Devils Hold Locker Room Clean Out Day for 25-26 | NOTEBOOK

The Devils held their locker clean out and breakup day on Wednesday. The players had meetings with head coach Sheldon Keefe, individual coaches, development coaches, trainers, etc. to evaluate the past season and put together a plan of action for moving forward into the offseason.

We spoke to most of the roster plus Coach Keefe. Read below for some insights, updates, interviews, videos and more!

Injury Updates: Markstrom, Noesen, Gritsyuk, Pesce, Luke

As the Devils pack up their lockers and head into a longer-than-expected off-season, health and recovery are the primary focus for several key players. Jacob Markstrom, Stefan Noesen, and Arseny Gritsyuk all addressed the media, offering clarity on the nagging injuries that ultimately sidelined them during the final stretch of the campaign or required post-season procedures. Meanwhile, head coach Sheldon Keefe provided updates on the injury toll that defined the season, including the absences of defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce.

For Jacob Markstrom, the season was bookended by lower-body troubles.

"At the end here, it was the last little weeks here, and after a while it didn't really get better," Markstrom said. "So unfortunate to-- It sucks not be able to finish the season with the guys".

The injury was particularly aggravating given his recent history.

"Obviously, the first couple of games there and the Columbus game, getting a knee injury again, it's frustrating after having the knee during Christmas or after Christmas last year to have the other knee," he explained.

Fortunately, the structural news is highly positive, and the veteran goaltender will not require surgery.

"I got MRI pictures done, and there's some fluid, but there's nothing major, nothing needs to be done, no procedure or anything," Markstrom noted. "So the doctor was happy with it, and rest for a little bit of time".

To ensure he is fully healthy for next season, Markstrom confirmed he will skip the upcoming World Championship.

"My priorities is the New Jersey Devils, and I don't want to go in there not feeling 100% or rush something that's going to affect the off-season and maybe not being able to work out in June," he said.

Stefan Noesen’s season also ended early due to a knee issue, though his stemmed from a long-term complication rather than a sudden impact.

"So I had a cyst in the back of my knee that was kind of bugging me," Noesen said. "Happens when you have ACL surgery. I had it 12 years ago now. It started growing, hurting".

While he had been managing the issue by having the cyst drained over the past couple of years, it recently took a turn that forced his hand.

"I've been getting it drained for a couple of years, and it took a nasty turn, and I was going to wait to get it done at the end of the season," he explained.

However, during a play in Pittsburgh, he found he could no longer push off properly.

"So that was the straw that broke the camel's back, right?" he added.

It capped off a physically demanding campaign for the forward from start to finish.

"One of those things that was kind of a [terrible] year from the beginning," Noesen admitted. "July, had my hip thing going on, and took care of that, and then just one thing after another, and ready for it to be in the past and move on".

Arseny Gritsyuk is also focused on recovery after dealing with a shoulder issue that first arose during a mid-season game in Dallas.

"One time I lose four games and it's happened again," Gritsyuk said.

Medical staff warned him about the risk of further damage if he attempted to play through it.

"I can be ready to play, but they tell me, 'If this happened again, it will be worse,' and we like appointment for the finish season now," he explained.

Gritsyuk is already on the mend following surgery.

"I see today doctor who is doing surgery for me, and I feel good," he noted. "I think two weeks more, I need to wear sling, and after I just start practicing". He plans to return to Russia on April 19 to visit family before beginning his off-season workouts in Moscow on May 15.

On the defensive side, Luke Hughes is recovering from a surgical procedure back home. According to Keefe, who recently spoke with the young defenseman, Hughes is doing well and is in a good headspace despite facing a long summer of rehabilitation.

"He wanted to be there to finish the season to the end," Keefe said. "He was hopeful that we were going to continue playing into the playoffs, as we all were, and in that case, you probably would've pushed through it, but just made sense to get ahead of this game as much as possible".

Because Hughes underwent a similar shoulder procedure last summer, Keefe noted that the defenseman knows what to expect from the recovery process and trusts the surgery.

"He sees that he got through it just fine, and could trust the surgery and could trust his shoulder that got fixed last summer, that he'll be in a spot, again, to just be rolling, and he's not too concerned about it that way," Keefe explained. "He just knows he's got work ahead, and it's uncomfortable".

