Although the NHL season began on Tuesday, finally it's New Jersey's turn to kick off their 2021-22 campaign. The Devils host the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at
Prudential Center
.
You can watch the game on MSG+ or listen on the Devils Hockey Network.
Read the game preview below and check back for videos, lineup updates, our Pre-Game Story and more.

YOUR GAME-DAY ESSENTIALS
WATCH LIVE
Devils Live Pre-Game Show with host Catherine Bogart and analyst Sam Kasan begins at 6:20 PM ET
After the game, tune into our Live Post-Game Show with host Chris Wescott and analyst Matt Loughlin
GAME DAY VIDEO
DEVILS MINUTE |
And Here We Go
Devils Pre-Game Interviews:
Hischier
|
Mercer
WATCH:
Devils head coach Lindy Ruff
BY THE NUMBERS
Stats Comparison: Devils vs. Blackhawks
Media Game Notes: Devils vs. Blackhawks
Devils Player Statistics
Blackhawks Player Statistics
Head-to-Head: Devils vs. Blackhawks 19-20
NHL Standings
RECENT VIDEOS
21-22 Devils PlayUp Season Preview Show
REPORT | Wedgewood Rides the Wave
REPORT | Making the Team
SEASON PREVIEW | Hischier 1-on-1
SEASON PREVIEW | Vesey 1-on-1
SEASON PREVIEW | Hamilton 1-on-1
SEASON PREVIEW | Ruff 1-on-1
SEASON PREVIEW | Fitzgerald 1-on-1
RECENT BLOGS & ARTICLES
FEATURE: Devils Have Three Capable Goaltenders on Roster
BLOG: Ruff Gives Injury Updates Ahead of Opener
BLOG: Sharangovich Represents as Only Belarusian on Opening Night Rosters
FEATURE: Devils Fill Out 23-Man Roster Based on Merit
BLOG: Thompson Joins Team Practice
BLOG: Devils Make Faceoffs Point of Emphasis
10 TAKEAWAYS: On the Eve of the Season
TV & RADIO
You can watch tonight's game within the Devils region on MSG+.
You can listen to tonight's game on the Devils Hockey Network.
There are still limited tickets available for tonight's game. Purchase them now!

I NSIDE THE DEVILS

Devils practice in Newark Thursday in preparation for their season opener; Lindy Ruff provides some injury updates.
>> READ MORE IN THE INSIDE THE DEVILS BLOG

