NEWARK, N.J. — Simon Nemec will finally get his opportunity.
Ahead of Thursday’s morning skate, the New Jersey Devils announced that the 20-year-old has joined the team. He replaces Jonas Siegenthaler, who sustained an injury in the club’s last game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“We need a guy (and) we are very fortunate to have somebody of his talent available to us,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said to NJD.TV. “Rather than him being here, in our mind, he is in a lot of ways always has been the seventh defenseman here. Just so happens that he’s been in Utica and benefiting from playing a lot and the extra practice time, all the things that come outside of the NHL, so I feel like he has benefitted from that.”
Nemec will start the game paired with Luke Hughes, who he has familiarity with.
“(Luke and I) played a couple of games last year together and I think we know each other pretty well,” Nemec said to NJD.TV. “I am just excited to play with him. He is a great player and a great skater.”
Nemec is coming off an appearance at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic, where he replaced injured teammate Seamus Casey. Through 32 games in the American Hockey League with the Utica Comets, the 2022 second-overall pick has 22 points (five goals, 17 assists). He is riding a three-game assist streak dating back to Jan. 29.
“It means a lot, because we have so many good players (in Utica),” Nemec continued. “I feel ready for this opportunity, and the organization feels (that) too. I just want to show how I improved this season in the AHL, I just want to be myself.”
Tonight would mark Nemec’s 10th game of the 2024-25 season and first since Oct. 22, 2024, when he picked up a secondary assist on a Timo Meier power play goal. It was his lone NHL point this season.
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