Devils Open Season in Prague vs. Buffalo | PREVIEW

The Devils play their first of two against the Sabres in Czechia at 1:00 PM on MSGSN

NEW JERSEY DEVILS (0-0-0) VS. BUFFALO SABRES (0-0-0)

The Devils kick off the 2024-25 season at O2 Arena in Prague, Czechia against the Buffalo Sabres.

You can watch the game on MSGSN or listen on the Devils Hockey Network.

Read more in today's Game Preview. Check back for lineup updates, videos and more.

The journey of a new season begins tonight in Prague.

MORNING SKATE RECAP

PRAGUE, Czechia – The Devils held an optional morning skate in Prague’s O2 Arena ahead of playing the Buffalo Sabres in the opening contest of the Global Series.

Center Jack Hughes did not participate in the session. Neither did head coach Sheldon Keefe, who watched the players from the bench and runway.

Since it was an optional skate, the team didn’t do line rushes. But this is how the group looked in the previous two days of practice…

Meier – Hughes – Bratt
Tatar – Hischier – Mercer
Palat – Haula – Noesen
Bastian – Lazar – Cotter

Dillon – Hamilton
Siegenthaler – Kovacevic
Casey – Nemec
DeSimone – White

Rookie Debut

Hughes let the secret slip Thursday that defenseman Seamus Casey will be making his NHL debut tonight in the Global Series.

“Ever since you pick up a hockey stick for the first time this is what you work for. I’m really excited,” Casey, 20, said. “I’m going to try to treat it like just another hockey game. But I know once I get out there it’s going to feel pretty crazy.”

The Devils’ 2022 second-round pick (46th overall) has impressed in training camp.

“I still have to come out and bring it and just play my game. That was the message, just play your game,” Casey said. “You don’t have to be anyone else. Some rookies it’s tough to settle down and play simple. That’s all I have to do, just play my game.”

Readiness

The Devils had a unique training camp situation. The club had three practices and then played four games in six nights before heading to Prague. The Devils tried to cram in a lot of work in that time while dealing with some tough injury circumstances.

“We had the four games in six nights, we could only use certain guys in certain situations,” Keefe said. “We had the situation with Jack and Timo (Meier) and (Simon) Nemec coming off surgeries and injuries.”

Since then, the Devils have held four practices, including three in Prague, and are as ready as they can possibly be for the game.

“We had all these different things that we were dealing with and in a short amount of time trying to bring the group together early on,” Keefe said. “Those things worked against us in that regard, but we’ve had ample time to get things cleaned up and get ready to go.

“I think we’re in a good place. We’ll see when the puck drops.”

Camp Surprise

Keefe was asked which player has surprised him the most during his first training camp as head coach of the Devils. He said Jesper Bratt is the one that stands out.

“You have a perception of him as a player. Of course, he’s an elite player and does great things on the ice. But how he conducts himself on a daily basis is beyond impressive. He’s a true professional in every regard in terms of taking care of his body, in terms of being prepared, in terms of learning and growing and challenging himself.”

THE SCOOP

The Devils and Sabres both had very untraditional preseason schedules as a result of their playing overseas and it came with very different results. The schedules had a mix of the team having to cobble together their top lineup quickly to play four games in North America before heading overseas followed by the team's remaining AHL players and prospects making up the remainder.

For New Jersey, they lost all four of those preseason games while the Sabres won all four of theirs. Buffalo also played an exhibition game against the Munich Red Bulls and won that game as well, by a score of 5-0.

JJ Peterka led the way for the Sabres with three goals and five points in two preseason games. Three others, including Henri Jokiharju, had four points. Nico Hischier had two goals and three points in three games to lead the Devils group that's in Prague in scoring in the preseason. Jesper Bratt was first in the assist category with a pair.

INJURIES

Devils: Pesce (leg), L. Hughes (shoulder), Hatakka (undisclosed)

Sabres: Johnson (lower body)

23-24 REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

Oct. 27 vs. Buffalo (W, 5-4) Nov. 25 vs. Buffalo (W, 7-2) Mar. 29 at Buffalo (L, 2-5)

GAME NOTES

This will be the 43rd NHL regular season game played overseas. It's also the third time that the NHL season has started in Prague. Overall, Prague has hosted seven NHL regular season games. After this week's Global Series, that number will increase to nine which would put Prague behind only Stockholm, Sweden which has hosted 16. The head coach of the Sabres is a familiar face to Devils fans, that being Lindy Ruff. He had a 128-124-28 record as bench boss in New Jersey. In 2022-23, he led the Devils to their best season ever with a record of 52-22-8 for 112 points. Ruff returns to Buffalo, where he had previously had a record of 571-432-78 through 15 seasons. Ruff also led the Sabres to their most successful regular season ever in 2006–07 with a 53–22–7 record for a total of 113 points.

STATS LEADERS