Slowly Ramping Up | NOTEBOOK

The Devils are on the ice in Newark today as they continue with their practice sessions ahead of the NHL schedule resuming next Wednesday.

Check out the notebook for the latest info, updates, interviews, videos and more from the practice session!

Easing In, Ramping Up

Thursday's practice session was a mix of both skills and regular practice work. The first part of practice was dominated by getting in some touches, before the coaching staff took over with drills and some system-based work. While the Devils still have seven players missing from their group due to the Olympics, they are slowly starting to ramp up their practice sessions with a refreshed mindset.

"It’s nice to be back, come in with a mental reset with positive vibes," forward Cody Glass shared. "We’re going to have a tough stretch coming but I feel like we’re due for the challenge.”

The Devils will have to make up points in the standings to put themselves in a playoff position and it will be an uphill climb, but it's also not something the team isn't prepared to work at.

"Just taking it one game at a time," Glass added. "Don’t get ahead of ourselves, don’t look at how many games we have left, just focus on the next one. I think that’s going to be huge for us, because we’re going to have to win some games here. But don’t look too far into the future, don’t get ahead of ourselves.”

In the meantime, the team will continue to fine-tune the details with three more practices scheduled before the break officially comes to a close with a game against the Buffalo Sabres next Wednesday, the first half of a back-to-back, with a stop in Pittsburgh the next night.

Looking Out for Lenni

Just as the Olympic break came to a close and the team returned to practice, forward Lenni Hämeenaho was recalled from the American Hockey League. Although Hämeenaho did not play for the Comets during the break, instead getting some time away, his recall was certainly to be expected.

Hämeenaho has fit in seamlessly since he arrived and made his NHL debut on Jan. 19.

“It’s been obvious that he belongs here,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “He’s a young player that has the ability to go up and down without requiring waivers, you don’t really know what it’s going to be like day-to-day, but his play before the break showed that he can help our team and play in the NHL"

But Keefe also acknowledged that for Hämeenaho, this latter half of the season will be filled with important moments for the young forward to dig in.

"It’s on him to handle himself well coming out of this break and get back going," Keefe shared. "And we’ve got to keep working with him as a coaching staff to keep adapting to the league as the, sort of, honeymoon phase wears off, there’s a long list of guys that come up to the NHL for a short period of time and have success but can’t really sustain it. It’s a reason why you want to keep guys in the American League longer, especially prospects, so that when they come up, they show that they’re ready and they don’t have to go back. That’s what we hope to be the case and from what we saw before the break there’s no reason to believe otherwise.”