Being inside the locker room for the New Jersey Devils’ exit interviews, there was a sense of sorrow and discontent. Following up their winningest season in franchise history with a total dud was, obviously, the exact opposite of what any Devils players envisioned. Regardless, it is now in the past and needs to be moved on from. This year’s edition of the IIHF World Championships may have been the first stepping stone towards cleaning the slate and restoring the vibes.
Successful Worlds
The yearly World Championships are a massive deal in Europe, often viewed in the same light as the FIFA World Cup. In 2023, Latvia declared a National Holiday and threw a parade attended by hundreds of thousands…simply for winning a bronze medal. This year’s tournament, held in Czechia, broke the all-time Worlds attendance record with 797,727 spectators. This was the scene in Prague, the Czech capital, during (!!) their gold medal matchup against Switzerland:
Some Canadian NHLers who participated cited the crowds as some of the craziest atmospheres they’ve ever played in. Without Devils playoff hockey, this was a great opportunity for some – eight, to be exact – of their players to get a small taste of the “playoffs” and get back in the right mindset before taking some time off.
Devils At Worlds
Ondrej Palat – (10 GP, 3G, 3A, plus-4) *Gold Medal*
By his standards, Ondrej Palat had a rough season in New Jersey. He had 11 goals and 31 total points, and a minus-nine rating. At exit interviews, Palat told The Hockey Writers that he was extremely excited to play in front of his friends and family in his home country. He certainly showed that in his performance, becoming a vital part of the championship-winning team. He proved he could still be an asset while playing alongside top talent, as he complemented the team’s first line alongside former Devil Pavel Zacha and Boston Bruins’ superstar David Pastrnak.
He also did not shy away from physicality, dumping a player into their bench in pre-tournament action. In the gold medal game, he hit a Swiss defender into the glass so hard that the glass cracked, and the game had to be delayed. Palat has been known his whole career to show up for big games, but the Devils will need more consistency in the regular season. Hopefully, this tournament will restore confidence in Palat, who is now the only active Devil to win gold at Worlds.
Nico Hischier – (10 GP. 6G, 5A, plus-6) *Silver Medal*
You could tell how bothered Nico Hischier was at exits by how the season unfolded in New Jersey. He referred to it as an “emptiness” inside of him. Quietly, he scored 27 goals and 67 points in just 71 games. But if you were to ask him, he would’ve instantly traded any personal accolades for a chance to get back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, he helped channel some of that frustration into a silver medal for the Swiss – their third medal in the last 70 years.
His 11 points tied John Tavares, Dylan Cozens, and Johnny Gaudreau for fifth in points by forwards. His hat-trick against Austria single-handedly lifted the Swiss, giving them a critical three regulation points and ultimately a better seed in the elimination rounds. Hischier has always been vocal about how much Swiss Hockey means to him, and his showing at this tournament was superb.
Jonas Siegenthaler – (9 GP, 0G, 4A, plus-8) *Silver Medal*
A couple of years ago, Jonas Siegenthaler had begun to cement himself as one of the best defensive defensemen in the game. In 2022-23, he was top-30 in the league in plus-minus with a plus-27. Unfortunately, injuries aided in completely derailing his season. He had just nine points in 57 games and a dreadful minus-7 rating. He told The Hockey Writers, “When you’re (healthy) and in a groove, you play game after game, you can kind of just glide with it. If you’re injured for a while, you have to find your game again, which is not very easy. It shouldn’t be an excuse (but) it is more challenging.”
Well, finally healthy again, Siegenthaler delivered to the tune of being tied for the third-best plus-minus (plus-8) among all defensemen at Worlds. From the eye test, he looked much more comfortable with the puck, was skating much better, and was using his stick more effectively. Essentially, he looked like vintage Siegenthaler from seasons past. This showing should have certainly gotten the good mojo flowing, and hopefully, it will help restore some confidence moving forward.
Akira Schmid – (3-0-0, 0.86 GAA, .946 SV%) *Silver Medal*
Like Siegenthaler, the 2023-24 season was a big step backward for Akira Schmid. Just months removed from taking down the New York Rangers in the playoffs, Schmid found himself back in the American Hockey League (AHL), where he lost 13 of 22 games and sported a rough .894 save percentage (SV%). With the Utica Comets missing the AHL playoffs, Schmid was given a great opportunity to back up Leonardo Genoni for Switzerland at Worlds. He ran with it just like he did in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He gave up just two goals in three games while winning them all. Among 39 goaltenders, Schmid’s SV% ranked second, just behind Finland’s Emil Larmi. His 0.86 goals-against average (GAA) came in first. Schmid just turned 24 years old, and hopefully, his strong showing on a national stage will eventually allow him to blossom as a consistent and reliable NHL goaltender.
