conference, Ottawa stayed alive and forced a Game Six by blanking host Toronto, 4-0. Brady Tkachuk (Boston University) notched a goal and two assists for the Senators, while Anthony Stolarz (Omaha) took the loss for the Maple Leafs on 15 saves.

In the Western Conference, Vegas took a three games-to-two lead over visiting Minnesota with a 3-2 OT victory, as Jack Eichel (Boston University) assisted on two goals for the victorious Golden Knights. Matt Boldy (Boston College) scored his fifth goal of the series for the Wild in defeat.

Also out west, Edmonton won its third straight game, this time at Los Angeles, in collecting a 3-1 victory over the host Kings to take a three to two series lead. Zach Hyman (Michigan) led the Oilers with six shots on goal.

BU's Kaplan Debuts with NHL's Flyers

Devin Kaplan became the newest forward from the 2024-25 Boston University men's hockey team to make his NHL debut this month. 

Kaplan, 21, a junior right wing who signed with the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this week, made his big league debut last night in the Flyers' season-ending 5-4 loss to visiting Buffalo, recording one hit and one shot attempt in just over 12 minutes of ice time. The Bridgewater, N.J. native spent the last three years at BU after being drafted 69th overall by Philadelphia in 2022, recording 25 goals and 39 assists for 64 points in 115 collegiate outings with the Terriers. 

Quinn Hutson, who won the Tim Taylor Award this season as the top rookie in men's college hockey, has played in two games with the Edmonton Oilers after signing with the reigning NHL Western Conference champions as a free agent. The junior right wing from Barrington, Ill. notched 56-58—114 points in 117 games with the Terriers. Hutson, 23, also led BU in scoring this season, with career highs of 23-27—50 points in 38 contests.

Ryan Greene, who captained the Terriers this season as a junior, signed with the Chicago Blackhawks and played in two games with the Original Six franchise that drafted him 57th overall in 2022. The Paradise, Nfld. native, who turns 22 in October, collected 34-71—105 points 118 career appearances with BU as a center.

Kaplan, Huston, and Greene helped BU to three consecutive NCAA Frozen Fours in their college careers, including this year's national title game, plus the 2023 Hockey East regular-season and conference championships, along with this year's Beanpot Tournament crown. In all, they guided the Terriers to an overall record of 81-35-4 over the last three years.

In addition, senior center Matt Caponi, who played this season at BU after skating for three years with Merrimack, signed with Bakersfield (AHL) and has played in one game with the Condors. Drafted 216th overall by Edmonton in 2023, the 21-year-old Mansfield, Mass. native put up 6-18—24 points in 40 games in his lone campaign as a Terrier. 

Also signing recently was BU sophomore left wing Shane Lachance, whose NHL rights had earlier been traded from Edmonton to the New Jersey Devils. LaChance, 21, from Andover, Mass., registered 25-32—57 points in 80 career games with the Terriers, including a goal in the 2025 NCAA championship game, and has been assigned by the Devils to Utica (AHL). 

Detroit Downs Devils, 5-2

The Detroit Red Wings extended their winning streak to three games with a 5-2 victory at New Jersey last night. The Red Wings win the season series, two games to one.

Detroit's Dylan Larkin (Michigan) scored his 30th goal of the season, which turned out to be the game-winner, and added an assist. He has now scored at least 30 goals in four straight seasons. J.T. Compher (Michigan) also scored for the Red Wings, while Alex Lyon (Yale) made 28 saves. Erik Haula (Minnesota) notched a goal and an assist for the host Devils, with Seamus Casey (Michigan) assisting on Haula's goal. Devils defenseman Brian Dumoulin (Boston College) logged a game-high time on ice of 26:17 before a crowd of 16,514 at the Prudential Center in Newark.

The Devils, who will face Carolina in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, closed out their regular season with a 42-33-7 overall record, and finished third in the Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division. The Red Wings (39-35-7), who have been eliminated from NHL postseason consideration for the ninth consecutive year, will close out their 2024-25 campaign tonight at Toronto.

