There are quite a few former New Jersey Devils representing their teams at the Stanley Cup. Much has been said about Florida Panthers fourth liners Tomas Nosek and Jesper Boqvist. They are playing decently well during the postseason, often coming in and out of the lineup for each other to bring a change of pace. That pace used to play for the Devils, with Nosek leaving in free agency last offseason and Boqvist leaving after he wasn't qualified in 2023.
Over in Edmonton, former Devils fan favorite Adam Henrique is now looking to win his first Stanley Cup. He came incredibly close in New Jersey, scoring one of the most famous goals in Devils history. He beat Henrik Lundqvist in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals to send New Jersey to the Final.
Another former Devils player on these rosters is Vitek Vanecek. The Devils rode Vanecek to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2023, but then the wheels fell off. He was eventually traded in a goalie swap with the San Jose Sharks that brought Kaapo Kahkonen to New Jersey.
Yet, there's another player who's traveling between Edmonton and South Florida, and he's ready to get in net when called upon. And if he does, it would be the first time he does in the NHL.
It's a name that's very familiar to Devils fans. Evan Cormier was once given a chance to prove himself as the future in net. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, and he joined the organization in 2018. He spent the next three years bouncing back and forth between the Binghamton Devils and the Adirondack Thunder. He was a backup in the minors to Gilles Senn.
Cormier got a surprise chance in the NHL when Louis Domingue got injured in 2019. However, he never actually played in a game.
Today, he's one win away from a Stanley Cup. He spent the season with the Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL, but he still got a profile from NHL.com. That's because he's the guy if both Sergei Bobrovsky and Vanecek go down.
It's a wild ride for Cormier, who at 27 years old is still believing he could get an NHL shot.
"“It's just timing. That's what I've learned over the past seven years. When your opportunity comes, you just got to be ready.""Evan Cormier, former Devils goalie
It's been a long time since Devils fans have even thought about Cormier, but he might be lifting the Stanley Cup after Game 6.