Luke Hughes – (8 GP, 2G, 3A, plus-8)
As expected, Luke Hughes’ rookie season was full of ups and downs. His 47 points were tied for points by rookie defensemen, and his defense improved over time. When he announced his commitment to Worlds, he told The Hockey Writers, “I’m going to Worlds to win. USA hasn’t won in 90 years. You always want to be part of a winning team.” Unfortunately, the Czechs blanked the Americans in the quarterfinal to extend their gold drought by another year, but it wasn’t for a lack of production from the youngest Hughes. He asserted himself offensively throughout the tournament, including a coast-to-coast game-tying goal nearly identical to one he scored in New Jersey. TSN’s Dave Reid continually remarked on how impressive Hughes’ skating was all tournament. He can’t even legally drink in New Jersey, yet he has all the makings of a future superstar.
Simon Nemec – (8 GP, 1G, 6A, plus-1)
Like Hughes, Simon Nemec’s rookie season came with some bumps in the road. But he mostly handled them in stride, successfully taking on some challenging defensive responsibilities at 19. While the minus-1 rating from Nemec may stand out, it’s important to note that Slovakia is not nearly as complete of a team as some other nations. Nemec has been playing in this tournament since he was 16 years old. On May 22nd, Nemec played in his 22nd Worlds game all-time, which broke an IIHF record for U20 players that had stood for over 89 years.
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Despite having little talent around him, he was able to perform at just under a point per game while handling some extremely tough responsibilities, playing just under 20 minutes per night. Against the USA, he had two points, including a huge goal, which propelled Slovakia to one of their more memorable wins in the tournament’s history. Nemec projects to be a stud on both sides of the puck, and his stellar performance at Worlds is just another indication of that. He also was not afraid to show some snarl that is much needed for the Devils, as he had a few run-ins with Brady Tkachuk in that US matchup.
Dawson Mercer (9 GP, 3G, 1A, plus-3)
As with most Devils, the 2023-24 season was mostly underwhelming for Dawson Mercer. After putting up 56 points the season prior, he only scored 33 points and posted a dreadful minus-26 rating. However, the Worlds tournament was a great opportunity for him to regain some footing, and he did exactly that. What started with him getting virtually no ice time on a loaded Canadian squad ended up with him being on the first line for their semifinal matchup.
As the tournament progressed, he got better and better until head coach Andre Tourigny eventually replaced young phenom Connor Bedard with Mercer on the top line. He scored a massive go-ahead goal for Canada in their preliminary-round victory against the Czechs. Mercer didn’t shy from showing emotion, fist-pumping, and excitedly yelling. With a possible contract extension, the Devils will likely need Mercer to revert back to his 2022-23 self to restore their success. His success on this big stage could potentially propel him to start on the correct foot in the next go-around.
Nico Daws – (1-0-0, 1.06 GAA, .833 SV%)
Daws is probably the closest thing any Devil had to a bad tournament, sporting a measly .833 SV%, second-worst among all netminders at Worlds. But…that’s quite misleading. Daws was essentially the third-string to the St. Louis Blues tandem of Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer, meaning he only got to play one game against Austria. Daws faced just six shots in that game, stopping one of them and winning. So that means his 1.00 GAA ranked third in the tournament, and his perfect winning percentage was tied for first. Gotta love small samples. Just getting the experience of practicing with some of the game’s best, including a former cup winner in Binnington, makes this a success for Daws.
Future Tournaments
It is now widely known that participation in this tournament will significantly determine rosters for the upcoming 2025 Four Nations Faceoff. When The Hockey Writers asked L. Hughes said about potential participation in that tournament, “Obviously, you always want to be part of the Four Nations or the Olympics if you’re lucky enough to be invited. I just gotta keep working on my game and keep getting better.”
The following Devils will be eligible (and at least have an outside shot) to play: L. Hughes, J. Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Erik Haula, Alexander Holtz, D. Mercer, and Dougie Hamilton. If roster cuts come down to two guys who are equal in production, the one who participated in Worlds will likely get the edge.
It’s offseason time, and the Devils (new coach and all) will need to focus fully on returning stronger. One thing is sure: With the draft and subsequent free agency, it’s shaping up to be an interesting handful of weeks for the Devils.