BC's Dumoulin Dealt to Devils

Two-time Stanley Cup champion and native New Englander Brian Dumoulin (Boston College) is headed back east.

The veteran NHL defenseman from Biddeford, Maine was acquired by the New Jersey Devils today from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for prospect Herman Traff and a conditional second-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Ducks will also retain 50 percent of Dumoulin's salary for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign.

Dumoulin, 33, tallied two goals and 14 assists for 16 points in 61 games with Anaheim this season, after skating last winter with the Seattle Kraken. He spent the previous eight years with the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning Stanley Cup titles with them in 2016 and 2017. In 687 career regular-season NHL outings, he has tallied 27-144—171 points, to go along with 4-21—25 points in 81 career Stanley Cup Playoff outings.

The first Maine native to have his name inscribed on the Stanley Cup, the 6-foot-4, 214-pound Dumoulin was drafted 51st overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2009 before later having his rights dealt to Pittsburgh. After playing junior hockey with the EJHL's New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, he spent three seasons with Boston College, recording 11-71—82 points in 123 appearances with BC and earning two All-America selections while helping the Eagles to NCAA championships in 2010 and 2012.

Devils Sweep Sabres to Open NHL Season

Paul Cotter (Western Michigan) scored a goal in each game as the New Jersey Devils opened the 2024-25 NHL regular season with a two-step sweep of the Buffalo Sabres in the Czech Republic. The Canton, Mich. native tallied a goal and an assist in New Jersey's season-opening 4-1 win on Friday, and then added another goal in Saturday's 3-1 triumph. Owen Power (Michigan) and Tage Thompson (UConn) scored for the Sabres on the weekend, while Devon Levi (Northeastern) stopped 37 shots on Saturday.

Cotter played in eight games with WMU during the 2018-19 campaign, recording one assist before leaving Kalamazoo to play for London (OHL). He spent the last three seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights, notching career highs of 18 assists and 25 points last year in 76 outings. The Devils return to action at home in Newark on Thursday against Toronto, while the Sabres will visit Los Angeles that evening.

Penguins Rebound to Down Devils, 6-3

Bryan Rust (Notre Dame) set up two goals, and Jack St. Ivany (Boston College) notched his first NHL point with an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied in the third period to defeat the host New Jersey Devils, 6-3, last night in Newark.

Down by a 3-1 score after two periods of play, the Penguins responded with five goals on nine shots over the final 20 minutes, including a empty-net tally, before 16,514 at the Prudential Center. Pittsburgh (34-30-11 overall), which missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year for the first time in 17 seasons, is now three points ahead of New Jersey in the race among several teams for the second and final wild card spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference.

John Marino (Harvard) assisted on both Devils' goals in the second period, after Luke Hughes (Michigan) set up New Jersey's first period power-play score. New Jersey (36-35-4) outshot Pittsburgh on the night, 26-21, but fell to 17-19-2 at home this season. The Penguins are 5-3-2 in their last 10 outings overall.

2024 NHL Stadium Series Stars Former NCAA Skaters

The 2024 NHL Stadium Series has come and gone, and former NCAA players played their part.

John Marino (Harvard) tallied two assists and Erik Haula (Minnesota) set up another goal as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 6-3, outdoors on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. It was the Devils' first game in their original home of the Meadowlands since 2007, and came before a crowd of 70,328 at the current home of the NFL's Jets and Giants. Nick Seeler (Minnesota) notched the third goal for the Flyers.

On Sunday afternoon, Chris Kreider (Boston College) tipped home a power-play goal in the third period as the New York Rangers rebounded for a 6-5 overtime win over the New York Islanders in the two rivals' first meeting since Dec. 2022. Adam Fox (Harvard) collected two assists for the Rangers, who came back from 4-1 and 5-3 deficits to improve to 5-0-0 all-time in outdoor games. Islanders captain Anders Lee (Notre Dame) also registered a power-play goal on a deflection, while Brock Nelson (North Dakota) scored the Islanders' first goal and later added an assist. Attendance was 79,690.