PRE-GAME STORY

NEWARK, NJ - The Devils hit the ice for their first morning skate of the regular season ahead of the home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who practiced this week after two maintenance days prior, will start for New Jersey.
"He's ready to go," head coach Lindy Ruff said. "He had a good day. A couple days off helped him out."
Injured defensemen Ty Smith and Damon Severson, both out with lower-body injuries, joined their teammates on the ice for the first time in over a week. Smith has been out since early into training camp and didn't play in a preseason game, while Severson appeared just once.
"We know they're moving in the right direction," Ruff said. "It's been a little longer than we thought it was going to be. As soon as they're on the ice it usually takes a couple days and we'll get them back in the lineup."
Ruff noted that Severson is slightly ahead of Smith and could possibly return in New Jersey's second game of the season next Tuesday against Seattle.
Forward Tyce Thompson (undisclosed) participated in his third straight full-team session.
Meanwhile, goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body) and forward Miles Wood (undisclosed) were the only absentees. The team is hoping Blackwood, who is still rehabbing from off-season heel surgery, will be back on the ice in the next day or two.
The team did not run through lines.
Back in the Saddle
Devils captain Nico Hischier is beginning his first full season as the team's captain. Even though it will be his fifth season in the NHL, he still has the excitement and eagerness of a rookie.
"Everybody's excited. We're ready to go," Hischier said. "You get that game day feeling back. I think that will never change. I hope that will never change. I'm like a little kid, very excited."
Night of Debuts
The Devils 23-man roster features nine new players that were not on last season's roster. Those include forwards Frederik Gauthier, Dawson Mercer, Tomas Tatar and Jimmy Vesey, defensemen Mason Geertsen, Ryan Graves, Dougie Hamilton and Christian Jaros and goaltender Jonathan Bernier.
Dawson's Creek
Jersey fans will get their first glimpse of the above eight veteran professionals in a Devils uniform for the first time. It will also be the first time that the 19-year-old rookie Mercer plays in his first NHL game.
"Today's a big day," Mercer said. "I've been trying to prepare these last couple of days for opening night. It's finally here and I'm ready and excited for it."
The Prudential Center will see an influx of fans, as well as an influx of Newfoundlanders. In the building tonight will be many from the Mercer clan, which resides in Carbonear, including Dawson's parents, sister, aunt, uncle, three cousins and two friends.
"I'm the guy on the ice playing but there's a lot more that goes on behind the scenes that helped me get here," Mercer said. "Having them all there is important because we all accomplished this together. I'm a family guy. I enjoy having them around and seeing them here. We'll cherish this moment together.
"It'll be nice to see them here and have some support. Devils support also obviously, but family support from back home will be great."
As far as support on the ice, Mercer worked on a line this week with the two most veteran forwards in the lineup in Tomas Tatar, 30, and Andreas Johnsson, 26.
"They're two guys that have played in the NHL already. They're helping me out," Mercer said. "That goes for practice. We've been building chemistry. With their experience and me just jumping in there and playing my game with how I've been doing in camp, it's been fitting really well. We're excited to get going."
Fun Fact
Tonight will mark the second time in franchise history that the Devils open the regular season against Chicago. The last time was Oct. 10, 1998, in Chicago (2-1 loss). That game was also the first career NHL game for current Devils assistant coach Alain Nasreddine, who recorded his first NHL fight that evening.
LankInNet
The Devils will not face goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who will likely appear Saturday night against his former team in Pittsburgh. Instead, the Blackhawks will start second-year tender Kevin Lankinen.
-- Sam Kasan, NewJerseyDevils.com

PREVIEW

DEVILS (0-0-0) vs. BLACKHAWKS (0-1-0)
TV: 7:00 PM ET; Televised on MSG+
Head-to-Head:
Tonight's game is the first of two meetings between the two teams this season.
They will meet again after the Olympic break on February 25, 2022.
The last time these two teams met was during the 19-20 season. Devils won 7-1 in Chicago on December 23, 2019 and Chicago won 2-1 in a shootout on December 6, 2019.
Devils team scope:
The Devils are coming off a strong preseason in which they won four out of five games. Alex Holtz and Pavel Zacha led the Devils in scoring with four points in three games. Dawson Mercer had three points (two goals) and made the team.
The four preseason wins for the Devils included two tough road games, one in Bridgeport against the Islanders and one in Washington which were games against largely veteran squads. Devils were able to pull out overtime wins in each of these contests.
Blackhawks team scope:
The Blackhawks season opened on Wednesday and it was a tough way to open, in Denver against against one of the League's best, the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs scored three in the first period against newly acquired goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. 'Hawks had goals from Dominik Kubalik and Connor Murphy but it wasn't enough in a 4-2 setback.
Chicago was 3-1-2 in their six preseason games. Debrincat had three goals and six points in three games while Jonathan Toews, who missed all of last season, looked strong in the exhibition slate with two goals and six points in four contests.
By the Numbers:
Chicago had a penalty kill rate of 62.5% in the preseason (6-for-16) while for the Devils it was 72.2% (5-for-18). On Thursday against Colorado, the 'Hawks killed off all six Avalanche power plays, however.
In 2019-20, Nikita Gusev led the Devils with four points (all assists) in the two games against the Blackhawks. Damon Severson had a goal and two helpers for three points. ... Alex Debrincat and Zack Smith scored the only two goals for Chicago against the Devils that season.
Injury Updates:
Devils - Mackenzie Blackwood (heel) is out; Damon Severson and Ty Smith are doubtful while Miles Wood is likely out.
Blackhawks - Caleb Jones (wrist) is out; Wyatt Kalynuk (ankle) is out; Alec Regula (back) is out
-- Marc Ciampa, NewJerseyDevils.com