Right wing Matt Halischuk will become the Devils' fourth player this season to play in his first NHL game when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night at Prudential Center. And they've only played eight games so far.
Halischuk and Nicklas Bergfors got a phone call from Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello on Monday night that they were being called up because of injuries to Jamie Langenbrunner (lower body bruise) Bobby Holik (fractured right pinky) and Brian Rolston (high right ankle sprain) and made the drive down from Lowell, Mass. together.
"It was a very exciting call," Halishcuk said.
Halischuk was not anticipating being nervous Wednesday night.
"I don't think so," he said. "It's more anxious to getting started, I think. I'm looking forward to gettin a good night's sleep and just getting prepared for tomorrow."
Halischuk, 20, suffered a groin injury during training camp, which prevented him from playing in any NHL preseason games. So, this will be his first NHL action of any kind.
Defenseman Anssi Salmela (now in Lowell), forward Petr Vrana, and left wing Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond (cracked orbital bone) also played in their first NHL games for the Devils this season.
Bergfors, 21, played in one NHL game last season -- the 2007-08 opener in Tampa Bay-- and injured his shoulder. He spent the remainder of the season in Lowell after he recovered.
"It was long time ago," he said. "It feels like this is my first game."
Devils coach Brent Sutter is excited to see what Halischuk and Bergfors can do.
"You are putting young kids in, but they're good players," Sutter said. "So it gives them an opportunity to show us what they can do. We've lost two games in a row. We've got a few guys banged up, so it's a good time to see what these young guys can do."
When I asked Halischuk to compare the excitement of scoring the winning overtime goal for Canada in the World Junior Championships last year with playing in his first NHL game, he said, "They're two separate things. Obviously, that was a special moment (scoring the OT goal), but playing in the NHL is the next step."
I have this feeling Halischuk is going to play well enough to avoid going back to Lowell...
Posted by: Brick | October 28, 2008 at 01:44 PM
Any word on whether they'll both be in the line-up tomorrow?
Posted by: Dan | October 28, 2008 at 02:56 PM
Yes, both will play tomorrow.
Posted by: TG | October 28, 2008 at 03:27 PM
Do u know there jersey numbers for tomorrow nights game?
I am wearing my Kitchener Rangers Halischuk shirt tomorrow
I AM PUMPED
I <3 MATT HALISCHUK and yeah i'm a high school guy lol
Posted by: luziferdevs | October 28, 2008 at 03:42 PM
As I posted below, Halischuk is wearing No. 10 (previously worn by Rod Pelley) and Bergfors is wearing No. 18, which he also wore during the preseason.
Posted by: TG | October 28, 2008 at 04:00 PM
Good luck boys, give 'em hell!
Posted by: Pearl Jammed(RJ Arditti) | October 28, 2008 at 04:29 PM
I would've liked to see the devs go the Parise route with Halischuk and give him a year in the A before bringing him up, but who knows, maybe he's ready to make the jump and put up pts. He had a great start for Lowell.
This is Bergfors chance to stay with the big club...He's going to get some time with skill players so he better make the most of it. If Halischuk and Bergfors both play well Sutter will have some tough decisions to make regarding the lineup when Langs, Rolston and Holik are healthy...
Posted by: Brodeur30 | October 28, 2008 at 04:33 PM
1. Gionta- Putting Gio with Madden and Pando is a complete waste of a offensive
minded, goal scoring forward, your not utilizing Gio offensive production. Yes
Maddens can score occasionally but he is not a goal scorer ( he has no hands, no
creativety), Pando's a Penalty killer PERIOD. Put Gio with Zajac and Parise and they
will light it up (new NHL SPEEED kills) Langdenbunner is a hrad worker but should be
put with Madden and Pando as a Defensive shut down line. (they will still put up
points tho with madden and langdenbrunner having some offensive).
2. CLARKSON is not a goalscorer nor will he ever be. STOP PUTTING HIM ON THE
POWERPLAY.
3. At the Flyers game Friday we were down a goal or 2 with 6 minutes
left……REGARDLESS we were down… madden pando and gio were out playing a freaking
1-2-2 passive forecheck..are you serious…you obviously have to be aggressive in that
situation with 6 min left and down a goal.
4. POWERPLAY…when Rolston comes back you can not just have a powerplay where guys
are standing around just passing the puck with Rolstons cannon. You need to get a
lot of movement and quick passing to open up a lane for rolstons blast (just watch
the Wilds powerplay last yr) Put him on wing for a one timer if the point shots not
open.