Haula, Devils Advance to Stanley Cup Second Round

Erik Haula (Minnesota) and the New Jersey Devils just kept on going—and now they're going to the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Devils won Game Seven of their first-round series Monday night, defeating their visiting rivals, the New York Rangers, 4-0, at the Prudential Center in Newark to claim the series, four games to three, after dropping the first two games last month. New Jersey then won four of the last five contests, with Haula leading all Devils skaters with four goals and two assists over the last six games of the series, including their third goal in the series clincher. It was the first Stanley Cup Playoff series for the Devils since 2018, and their first postseason series victory since 2012.

Haula, 32, a veteran forward from Pori, Finland, now has 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points in 68 career NHL playoff games with Minnesota, Vegas, Florida, Nashville, Boston and New Jersey. Drafted 182nd overall by the Minnesota Wild before skating one season for Omaha (USHL), he then played three years at the University of Minnesota, recording 42-82—124 points in 124 games with the Golden Gophers from 2010 to 2013 while guiding them to two NCAA tournaments. He also helped Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, in that franchise's inaugural NHL campaign.

New Jersey opens its second-round Eastern Conference series at Carolina on Tuesday night.

Andy Greene Retires as NHL Player

Longtime NHL defenseman Andy Greene (Miami) has called it a career.

Greene, 39, from Trenton, Mich., signed a one-day contract this week with his original team, the New Jersey Devils, before retiring as an active player after 16 full NHL campaigns.

In 1057 NHL regular-season outings with the Devils and New York Islanders, from 2006-07 through 2021-22, Greene scored 52 goals and assisted on 212 others for 264 career points, to go along with 277 penalty minutes. A former Devils captain (2014-2020), the 5-foot-11 Greene added 5-9⁠—14 points and 42 PIM in 90 career Stanley Cup playoff contests. He helped New Jersey to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, and after being traded to New York during the 2019-20 season, helped the Islanders to both the 2020 and 2021 Eastern Conference finals.

A product of his hometown Trenton High School, Greene also played two full years of junior hockey with Compuware (NAHL) in Plymouth, Mich., earning NAHL Defenseman of the Year accolades in 2001-02 while also leading the Ambassadors to the Robertson Cup championship. He then enrolled at Miami (Ohio), where he tallied 27-87—114 points and 256 PIM over four years. He was a two-time All-America selection and a two-time CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman choice, and led the Red Hawks to the 2005-06 CCHA regular season title and two NCAA tournament appearances. He also served as Miami's captain his last two seasons.

An undrafted free agent, Greene signed with the Devils in 2006. He played 52 games with Lowell (AHL), and also skated in the AHL All-Star Game that season, before joining New Jersey for its 2007 playoff run and spending the rest of his career in the NHL. He also suited up for Team USA in the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany.

BU Tabs Pandolfo as New Head Coach

Former Terriers forward and 1995 NCAA champion Jay Pandolfo is the new men's ice hockey head coach at Boston University.

Pandolfo, 47, who served last season as an associate head coach with his alma mater, succeeds Albie O'Connell, who was not retained by BU after four seasons at the helm.

Pandolfo began his coaching career in 2014 the NHL's Boston Bruins, where he remained for eight seasons in various roles before returning to BU last year. He was also a part of Boston's 2019 Eastern Conference championship squad.

A native of Winchester, Mass., Pandolfo was a junior on BU's 1995 national title team that also won the Hockey East championship. As a senior in 1995-96, he scored a career-high 38 goals, earning him First Team All-America accolades, and finished his four year-career with 79 goals and 90 assists for 169 points.

Drafted 32nd overall by the New Jersey Devils in 1993, Pandolfo went on to play in 15 NHL campaigns with the Devils, New York Islanders, and Bruins before retiring in 2013. He finished with 100-126—226 points in 899 NHL regular-season outings, and added 11-22—33 points in 131 Stanley Cup Playoff contests, while winning the Cup with New Jersey in both 2000 and 2003.

Dekeyser, Detroit Blank Devils

Andrew Hammond (Bowling Green) allowed just one goal on Sunday. Unfortunately, his New Jersey Devils teammates couldn't score any for him.