The string of post-season procedures underscores how heavily injuries factored into the team's struggles. Keefe pointed out that the blue line was severely compromised for much of the year, noting that Brett Pesce missed over half the season.

"It's a significant loss, but these things can't derail your season," Keefe emphasized.

The coach highlighted that the timing of those absences was especially difficult, such as when Pesce's injury coincided with the loss of Jack Hughes.

"When Jack's first injury occurred, it was a time when we were playing without Pesce as well, and the combination of the two, I think, was a challenge for us," Keefe explained.

The Quick Hits:

Nico Hischier on consistency and the "bare minimum":

"Our B-level at least has to give the whole group a chance to win a hockey game... we can't be super good and then super bad. That should be the bare minimum. If we have that as the standard, whenever we play better, we have more chance to win, but the B-level is already a high standard. That’s where we have to get to."

Jack Hughes on raising the organizational standard:

"This is definitely not the expectation or the standard we want to set. We need to raise the bar way higher and start to take strides as an organization. It starts with guys training in the summer and showing up to camp excited and ready to have a fun year."

Arseny Gritsyuk on the physicality of the NHL:

"So tough league. Everybody wanna hit you, kill you, and in front of the net, you don't have chance stay, like, more two seconds."

Sheldon Keefe on the impact of Jack Hughes' health:

"Jack's presence is very significant... when Jack plays, the team looks one certain way and plays one certain way, and when he leaves, it seems to take a while for us to recalibrate and to figure our game out. So that's on me to bridge that gap... we need to have more support underneath that. We can't be vulnerable like that."

Jacob Markstrom on the mindset for next season:

"I feel like we need a big off-season from everyone and myself, I got to lead the way, and we got to come in with a chip on our shoulder pissed off. It's a humbling moment to stand here right now while there are still games going on and we're done."

Stefan Noesen on player accountability and the front office:

"It's very rarely on us as players. You guys all point fingers at management... We're the ones on the ice. It's not them, per se. [Fitzy] was one of the main reasons why I came back. I just think it went wrong with us in the locker room. It's [awful] that it wound up on him, and that's the nature of the business."

Jake Allen on the human cost of the season's failure:

"Ultimately, when you fail to achieve your goal, other people lose their jobs, and that's the reality of it. It's not only about us on the ice, there's a lot of people that are losing their livelihoods over it... Change is coming and sometimes change is good. It’s a chance to rewrite a lot of narratives."

Sheldon Keefe on the season-ending "frank discussions" with players:

"I think when the season's over, you get an opportunity to have some real honest discussions... some very frank discussions that I think can help everyone grow. Some of them take five minutes, some take half an hour, some an hour, and some went up to two hours today."

Brenden Dillon on changing the league's perception of the Devils:

"You don't want to walk in, and it's just like, 'Oh, we're playing the Devils tonight. They're a joke. They're not serious.' I feel like when you're not a playoff team, you're kind of looked at that way... We want to be viewed as a team that teams don't want to play, that would be scared to play in a playoff series."

Connor Brown on the team’s skill vs. mentality:

"When the biggest step for a group is mentality and mentally, I think that’s a good thing, because that means that there’s a lot of skill... I’ve been on teams that didn't have a lot of skill, and that’s a much harder problem to solve. I think we have enough, and so that’s what makes me feel optimistic about the future here."

Cody Glass on embracing his defensive role:

"I was worried more about taking pressure off Nico on D-zone face-offs and doing stuff Jack doesn't want to do... All that kind of stuff that will help the team win, and I felt like putting that first helped me produce. Playing strong defensively led to more chances." 

Timo Meier on the team’s failure to reach its potential:

"We just didn’t do enough to keep a consistency where we deserved a chance to play in the playoffs... It’s on everybody to reach their potential, to bring their best version of themself to the team." 

Dawson Mercer on the impact of Tom Fitzgerald's departure:

"He’s the guy that drafted me. I have a lot of respect for him, and it definitely is a big change... him calling my name those years ago, bringing me here, the jersey, kind of really got me started here, and that’s something that I really appreciate." 

Evgenii Dadonov on his future in New Jersey:

"We will see what kind of offers I will get. Yeah, if New Jersey asks me, yeah, I will think about it."

Hughes, Keefe Reflect on Season

The New Jersey Devils' season did not end where they wanted it to, but amidst the frustration of locker-room cleanout day, Jack Hughes stood at the podium embodying the evolution of a franchise cornerstone.