5. Lines- When everyones healthy-- Parise Zajac Gio/ Rolston, Zubrus, Elias
(solves the winger situation as well Rolston and Elias both would ratehr be
wingers), Langdenbrunner, Madden, Pando/ Rupp, Holik, Clarkson
Vrana- fast, creates plays, very smart, little weak in corners, if hes put with
talented scorers hell put up points, I just don’t know where theres room whens
everyones healthy)
Salema- Very creative, fasssst, nice slap shot, bring him back up he should play
point on powerplay with rolston or point on second unit
Greenes playing well , Muatu isnt playing well at all.
Posted by: Mike redante | October 28, 2008 at 04:47 PM
Bergfors isn't that great a player. Unless his regular season is leaps and bounds above how he played during the pre-season. He didn't show much during pre-season.
However I'm very excited to see Halischuk play. I could see him with Parise and Zajac for many years down the road...this kid has talent. He's on the smaller side, but can play.
Posted by: Falcone | October 28, 2008 at 05:15 PM
Bergfors was our best prospect last year. Now he has a bad training camp and hes left for dead? I'm not looking for a 100+ point player to come out of the minors here. Bergfors could still contribute.
On the flip side, Halischuk could fall flat on his face and he will be in the same doghouse that Bergfors is now in apparently.
Given the situation, the best we can realistically hope for, is these two to play smart hockey, try not to force things, maybe increase the energy level, and possibly contribute a goal or two. The backbone of the Devils as it has for years, has been defense.
Posted by: Guy | October 28, 2008 at 06:04 PM
Matt Redundant: Why are you posting the same post in every single one of TG's posts?
Stop it.
Posted by: kstatik | October 28, 2008 at 06:16 PM
Parise was in the AHL for his first full pro season, but he had no other option. The NHL had no season that year. Otherwise, he might have ended up being called up that season. Remember, Zajac ended up in NJ to start his first pro season.
And just because Halischuk (and Bergfors) is here now doesn't mean he's going to stay the full season, The Devils have players out with injuries. When everyone is healthy, they'll have to send people down.
A small taste of the NHL can help a young player's development, give them a gauge of where they stand and where they need to improve. You don't want him sticking around if he's not playing, though. He needs minutes.
Posted by: TG | October 28, 2008 at 06:27 PM
Sorry, that's Mike Redundant... got "Matt" (Halischuk) on the brain.
Posted by: kstatik | October 28, 2008 at 06:34 PM
Actually the Devils for the playoffs after he graduated college and the league wouldn't let them
Posted by: Jeff | October 28, 2008 at 07:34 PM
I'm very interested to see Bergfors and Halischuk play, but I'd be happier if we were healthy. It looks like Lags will be back soon, so somebody's stay in NJ is going to be short-lived barring another injury. (knock on wood).
Posted by: Puckster | October 28, 2008 at 07:46 PM
TG do you know the lines for tomorrows game and who else isnt playing..is Vrana playing...i know you probably wont know the lines until after the morning skate but just checking
Posted by: Murph | October 28, 2008 at 08:17 PM
Wish Matt was wearing something other than Pelley's number. Will anyone ever wear #13?
Posted by: Al | October 28, 2008 at 08:22 PM
In the NHL.com features there was a good article on Halishuck if anybone missed it.
Posted by: RestlessKnight | October 28, 2008 at 08:37 PM
whatever happened to fedor fedorov? is he down in lowell or in limbo?
Posted by: mike b | October 28, 2008 at 11:30 PM
Well, the one good thing is that with all these rookies playing Sutter can see which one wants it more. I still like Vrana. And I think Leblond should stay all year and rotate with Rupp in the lineup.
Posted by: DH | October 29, 2008 at 12:51 AM
leblond cant skate well enough to earn a regular spot. This league is all about skating....
Posted by: HF | October 29, 2008 at 01:24 AM
yeah, besides fighting Leblond is completely worthless. This league is all about speed and he has none....Rupp has hands of stone, but he's faster than leblond and has more offensive upside.......even though it's not a lot. Pelley should never ever get more time than our other youngsters. He's slow, has zero offensive upside, and we're already fine on PKers who can play two-way hockey. We don't need anymore. Any moron can see that we need to score more...
Posted by: Brodeur30 | October 29, 2008 at 03:13 AM
RestlessKnight-
Do u have the URL for the article?
Posted by: Falcone | October 29, 2008 at 08:26 AM