The New Jersey Devils already have some concerns about their defense and the season has not even started yet. Young defenseman Simon Nemec was injured Friday during Slovakia’s Olympic Qualifying Game against Hungry. Nemec went crashing into the boards in the second period. He stayed on the ice for several minutes before getting up and skating over to the bench.
Here’s the Nemec injury.
EDIT: Now he’s gone down the tunnel with 7:33 left in the second.#NJDevils https://t.co/JZHnsZ4JtU pic.twitter.com/3SUK4eVYgf
— Daniel Amoia (@daniel_amoia) August 30, 2024
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Though Nemec stayed on the Slovak bench, he soon got up and headed down the tunnel. The team later announced that Nemec would not return to the game, as first reported by Devils Nation, which put Sunday’s game in jeopardy.
Here is your update on Devils defenseman Simon Nemec after he crashed into the boards and left the game.
He is done for the rest of the tournament. #njdevils @FullPressNHL @myNHLTradeRumor @DevilsNationX https://t.co/Na4xPtCKyC
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) August 30, 2024
Slovakian Team Doctor Pavol Lauko examined him after the game on Friday and stated, “There is nothing dislocated or broken for Simon Nemec. He is in a lot of pain, though, so more tests will be run tomorrow (Saturday), and a decision will be made on whether or not he’ll play Sunday.”
While the team called Nemec’s injury “upper-body,” you could see he was grasping at his shoulder. As much as Sunday’s game meant to Nemec, Slovakia did not need him in the lineup against Kazakhstan. Not to mention, the decision would be taken out of Nemec’s hands. The New Jersey Devils were ultimately going to decide for him.
Nemec needed their permission to play in the game. New Jersey is protecting its assets. As much as International hockey means to these European players, the Devils signed him to play in the NHL, and training camps are right around the corner. They do not want a crucial part of their defense to miss time in training camp and preseason. Considering Nemec was in pain the day after the injury, things were looking increasingly grim that he would play on Sunday.
Ultimately, the decision was made in the player’s best interest, and he was ruled out of Sunday’s game against Kazakhstan. He will be heading to New Jersey for more tests on his injured left shoulder. With camp right around the corner, the Devils did not want Nemec to hurt himself even further.
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Leaving this here.
Sounds like Nemec is a no go for today. This was the last game of the tourney anyway.
Not surprising with camp right around the corner.
Per @Lewysko he is heading to NJ next week for more tests. #njdevils @FullPressNHL @myNHLTradeRumor @DevilsNationX https://t.co/4eM3klkkk7
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) September 1, 2024
It will be interesting to see the extent of the tests run on his shoulder. New Jersey hopes the young Slovak defenseman will be ready for training camp. The Devils open training camp around September 15th. They need him prepared for the season, especially with new defense additions.
There is never a good time to get injured, but it might be the best time right now—rather than in season. Still, the Devils want Simon Nemec healthy when they open the season in Czechia against the Buffalo Sabres on October 4th and 5th.