With the organization in transition and operating without a general manager, head coach Sheldon Keefe utilized the final day to hold "some very frank discussions that I think can help everyone grow". At the center of those discussions is Hughes, whose growth—both as an emerging voice in the room and as an unstoppable force on the ice—offers a vital building block for the future.

Hughes’s game reached another stratosphere following the mid-season Olympic break. After battling through injuries earlier in the year, the center returned from the international stage looking like a man on a mission. Teammate Arseny Gritsyuk marveled at the dominance, noting that upon his return, Hughes was "maybe best guy, best player in the NHL for this... stretch".

Keefe echoed those sentiments, pointing out how drastically the team's fortunes were tied to his star center's health. The coach broke the season down into segments, noting that during the first 17 games and the post-Olympic stretch when Hughes was healthy, the Devils played at a stellar .640 points percentage clip.

"It speaks to the impact that Jack has, but it also kind of exposed just how we need to have more support underneath that," Keefe explained. Keefe noted that "the way that the team looks and plays is entirely different when Jack plays and when Jack's playing well" because "he has an ability to influence the game in so many manners, and most of it's with the puck".

However, that reliance is a double-edged sword. Keefe recalled a conversation where Hughes bluntly observed that "the team's not built to play without a number one center".

For Keefe, adapting to that reality and building a deeper, more resilient team that can survive the 82-game grind without relying solely on high-octane offense is a top priority.

For his part, Hughes is embracing the challenge of driving that resilience and keeping the group engaged. Despite the disappointment of slipping out of the playoff race, Hughes took pride in how the locker room kept fighting.

"I think we did a good job the last 25 games of just competing," Hughes said. "We were out of the mix, and we still came and played hard".

Driving that compete level is part of Hughes's expanding portfolio as a leader, though he admits navigating when to speak up is a "continual learning thing" for him.

Part of his growing leadership role is setting a clear, unwavering standard for what comes next. Hughes did not mince words about the team's failure to meet its own benchmarks this season, demanding a mental shift from everyone returning in the fall.

"This is definitely not the expectation or the standard we want to set," he stated firmly. "We need to raise the bar way higher and start to take strides as an organization".

Keefe mirrored this mentality, telling his players that missing the postseason is "a terrible feeling" and that "it should suck". However, the coach emphasized that it must also serve as "a great opportunity to be motivated, to be focused, to reset".

If there is a silver lining for Devils fans, it is that their most dynamic player is finally heading into the summer completely healthy. After enduring grueling rehabilitation stints in recent years, Hughes is eager for a normal off-season.

"First time in a while I'll be able to enjoy myself and not be rehabbing," Hughes said. Instead of being confined to the trainer's room, he plans to hit the links, noting he is excited to play "more golf this year" and "not be sitting on the couch in a sling".

A fully healthy Jack Hughes—backed by a coach and organization determined to build a more insulated identity—is exactly what New Jersey needs to ensure next year's exit interviews happen much later in the spring.

Nemo Finds Confidence

Simon Nemec enters the off-season looking to build on what he considered a strong personal bounce-back year, despite the overarching struggles of the 2025-26 campaign. Hampered by an injury the previous summer, a clean bill of health and a full off-season of preparation allowed the young defenseman to arrive at training camp physically stronger and mentally prepared. That readiness set the stage for a season where he took significant developmental steps forward.

"I'm really happy how I bounced back from the last year," Nemec said. "I had a strong off-season, and then I got the chance to play and I proved myself that I can do it."

He noted that the biggest change from his rookie year was his physical state upon arrival.

"I came with an injury last year, so I didn't really have a good off-season. So this year, I came more stronger, more prepared for everything, so yeah, that was the biggest change."

A major factor in his growth was earning the trust of head coach Sheldon Keefe, which naturally elevated his comfort level on the ice.

"I would say that was a way different year this year than last year," Nemec explained. "Obviously, I played better, so I feel like if I play better and he can see that and he can trust me, then yeah, I can play with more confidence, and yeah, I feel that's my game."

He emphasized that a coach's confidence is contagious for a young player still finding their footing in the league.

"If you see your coach trusts you, then you can do more things on the ice and then your confidence is higher, and I feel like I have to play with that confidence."

