SUNRISE, Fla. – Jack Devine will make his long-waited NHL debut when the Florida Panthers (10-8-1) host the New Jersey Devils (13-5-1) at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday.
Originally taken with the fifth-to-last pick of the 2022 NHL Draft, Devine has steadily evolved from a seventh-round selection into one of the top prospects for the Panthers.
Leading the Charlotte Checkers with 12 points (6G, 6A) in 13 AHL games this season, Devine previously helped the University of Denver claim NCAA titles in 2022 and 2024.
Although the Panthers have lost a multitude of important players to injuries in the early goings of this season, that adversity has created opportunity for players like Devine.
“I want him to enjoy the game,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “I want to see him be nervous for the national anthem. Take it all in. He’s never going to forget this. He will tell this story. This is a milestone in a young man’s life and an incredible accomplishment.”
From the start of a career to a 16-year career, the Panthers will also honor Jeff Petry prior to puck drop to celebrate his 1,000th NHL game, a major milestone that he officially achieved last game.
Petry is just the 409th skater in NHL history and 28th U.S.-born defenseman to reach that storied number.
“It’ll be really cool,” forward Noah Gregor said. “I’m not sure if I’ve been a part of a 1,000th game ceremony, so it’ll be interesting for me, too. It’s obviously a huge accomplishment. Not too many guys have gotten that many games. Pete’s a great pro, great teammate.”
Winners in three of their last four games, the Panthers enter tonight’s game looking to stay hot on offense following an exhilarating 8-5 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday.
A.J. Greer, Luke Kunin, Evan Rodrigues, Anton Lundell, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand all touched twine once in the win, while Seth Jones lit the lamp twice on the power play to earn first-star honors.
Earning the 438th win of his career to surpass Jacques Plante (437) and claim ninth place on the NHL’s all-time wins list for goaltenders, Sergei Bobrovsky, who will get the nod in net against the Devils, made 10 saves as the Panthers kept Vancouver in check.
Setting a franchise record, 16 different players cracked the scoresheet for Florida.
“It’ll be hard for the analytics to look the same,” Maurice said. “You catch a team on back-to-back nights, the style of the defense there, they have the tendency to be a little more passive in the D-zone, which creates more time for the other team. It won’t look like that tonight because these guys (the Devils) run fairly close to our systems defensively.”
Like the Panthers, the Devils are also dealing with injuries.
None bigger than the loss of Jack Hughes, who leads the team in goals (10) and points (20).
In the two games since the star forward underwent finger surgery, the Devils have gone 1-1-0 and enter tonight’s matchup looking to rebound from a 5-1 loss at Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
Nico Hischier scored the lone goal for New Jersey in the loss, while Jacob Markstrom surrendered five goals on 29 shots against, including three goals for Jake Guentzel.
Jesper Bratt ranks second on the Devils in scoring with 18 points (5G, 13A), while Dawson Mercer ranks second in goals (9) and third in points (16). On the blue line, 21-year-old Simon Nemec, the second-overall draft pick in 2022, has registered 12 points (4G, 8A).
Owning a 7-2-0 record, Jake Allen will get the start for the Devils.
The second of three meetings between the two Eastern Conference contenders this season, the Devils topped the Panthers by a score of 3-1 on Oct. 16 at Prudential Center.
THEY SAID IT
“The message is that it’s not about you. When you think about Jack (Devine) and the amount of hard work that’s goes in by the players, tenfold his mom and dad and amateur coaches, the team it takes to get a guy here. What you want if you’re a part of his family or a part of his circle, it’s a huge day. You want to see him having fun.” – Paul Maurice
“Felt amazing. Obviously, something I’ve been working a long time for. Just grateful for the opportunity to be here. Super excited to get my first day going.” – Jack Devine
“It’s something to be proud of. Never would’ve dreamed about playing in 1,000 games. Fortunate to play one. Just enjoy it. … It’s been kind of an ever-evolving career, I guess.” – Jeff Petry
FIVE CATS STATS
- Noah Gregor is expected to skate in his 300th NHL game.
- The Panthers own a 7-2-1 record at home this season.
- Anton Lundell has recorded five points (1G, 4A) during his four-game point streak.
- Brad Marchand has scored 10 goals in his last 10 games.
- Sam Reinhart has dished out five assists over his last four games.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
FORWARDS
Mackie Samoskevich – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Carter Verhaeghe – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart
A.J. Greer – Sam Bennett – Jesper Boqvist
Noah Gregor – Luke Kunin – Jack Devine
DEFENSEMEN
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Daniil Tarasov
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- Nov. 19: F Jack Devine was recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- Oct. 27: D Tobias Bjornfot reassigned to Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Thursday, November 20 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, FL
TV: WSFL, WHDT, WFTX, PanthersPlus.TV
Radio: 104.3 WQAM-FM (Dade/Broward); 106.3 WESP-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); Panthers GameDay App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Tickets: Click here
