The New Jersey Devils certainly did not want to kick off the 2024-25 season this way. While playing in a qualifying match for Team Slovakia, Devils defenseman Simon Nemec suffered an injury.
The specifics of the injury are still unclear, but it has been classified as an upper-body injury, likely affecting his shoulder or collarbone. During a puck battle with a player from Team Hungary, Nemec became entangled and awkwardly crashed into the end boards behind Slovakia’s net.
As a result, he was ruled out for the rest of the game by the Slovak team. Though he appeared in pain, the 20-year-old was able to stand and skate off the ice on his own. Nemec did stay on the bench briefly to consult with team trainers before eventually heading to the locker room for further evaluation.
Here’s a look at the play when Nemec got injured.
Here’s the Nemec injury.
EDIT: Now he’s gone down the tunnel with 7:33 left in the second.#NJDevils https://t.co/JZHnsZ4JtU pic.twitter.com/3SUK4eVYgf
— Daniel Amoia (@daniel_amoia) August 30, 2024
The Devils faced an overwhelming number of injuries last season, which led to their decline from a successful 2022-23 campaign and resulted in them missing the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Nemec stepped in for the injured Dougie Hamilton, who was sidelined for the rest of the 2023-24 season, and made a strong impression during his initial NHL experience.
As a 19-year-old, he played in 60 games, netting three goals and totaling 19 points, while finishing at a minus-7.
Nemec is expected to begin the 2024-25 season in the Devils’ defense lineup, likely as the third-pair right-defenseman alongside newcomer Brenden Dillon.
Additionally, Devils forward Tomas Tatar is also competing for Team Slovakia.
The Devils and their fans are hopeful that Nemec will be able to participate in training camp without any lasting issues.
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