The New Jersey Devils are getting a shot in the arm as defenseman Dougie Hamilton returns to the lineup. Head coach Sheldon Keefe announced yesterday that Hamilton would suit up against the Detroit Red Wings in the final game of the regular season on Wednesday.
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Hamilton has been out with a lower-body injury since the game against the Dallas Stars on March 4th, 2025. Devils President and GM Tom Fitzgerald believed Hamilton would be lost for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. His timeline was six to eight weeks, and Hamilton is closer to the early side of six weeks.
“Yeah, he’s worked hard. I’d say he’s a little bit ahead of schedule, Keefe said. “I think he was at six to eight weeks was sort of the projected time period, and he’s at the front end of that. So credit to him for the work that he’s put in. And he’s excited to go. He sort of had some conversations, whether it was maybe last night (Tuesday night against Boston) or today (Wednesday night against Detroit), and gave him the extra day and saved him the flights and all these kinds of things. So he’s excited today, and he’ll pair up with (Brenden) Dillon, and give them a chance to get some reps in together.”
Hamilton’s timeline had always been the playoffs. However, recently, things have picked up for him in his recovery. He began skating on his own and then with the healthy scratches. Soon, he found himself taking line rushes in practices and at the morning skates. Signs were good for the Devils that a return to the lineup was near.
“It’s nice to him out there,” Keefe told the media back on Saturday, April 12th. “It’s obviously an important step in his rehab process. He went through a little bit more than even we anticipated, which is a positive sign that he is feeling good, so very encouraging. Obviously, we will just have to take it from here. Depends on how he feels post-skate and again tomorrow (Sunday, April 13th), but more importantly, this is a big indicator of where he is at, and we’ll take it from there.”
Things got better for Dougie Hamilton and the Devils. Prior to the Devils’ 1-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Sunday, April 13th, Dougie Hamilton took the warmup. However, Sheldon Keefe held him out of the lineup.
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There was some speculation heading into the game against Detroit about whether or not he would actually play. Hamilton had been practicing and taking warmups, so he was close to returning. No one knew for sure if the Devils were actually going to get him into the lineup before Game 1 of their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Most figured he would play, because it would not be ideal to have a player return from injury and his first game be in the playoffs.
Keefe was going to be cautious about what he did with Hamilton as they did not want to reinjure and actually lose him for the entire playoffs this time around. Ideally, a game or two would be nice. Hamilton is getting one game before the team gets ready for the playoffs. That April 12th practice was the last one of the regular season.
With the Devils knowing they were going on the road for Game 1 against Carolina and the game against Detroit just a tune-up, Hamilton gets one game to get acclimated again to game play. Practice is one thing, gameplay in the NHL is another. But getting one game under your belt with your partner is huge, especially given who the Devils are playing.
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However, this is a huge boost to the team as Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler remain out. Siegenthaler is skating, but is not close to returning. Getting Hamilton back will allow Keefe to slot his defenseman properly. During this stretch, some guys are playing more minutes than they are used to.
We know what Luke Hughes is doing, and Simon Nemec is finding his footing again, getting Hamilton back gives the Devils depth on defense they need against Carolina.