Nemec also credited the steadying presence of veteran defensive partner Brenden Dillon, whom he called "a big part of our locker room." Watching Dillon reach the 1,000-game milestone this season left a lasting impression on him.

"He hit 1,000 games this year, so it's unbelievable for a non-drafted guy," Nemec said, adding that Dillon's style is something he wants to emulate as he continues to mature. "He's playing really physical, so I think this is a part of the game what I can improve in, and I'm really looking forward to do that next year, too."

When the team needed an offensive spark, the coaching staff also experimented with pairing Nemec alongside fellow dynamic youngster Luke Hughes.

"Me and Luke, we are pretty similar player, but if we want to play together, we need to understand each other more and more," Nemec noted. "Obviously, for us, it's better to play together if we are down by a goal or two goals, then we can risk more. But yeah, I think we grew pretty well this year, so yeah, we can play each other. We can play together, for sure."

Off the ice, Nemec faces a summer of transition. As a restricted free agent, he confirmed he will not be participating in the upcoming World Championships. With the front office currently searching for a new general manager, contract talks are understandably on hold.

"We haven't started talking about the contract yet, so like I said, we will see," he stated. "We are waiting for a new GM and everything, so for sure there are going to be some changes here."

Despite the organizational shift, his personal intentions remain crystal clear: "I would love to stay here."

For now, his focus shifts to finding more consistency night in and night out, "especially on the defensive side," which he pinpointed as his primary goal for the 2026-27 season. While he admitted with a chuckle that the NHL hasn't exactly slowed down for him—"I feel like this game is faster and faster each year"—he is heading into the summer with a clear developmental path and an exciting family milestone on the horizon as his 18-year-old brother, Adam, prepares for the NHL Draft.

"He's always like my young brother, and now he's 18, and he's going to be drafted, so it's obviously exciting for our family," Nemec said. "But it's just the start of the journey, so he understands that too, I think."

Jack's Growth Noticed by Teammates

While the New Jersey Devils' season as a whole was defined by inconsistency, the three-week pause for the Winter Olympics provided a vital reset that unlocked a new level for Jack Hughes. For teammates watching the star center return from international duty, his elevated play and maturation became one of the brightest spots of the campaign.

Veteran goaltender Jake Allen was left marveling at Hughes's capabilities.

"Since the Olympic break, I've seen him do things that I haven't seen with my own eyes, to be honest," Allen admitted. Allen firmly stated that he would put Hughes "up there with anyone" in the NHL, acknowledging him as the clear centerpiece of the group.

Veteran winger Connor Brown felt the same way, noting that Hughes shook off an early-season injury to have an "incredible Olympics, and he's been elite since he's got back".

But for Brown, the most impressive part of Hughes's game wasn't just his offensive flair.

 "I feel like he's so incredible away from the puck, too, as far as his angle checking, his ability to steal pucks," Brown, who has played with the likes of Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, explained.

Beyond the on-ice product, Brown noticed a distinct shift in Hughes's leadership demeanor after spending the break surrounded by champions and elite peers like the Tkachuks and Matthews.

"I saw a lot more conviction in him, too, after the Olympics," Brown said.

By absorbing the habits of other top-tier stars, Hughes became a much more vocal presence in the Devils' locker room.

"He became more sure of the way that he thinks that things should be done and the ways that the mentality of the group should have," Brown noted, adding that this vocal evolution was a massive developmental step.

Arseny Gritsyuk spoke candidly about the evolution of Jack this season, suggesting that he witnessed "two different guy before Olympic Games and after Olympic Games".

He expressed immense respect for Jack’s willingness to battle through injury, noting that he returned to the lineup and played roughly ten games with "no good fingers" but still "played good".

The real shift occurred during the final stages of the year, with Gritsyuk claiming that "when he’s come back after Olympic Games, he’s maybe best guy, best player in the NHL for this... stretch".

This high level of play clearly left Gritsyuk wanting more time on the ice with the young star. When asked if it was a goal of his to play alongside Hughes, Gritsyuk didn't hesitate, saying, "Yeah, sure. I wanna play with him full my season".

He concluded with a laugh, acknowledging that such a desire is universal in the locker room: "Like, everybody wanna play with him".

Devils Have the Core to Compete

Despite a season that fell vastly short of pre-season expectations, the foundation of the New Jersey Devils' locker room remains remarkably intact. For a core group that has grown up together, the bitter disappointment of missing the playoffs has not fractured their internal confidence.