The visiting Detroit Red Wings made a first-period goal stand up, and then added two empty-net tallies in the final three minutes of regulation, for a 3-0 victory in an NHL contest on Sunday afternoon at the Prudential Center in Newark. Both teams also had a goal disallowed during the game, the Devils for an offside play in the second period, and the Red Wings for goalie interference in the final frame.

Hammond, who backstopped BGSU from 2009 to 2013, finished with 21 saves for the Devils, who have now lost three consecutive games and five of their last six outings, including shootouts. New Jersey also tied a club record with just 17 shots on goal in the loss.

Danny Dekeyser (Western Michigan) recorded an assist for the Red Wings, who snapped a two-game losing skid with the win. He would have also drawn an assist on the disallowed Detroit goal.

The two teams will meet again in New Jersey on Friday night to close out the 2021-22 NHL regular season. Both clubs have been eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention.

UND's Zajac Retires from NHL

Travis Zajac (North Dakota) has called it an NHL career.

Zajac, 36, signed a one-day contract earlier this week to retire as a New Jersey Devil, the team he spent almost all of his 15-year professional career with. Traded to the New York Islanders at the 2021 trade deadline, he played in 13 regular-season and 14 playoff contests with the Isles, notching two goals and four points in all, while helping them to within a game of the Stanley Cup Final.

The 6-foot-2 center from Winnipeg was drafted 20th overall by New Jersey in 2004 and made his Devils debut in 2006-07, their final season playing in the Meadowlands. In 1,037 regular-season NHL outings, he posted 203 goals and 349 assists for 552 points and 334 penalty minutes, to go with 12-18—30 points and 26 PIM in 71 Stanley Cup Playoff contests. 

Zajac was also a member of New Jersey's 2012 Eastern Conference championship team, and is among the Devils' all-time leaders in games played, goals, assists, and points. He also owns the franchise record for most consecutive games played (401), established from the start of the 2006-07 season through the close of the 2010-11 campaign.

Zajac, who earned a silver medal with Canada at the 2019 World Championship, played two collegiate seasons at UND, where he tallied 38-48—86 points in 91 games with the then-Fighting Sioux. He helped UND to the Frozen Four in both of his NCAA campaigns, including the 2005 national championship game in Columbus, Ohio. His brothers Darcy (North Dakota), Kelly (Union) and Nolan (Denver) also played college hockey.

Zajac is now expected to join the Devils organization in an as-yet undefined capacity.

Maine's Gendron Gone at 63

University of Maine men's hockey coach Dennis "Red" Gendron passed away on Friday at the age of 63.

A 1979 graduate of New England College, where he was a three-year hockey captain, Gendron had helmed Maine since 2013, and compiled an overall record of 103-137-32 while heading the Black Bears.

After a successful high school coaching career in New Hampshire and Vermont following his college graduation, Gendron began his collegiate coaching career at Maine as an assistant in 1990. He spent three seasons in Orono, helping the Black Bears to the 1993 NCAA championship, before moving on to the NHL and the New Jersey Devils. 

He worked three years with New Jersey as an assistant/video coach, earning a Stanley Cup ring in 1995. He then headed to Albany (AHL) as an assistant for four seasons, while also serving as a scout for New Jersey from 1996 to 2002, before taking over the Albany River Rats as head coach for the 2002-03 and 2003-04 campaigns. He earned additional Stanley Cup rings with the Devils in 2000 and 2003. 

A two-time assistant coach with the U.S. at the World Junior Championship in 2001 and 2002, Gendron spent the 2004-05 season as GM/head coach with Indiana (USHL) in the junior hockey ranks, before heading back to college hockey as an assistant at UMass from 2005 to 2011. The Minutemen made the NCAA tournament in 2007. 

After two years as associate coach at Yale University, where he helped the Bulldogs to the 2013 NCAA title, Gendron took the head coaching job at Maine. In his last full season with the Black Bears in 2019-20, he guided them to an 18-11-5 overall record and a potential NCAA tournament berth, before the season was ultimately canceled by COVID-19.

Devils Trade Zajac, Palmieri to Islanders

 

Travis Zajac (North Dakota) and Kyle Palmieri (Notre Dame) are moving to Long Island.

