He looked to his left and saw left wing Eric Tangradi drop the puck back to defenseman Will Butcher who shot the puck toward the Vancouver Canucks goaltender. Standing at the top of the crease, Noesen found the puck on his stick and quickly released it into the goal to signal the red light and a celebration among his teammates.
His goal forced a shootout, which the Devils won courtesy of Damon Severson in the seventh round. It was Noesen's final goal in his first stint with New Jersey.
A lot has changed on the ice since that March 15, 2019 game.
The only Devils player from that game's lineup that Noesen will see in training camp in September is defenseman Colton White. The opposing Vancouver netminder was his now-teammate Jacob Markstom , and it was a Devils-Canucks game that did not feature a Hughes brother, as Quinn Hughes had not yet made his NHL debut.
For Noesen, a lot changed off the ice as well. He returns to New Jersey as a husband and father of two young children, Liam and Leighton.
At 31 years old, he will be one of the veterans in the Devils' locker room with a Calder Cup on his resume from his time with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL) and 30 games of NHL playoff experience.
At this point in his career, Noesen understands his role and is projected to slot in on the third line when the forward group is healthy.
"My game is obviously not the fastest as you know from me being here previously," he said during his media availability. "I make up for that with my hockey sense, my physical play down low, and getting pucks back for guys."
Feb 13&comma 2024&semi Dallas&comma Texas&comma USA&semi Carolina Hurricanes right wing Stefan Noesen &lpar23&rpar skates against the Dallas Stars during the third period at the American Airlines Center&period Mandatory Credit&colon Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
In addition to being a net-front presence, Noesen was credited with 118 hits last season, the third-most on the Carolina Hurricanes. Devils' general manager Tom Fitzgerald has been working towards diversifying his forwards, a group he once called vanilla, and Noesen will bring the physicality that the organization has been looking for.
That physical presence was a point that Fitzgerald brought up during his conversations with the 6-foot-1 winger.
"(Fitzgerald said), 'We have kind of been bumped around a little bit, and I am very excited to have you, Brenden Dillon , and a guy like Kurtis MacDermid. Some good heavy, big physical presence guys that can help us and kind of guide us.'"
The Devils organization and Noesen experienced quite the journey since that 2019 game against the Canucks. New Jersey has an incredibly bright future and will enter the 2024-25 campaign with their sights on the postseason, while Noesen is coming off the best season of his career with 37 points in 81 games.
With Noesen still eyeing his first Stanley Cup championship and Fitzgerald busy adding the complimentary pieces to complete a winning roster, it is the perfect time for a reunion between the two.
"I am very excited," Noesen said. "This is an exciting time to be a Devils fan."
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Local New Jersey State
Most Popular
Comments / 0