USA Hockey’s Impact on these New Jersey Devils

Today is Hockey Day in America! So of course we ask, how has this country’s development of players impacted the New Jersey Devils?

Sunday is Hockey Day in America. As the New Jersey Devils take on the Buffalo Sabres at the Prudential Center, lets take a look at how these Devils are impacted by USA Hockey.

The great game of hockey is really starting to come along in the U.S.A. Everyone is starting to take notice and USA Hockey is really starting to pump out some great players. There are well known stars like former Devils captain Zach Parise, former Hart Trophy winner and three time Stanley Cup Champion Patrick Kane and fan favorite two time Stanley Cup Champion Phil Kessel.

There are also a bunch of young studs that will lead the country in years to come like Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Charlie McAvoy. Of course there are the well know hockey states like Minnesota, Massachusetts and Michigan but some guys are starting to come from markets not known for their hockey prowess.

Matthews hails from Arizona while a guy like Shayne Gostisbehere comes from Florida. Well how do these guys learn about hockey and become a huge fan of it? NHL teams.

That is no different in New Jersey. When the Devils came from Colorado in 1982, New Jersey would start to become a hockey state. Players like James van Riemsdyk, his brother Trevor and the Devils own Kyle Palmieri began playing the great game in the Garden State.

The Devils have had lots of great American players in the past. They are heavily impacted all time by USA Hockey. Guys like Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, and Brian Gionta have all made a serious impact on this franchise and been great players.

In present time they are one of the most American filled teams in the NHL. Kenny Agostino, Joey Anderson, Will Butcher, Blake Coleman, Andy Greene, Keith Kinkaid, Nick Lappin, Ben Lovejoy, Stefan Noesen, Kyle Palmieri, Kevin Rooney, Steven Santini, Cory Schneider, Drew Stafford and Miles Wood are all American. That is a huge portion of a roster to all be born and developed in the United States.

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There is also their head coach, John Hynes. He spent six seasons with the U.S. National Development program. Following that he was hired to be the head coach of the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins who are the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins. They qualified for the playoffs all five years he was their coach, before being hired by the Devils.

Hynes has been a great coach during the rebuild and the young players in the lineup have shown improvement under Hynes. He will be the head coach as long as the team continues to grow. We should expect some great things from Hynes during his tenure with them.

Three of the last four captains have been American in Langenbrunner, Parise and Greene. This great country has put up some great players and the Devils have benefited as much as any team in the NHL.

The Devils are having a pretty tough season on the ice due to injuries and inconsistent play. That could very well leave them in contention to win the NHL Draft Lottery this spring. That would give them the right to draft Jack Hughes first overall. Hughes, an American, will be the second American to go first overall in the last four years if it happens.

Jack’s brother Quinn was a first rounder last season in the 2018 Draft when he was taken by the Vancouver Canucks 7th overall. If the Devils were to win the Lottery, that would be just another way that they are impacted by USA Hockey. It is great to see the country in which the New Jersey Devils play in be so well represented on the club and throughout the National Hockey League.