Hamilton Looks Back at First Season in Jersey | PODCAST

The Devils signed defenseman Dougie Hamilton last summer, the big grab of NHL free agency, and he made an immediate impact. Hamilton scored his first goal as a Devil just 17 seconds into the season opener against Chicago.
Hamilton notched six goals and 15 points in the first 19 games with New Jersey. But the blueliner suffered a broken toe on New Year's Eve against Edmonton. The following game, Jan. 2 at Washington, he suffered a broken jaw.
And after he returned from those two injuries, Hamilton didn't look like quite like the same player.
"I never really felt the same coming back from that. I don't really know why exactly, a lot of different things," Hamilton told the Speak of the Devils podcast. "I just wasn't the same player I thought I could be. For me, I'm trying to work hard this summer to get back to how I was playing at the start of the season. Hopefully I can do that."

Hamilton missed nearly eight weeks recovering from the injury. He knew right away when the puck struck his mouth that it was a bad situation.
"My whole jaw was shifted. When I bit down, I couldn't go all the way down, but I knew my jaw was completely off," Hamilton said. "I think in those moments, injuries, it's a lot of disappointment. You're missing out of being with the team. Hockey, pretty much our life is playing hockey and being there with your teammates. Having to miss out on that."
Overall, Hamilton summed up the 2021-22 season as thus:
"It's disappointing not making the playoffs and being in the race to win the Stanley Cup," he said. "For me, looking at the organization, the people in the organization, being around my teammates, the staff, all that stuff, it's been really enjoyable for me. Coming to a new place and the way we're treated and how everyone is has been really good so far. I really enjoyed that and the city.
"Hockey there were ups and downs and some tough times this year. For me, just try to learn from everything and get hungry for next year, I'm ready to work hard this summer to get better."
Here are some other topics Hamilton discussed on the podcast…
New Jersey Devils Official Podcast
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Dougie Hamilton | Speak of the Devils