"That togetherness has never left," winger Jesper Bratt emphasized. "That's something that we have felt extremely strong".

Rather than passively waiting for upper management to make off-season changes, the team's leadership core has already initiated conversations with coaches and ownership to diagnose the issues.

"It's just been kind of a process where we all want to fight towards the same goal and help each other out," Bratt said.

Even amidst a frustrating year, Bratt remains deeply optimistic about the roster's ceiling.

"I don't think we're far away at all from doing something really good," he noted, expressing total belief that the group will emerge stronger from the adversity.

Connor Brown echoed that sentiment, drawing on his experience reaching Cup finals to evaluate the Devils' current roster.

"I think we have the makings of a situation where we can put together a good team and a competitive team, and not one that just gets in the playoff, but one that can compete for Stanley Cups," Brown stated.

He believes the team already possesses "a lot of the ingredients" required for a deep run. For Brown, the team's primary hurdle is mental rather than a lack of raw talent, which he views as a highly solvable problem.

"When the biggest step for a group is mentality and mentally, I think that's a good thing, because that means that there's a lot of skill," he explained, adding that this dynamic makes him optimistic about the franchise's future.

Captain Nico Hischier shares that same competitive fire, assuring that the core's shared frustration will fuel their off-season preparation.

"I also know how competitive they are, and we all gonna be a bit pissed off," Hischier said, "and we know we don't want this again to happen."

Glass Finds His Game

While the conclusion of the season brings inevitable frustration, for forward Cody Glass, the year in New Jersey represented a vital turning point in his professional career. Once burdened by the heavy expectations of being a high first-round draft pick, Glass found true stability and purpose this season by fully embracing a highly specialized role. That transformation began the very moment he arrived in the organization and sat down with head coach Sheldon Keefe, a conversation that completely reframed his approach to the game.

"I came in, and it's one of those weird things where I get traded," Glass recalled, noting that his offensive numbers were modest at the time. "I had 15 points or something like that in 60 games, and they said they needed offense, and I kind of chuckled a little bit, and I was like... I was on the fourth line playing PK".

But Keefe immediately stripped away the pressure to produce points.

"I had a really good sit-down with Keefer on my first day here, and he just told me he believed in me, and he told me exactly what my role was going to be, and he told me not to worry about anything else".

For Glass, that crystal-clear communication was a revelation.

"I never had that conversation before in my career, and so I kind of rolled with it," he explained. Keefe reiterated the message heading into this season, allowing Glass to hyper-focus on becoming an elite defensive forward without the anxiety of chasing the scoresheet.

"I knew what was expected, and I didn't have to worry about putting up points or being someone I wasn't," Glass said.

Instead of trying to be a primary scorer, Glass poured his energy into doing the heavy lifting in the defensive zone, specifically aiming to alleviate the immense workload shouldered by captain Nico Hischier.

"I was worried more about taking pressure off Nico on D-zone face-offs and doing stuff Jack [Hughes] doesn't want to do or what Nico does," Glass noted. He pointed out that doing the gritty, unglamorous work actually improved his overall game, as strong defensive play naturally led to more offensive chances.

Glass remains in awe of Hischier's relentless effort, specifically highlighting the captain's milestone of winning over 1,000 faceoffs this year.

"I help him out, but he still took like 2,000 face-offs," Glass joked. "For him to have 1,000 face-off wins is insane... I feel like that kind of gets thrown under the radar with play and how important that actually is".

Ultimately, finding his niche allowed Glass to thrive and feel at home.

"I felt like I just had that role, and I didn't have to worry about anything else, and I felt like I just thrived in the situation I was put in," Glass concluded. For a player who once struggled under the spotlight, finding comfort in the shadows of the defensive zone has proven to be the perfect fit.

Devils Reflect Further on Fitzgerald

The reality of professional hockey often extends far beyond the ice, and for the New Jersey Devils, the abrupt end to their season carries a heavy human element. Following a campaign that fell vastly short of expectations, the organization parted ways with General Manager Tom Fitzgerald, a move that sent shockwaves through the locker room.

For a roster constructed with championship aspirations, the realization that their on-ice shortcomings directly impacted the livelihood of the man who assembled them has left a bitter taste. Several players expressed a deep, lingering sense of personal responsibility for the front-office shakeup, emphasizing that the burden of the disappointing season rests squarely on their shoulders.

