The New Jersey Devils named Nico Hischier captain before he made his season debut in 2021. They had just traded Andy Greene, and he immediately became the youngest captain in the NHL and the second-youngest captain in Devils franchise history.
And yet, despite his age, nobody questioned the decision. Hischier was already leading the team through thick and thin. The 2019-20 season was so hard. They traded away their star (Taylor Hall), captain (the aforementioned Andy Greene), and a few other players, while also seeing their head coach (John Hynes) and GM (the late Ray Shero) fired during the season.
Since then, the Devils have gone through a bunch of different assistant captains. Damon Severson had an “A” on his jersey for much of his Devils career. P.K. Subban had one while he was here, too. Dougie Hamilton had one on his jersey for a few years, as did Ondrej Palat. Fan favorite Erik Haula had the “A” until his season started to take a turn, and the biggest surprise on the list was Miles Wood, who was the assistant captain on multiple occasions.
Jack Hughes will always have the “A” on his jersey as long as he’s on the roster. He told Elliotte Friedman this week that he feels like Nico Hischier will always be associated with the Devils. They are very different in how they approach the game of hockey, but they are the perfect combination of stars for this team.
Jesper Bratt is joining the New Jersey Devils leadership team full-time
And then there’s Jesper Bratt. The long-time star started wearing an “A” part-time in 2024, but it was announced on Wednesday that Bratt would take the position full-time.
From pick 162 to an A on his chest.#NJDevils | #MadeInJersey pic.twitter.com/XcYS8nGRV3
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) September 16, 2026
The Devils now have their leadership in place. What’s even better is that their best players are also their leaders. In the past, they would put that leadership role in the hands of generic veterans or guys meant to be leaders by association. Now, Bratt, Hughes, and Hischier can lead by example.
This is also not a surprise, since Bratt is one of the new Devils GM Sunny Mehta’s greatest moves. He famously ranked Bratt among the top picks in the 2016 NHL Draft. He has worked out better than just about any sixth-round pick in recent memory.
And now, he’s an assistant captain. The Devils are putting their present and their future in the hands of three players who grew up together. And it’s not lost on us that this will be the first season in a long time that the Devils' captain trio is all homegrown stars. That shows the Devils are still full of players who grow here and want to stay here.
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