The now-former New Jersey Devils forwards were traded yesterday to the New York islanders for a 2021 first-round NHL draft choice, a 2022 conditional fourth-round choice, and minor-league forwards A.J. Greer (Boston University) and Mason Jobst (Ohio State).

Zajac, 34, who played in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game earlier this season, has been a fixture in New Jersey since turning pro in 2006-07 after two years with North Dakota, whom he helped to two NCAA Frozen Fours. In that span he has recorded 202 goals and 348 assists for 550 points in 1,024 regular-season NHL appearances. He also has 11-17—28 points in 57 Stanley Cup playoff contests, and led the Devils to their 2012 Eastern Conference championship.

Palmieri, 30, who sat out New Jersey's last several games while awaiting a trade, began his NHL career with Anaheim in 2010-11, two years after the Ducks drafted him 26th overall, and just after he played his one season at Notre Dame. He joined New Jersey in 2015-16 and has proceeded to register five straight years of 20 or more goals. In 595 career NHL regular-season outings, Palmieri has posted 183-172—355 points, along with 8-7—15 totals in 38 Stanley Cup playoff appearances.

Greer, 24, played parts of two seasons at Boston University before jumping to the major junior ranks. Drafted 39th overall by Colorado in 2015, after helping BU to the NCAA national title game that year, he has recorded a goals and five assists for six points in 37 NHL regular-season games, all with the Avalanche.

Jobst, 27, a two-year team captain at Ohio State who helped the Buckeyes to the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four, has spent the last two seasons with Bridgeport (AHL). In 51 outings with the Sound Tigers, he has put up 5-10—15 points.

Devils Downed in Reverse Retro Debut

 

The New Jersey Devils made their debut in green on Tuesday night. Unfortunately, it didn't help them to a victory.

Oliver Wahlstrom (Boston College) and Anders Lee (Notre Dame) scored for the New York Islanders in their 2-1 win over the host Devils at the Prudential Center in Newark, the first game in which fans were allowed at a Devils home game since late last season. About 1,800 spectators were allowed, due to COVID-19 regulations.

New Jersey, which wore red, white and green from 1982 to 1991 before switching to red, white and black, debuted its Reverse Retro uniform in the contest. It marked the first time that the club had worn green helmets, gloves, jerseys and socks in its history, along with red pants.

Wahlstrom's goal 70 seconds into the third period, a wrist shot from above the right circle, broke a scoreless tie and gave New York a lead it would not relinquish. The goal was his third in his last four games, and also gave the Quincy, Mass. native six points over his last five appearances.

Lee followed up his own rebound in front of the New Jersey net with just over 12 minutes remaining in regulation for the game-winner. It was also his team-leading 10th goal of the 2020-21 campaign, giving him double-digit goals in seven straight NHL seasons.

Miles Wood (Boston College) scored from the doorstep with less than 15 seconds left in the third period to put New Jersey on the scoreboard, his team-best seventh goal of the season, but it wasn't enough for the home team. Aaron Dell (North Dakota) made 18 stops for the Devils in his second start for New Jersey, after being being claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs last month.

New Jersey, which has lost six of its last seven outings, entertains the rival New York Rangers tonight, while the Islanders host the Buffalo Sabres.

UND Alumni Star in Capitals/Devils Contest

It was a day for North Dakota alumni in Washington, D.C.

T.J. Oshie scored two goals for the host Washington Capitals, and also assisted on the game-winner, in a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. For the visitors, Aaron Dell made his Devils debut with a 37-save effort in net, while forward Travis Zajac played in his 1,000th NHL contest, all of them with New Jersey.

Oshie, 34, skated for UND from 2005 to 2008, notching 142 points in 129 games while also helping the then-Fighting Sioux to three consecutive NCAA Frozen Fours.

Zajac, 35, played two years at UND (2004-06), including one with Oshie, and helped the Sioux to two Frozen Fours while recording 86 points in 91 appearances.

