Dawson Mercer Finally Arrives in New Jersey | PODCAST

Dawson Mercer was part of that most unusual class of NHL draft picks.
He was part of the first class, the 2020 class, that was selected at a virtual draft. It set up Mercer for a different route to his first training camp.
When rookie and training camp open next week, it will be Mercer's first taste of life as a New Jersey Devil. Both camps were wiped out in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so with the 2021 edition about to start, Mercer is making his way to New Jersey for the very first time.
He's looking forward to seeing how he will stack up with the rest, after that final year playing in the QMJHL with Chicoutimi. He's worked hard to round out his game and is ready for his first NHL training camp. His final year in junior was valuable, taking on a bigger role off the ice, as one of the older players, and hone his leadership skills.

"It's our responsibility to keep the high pace in practice, and just keep on getting better every day," he said. "And don't be scared to speak up, in the room, or just (with) the guys individually, even. So, I think when you do that in the right manner, like you get more respect for everyone, and when you show the same respect back and forth, it's really good."
As a late birthday, there will be only two options for Mercer. He'll either play in the AHL with the Utica Comets, or he'll be in the NHL with the Devils. He knows what his end goal is, but as he explains in this week's podcast, he knows there's never just one path to get there.
"I've got the one end-goal of getting to New Jersey and playing there," he said. "And I think it'll be pretty special when that time comes. I'm going to make the most of it and do whatever I can to make it happen as soon as possible."
Here are some of the topics Dawson discussed on the Speak of the Devils podcast:
New Jersey Devils Official Podcast
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Dawson Mercer | Speak of the Devils