"It's sad," defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic admitted candidly. "He brought me in, kept me here, and believed in me, and it feels like we as a team let him down".

Kovacevic noted that the sting of the dismissal is amplified by the fact that the players feel they were given the tools to succeed but simply failed to execute.

"We're his guys, and for what it's worth, I think he put a good team together, and we underperformed," Kovacevic said. "Someone has to, I guess, take the heat or however you want to say it. And unfortunately, that was him".

That sentiment was echoed loudly by Timo Meier, whom Fitzgerald acquired in a blockbuster trade that reshaped the franchise's trajectory. Meier acknowledged the profound trust placed in him by the former general manager and struggled to digest the sudden change.

"He obviously trusted me and believed in me, got me here," Meier said. "Obviously really thankful what he did for me, and he was always very supportive to me and my family and all the players".

Like Kovacevic, Meier did not mince words about where the blame belongs. "It was very disappointing to hear the news. We obviously felt like we let him down," he stated.

For homegrown talent like Dawson Mercer, the departure cuts to the very root of his NHL dream. Mercer reflected on the emotional weight of losing the executive who first believed in his potential.

"He's the guy that drafted me," Mercer said. "For him, calling my name those years ago, bringing me here, the jersey, kind of really got me started here, and that's something that I really appreciate".

Even the team's longest-tenured cornerstone is grappling with the shifting landscape. Captain Nico Hischier, who has spent his entire nine-year career in New Jersey, admitted that processing the departure will take time.

"I still have to digest it a little bit, to be honest," Hischier said. "Fitzy, he's been around since I got here, so obviously had a relationship with him".

As the Devils head into a summer of transition, the core group is carrying the heavy realization that their collective failure had very real, lasting consequences for the man who believed in them most.

Unique Opportunity for Swiss Devils

While the early start to the offseason is a bitter reality for the New Jersey Devils, a unique and highly emotional opportunity awaits the team's strong Swiss contingent. Captain Nico Hischier, star forward Timo Meier, and defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler are all slated to represent Switzerland at the upcoming IIHF World Championship. But this year, the tournament carries a significantly heavier weight: they will be playing for gold on their home soil.

For Siegenthaler, the location of the tournament could not possibly be more intimate. The games will be contested right in his own backyard of Zurich, transforming an international stage into a profound homecoming.

"I'm going to be at Worlds and it's in my hometown, which is pretty special," the defenseman said with a smile.

Siegenthaler noted that the convenience and emotional resonance for his loved ones make the event a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"They just live around the corner, and so do I," he added, noting that family and friends will be packing the stands. Even more remarkably, he will be skating on familiar ice.

"It's going to be special playing actually in that rink where everything started for my hometown team," Siegenthaler said.

Hischier shares that deep anticipation, especially considering the heartbreak the country endured in recent years. Switzerland was scheduled to host the World Championship during the pandemic, but the event was ultimately canceled, depriving the players and the fans of a highly anticipated celebration.

"There was a COVID year it should've been in Switzerland, so obviously, that didn't happen and just hearing around Switzerland, people were obviously disappointed," Hischier recalled.

Now, with the tournament officially returning, the captain expects an electric atmosphere. He distinctly remembers the magic of attending the tournament in Bern as a child, an experience that fueled his own hockey dreams.

"It should be a pretty cool experience for me to be part of it," Hischier noted. "And I'm sure for the whole of Switzerland, it'll be fun".

For Meier, the chance to wear his country's colors in front of a home crowd offers a bright silver lining to an otherwise frustrating spring. While he bluntly admitted that every player would rather be competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the honor of a home tournament is impossible to ignore.

"You'd like to play in the playoffs and kind of worry about this later," Meier explained. "Not now, but representing your country in your homeland is very special in front of family and friends".

Beyond the sentimental value, Meier is heading overseas with a strict, competitive focus. The Devils winger is determined to change that narrative on home ice alongside a roster of players he competed with at the Olympics.

"Obviously, try to go win gold after a couple of silver medals," Meier declared. As the Devils' season fades, this trio leaves New Jersey with chips on their shoulders, but they arrive in Switzerland with a chance to heal those wounds in the most spectacular fashion possible: by winning a championship on the very ice where their hockey journeys began.