Dell, 31, who was claimed off waivers from the San Jose Sharks last month, backstopped UND from 2009 to 2012. He compiled a 49-20-5 record with a 2.15 goals-against average and nine shutouts in three years, while also backstopping UND to a berth in the 2011 Frozen Four.

Butcher Scores for Devils in NHL Return

Will Butcher (Denver) hadn't played an NHL game in almost a year. On Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, he made his 2020-21 debut with a goal in the New Jersey Devils' 5-2 triumph over the host New York Rangers.

Butcher's second period goal, a shot from the left corner that deflected in off of New York defenseman Jacob Trouba (Michigan), gave the Devils a 2-1 lead at the time. After the Rangers rebounded to tie the game just before intermission, New Jersey tallied three unanswered goals in the third period for the win. 

It was the Devils' first game in nearly three weeks, after the organization was shut down by COVID-19 concerns. Butcher, who led DU to the 2017 NCAA title on defense while also winning the Hobey Baker Memorial Award himself that year, now has 14 goals in his NHL career. he had been out of the Devils lineup since February 2020 after injuring his thumb and requiring surgery.

In Buffalo, Anders Lee (Notre Dame), captain of the New York Islanders, scored two goals, the game-winner and also an empty-netter, in New York's 3-0 victory over the host Sabres. Lee, who skated for the Fighting Irish from 2010 to 2013, now has seven goals and 10 points in 15 outings so far this season for the Islanders.

DU's Mermis Scores First NHL Goal for Devils

Dakota Mermis (Denver) played just 19 games in his NCAA career. It took him 18 games to score his first NHL goal.

Mermis, 26, beat Jordan Binnington with a wrist shot from the left circle on Friday evening to help the host New Jersey Devils defeat the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues, 4-2, at the Prudential Center. It was also the first time the Devils had beaten the Blues in 13 meetings.

A defenseman from Alton, Ill., Mermis played at DU during the 2012-13 season, notching a goal and three assists before leaving midway through the year to join London (OHL). He spent the next full season in London, before splitting the 2014-15 campaign between the Knights and Oshawa (OHL).

Mermis turned pro in 2015-16 with Springfield (AHL), then played most of the next three seasons with Tucson (AHL) while also making 10 scoreless NHL appearances with the Arizona Coyotes.

Mermis tallied three goals and 19 points in 53 games with Binghamton (AHL) this year before being called up to New Jersey early in 2020. In nine games to date with the parent Devils, he has a goal and three assists.

Devils Deal Greene and Coleman

A pair of former Miami (Ohio) Red Hawks are now former New Jersey Devils.

The Devils traded longtime captain and senior defenseman Andy Greene to the New York Islanders on Sunday, shortly before dealing forward Blake Coleman to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both players were dealt for draft picks, with Green going to Long Island for David Quenneville plus a second-round draft choice in 2021, while Coleman went to Tampa Bay for Nolan Foote along with a conditional first-round draft choice from Vancouver in 2020 or 2021. Both Green and Coleman had spent the entirety of their NHL careers with the Devils.

Greene, 37, had served as the Devils captain since the 2015-16 NHL campaign, after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant captain. A member of New Jersey’s 2012 Eastern Conference championship club, he had recorded two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 53 games so far this season. He has also collected 49-197—246 points and 259 penalty minutes in 923 career NHL regular-season games, plus nine points and 22 PIM in 50 Stanley Cup Playoff contests, after signing with the Devils as a free agent in 2006. A native of Trenton, Mich., Greene played the four seasons prior (2002-2006) at Miami, where he posted 27-87—114 points and 256 PIM in 159 outings, and led the Red Hawks to two NCAA Tournament appearances and a CCHA regular-season title.

A third-round draft choice (75th overall) of New Jersey in 2011, Coleman, 28, was second on the Devils so far this season with 21 goals and fourth with 31 points. In 237 career NHL regular-season games since 2016, he has registered 57-37—94 points and 188 PIM, to go with two goals in five Stanley Cup Playoff appearances. In four seasons at Miami (2011-2015), Coleman produced 60-47—107 points and 276 PIM in 143 outings, while leading the Red Hawks to an NCHC tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament berth as a senior assistant captain.