Stephen Gionta
Stephen Gionta, younger brother of former New Jersey Devils sniper Brian Gionta, took a while to get his start with the Devils. But, he made it count.
The 5’7″ forward played in just one regular season game in the 2011-12 season, and spent most of his year serving as captain of the Albany Devils. When the 2012 postseason rolled around, Lou Lamoriello came calling, and Stephen Gionta found himself as a regular in the lineup in short order. Gionta played all 24 playoff games, scoring three goals and four assists.
Those would be Gionta’s last playoff games as a member of the New Jersey Devils, but the small-but-mighty forward was able to establish himself as a penalty-killing defensive demon in his short NHL career.
Gionta would spend the next four seasons with the New Jersey Devils before heading to the New York Islanders ahead of the 2016-17 season. Gionta bounced around between the Islanders and Bridgeport Sound Tigers for most of the next three seasons, reuniting with former linemate Steve Bernier during that time.
Stephen Gionta officially retired from professional hockey on August 1, 2019, and shortly after doing so accepted a job with the Tampa Bay Lightning as a pro scout. Gionta still holds this role and scouted some New Jersey Devils games this past season.