The 2024-25 hockey season is right about the corner.
New Jersey Devils fans will get their first look at the team's prospects this weekend when they head to Buffalo, New York, for the 2024 Prospects Challenge.
The tournament will occur from Friday, Sept. 13, to Monday, Sept. 16. The Devils will play the following times.
- Friday, Sept. 13 at 3:30 P.M. vs. Ottawa Senators
- Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7:00 P.M. vs. Buffalo Sabres
- Monday, Sept. 16 at 10:00 A.M. vs. Boston Bruins
On Thursday morning, the Devils released their roster for the tournament.
Forwards: Tag Bertuzzi, Cole Brown, Kocha Delic, Andre Ghantous, Max Graham, Jace Isley, Jack Malone, Matyas Melovsky, Xavier Parent, Kasper Pikkarainen, Landon Sim, Cam Squires, Chase Stillman, and Dylan Wendt.
Defensemen: Seamus Casey, Mikael Diotte, Will MacKinnon, Igor Mburanumwe, Spencer Sova, Jackson van de Leest, and Topias Vilan.
Goaltenders: Tyler Brennan, Zach Pelletier, Isaac Poulter.
Below are three players fans should keep an eye on once the Prospects Challenge begins on Friday.
1. Seamus Casey
Casey signed his entry-level contract with the Devils on May 6. Since being selected 46th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, he has been a prospect Devils fans have been eager to see.
This will be Casey's first prospect challenge. He is coming off a season where he earned 45 points ( seven goals, 38 assists) in 39 games with the Wolverines at the University of Michigan.
2. Cole Brown
New Jersey selected Cole Brown 164th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. He spent last season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League, earning 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) in 65 games.
Over the past two development camps, the 6-foot-2 winger has caught the attention of his teammates.
"The way he sees the game, he finds the right play pretty much every time, and he has a pretty lethal shot," Goaltender Tyler Brennen said at Development Camp. "He stood out to me last year, and he stood out again this year."
3. Topias Vilen
Vilen was selected by New Jersey 129th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, and his goal is to be the steal of his draft class.
He spent the 2023-24 campaign playing for the Utica Comets and the Devils' ECHL affiliate, the Adirondack Thunder. In 54 games with the Comets, the defenseman earned 29 points (two goals, 27 assists).
As the team announced, the 2024 Prospects Challenge will be available for streaming on NewJerseyDevils.com and mobile app. Matt Loughlin and Sam Kasan will call the game. Team reporter Catherine Bogart will host the pre-game show and intermissions.
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