Media Day Quotes I BLOG

Devils' players and coaches arrived at Prudential Center on Wednesday morning for the beginning of training camp. Many met with the media throughout the morning and afternoon. Here is a roundup of the best quotes from the day…
GM Tom Fitzgerald on taking the next step as a franchise
Accountability is also part of development. We will instill accountability into our game and in practices and off ice every single day to build a culture. We don't want to take the stick out of anybody's hands. I said it last year, we're learning how to win. We're still in that phase, but we're a year ahead. Players know when to get pucks in deep. Players know the time on the clock. Players know when to put their bodies in front of a puck to save a shot or potential goal at the end of a game or save a potential shutout. They know that. It's time to do it consistently over and over again.
Fitzgerald full interview
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HC Lindy Ruff on Jack Hughes
I want to continue to see his game grow. I feel it's there. I think it's going to be harder. I think he got more attention as the year went on (last year) … I'm hoping that the Jack everybody gets to see this year is one step ahead of where he was at last year. That's just the progression. He's excited about taking the next step. I think he knows he difficult it is. He put a lot of work into his offseason a year a go, he put a lot of work into this offseason.
Ruff full interview.

Nico Hischier on his health
I was never really hurt until last year. You do appreciate coming in, not with crutches. It's always great to be healthy. You're more motivated and you can start with the team right away, which starts today.
Hischier full interview
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Jack Hughes on his game
I trained hard. I think my game is going to pop one more time and I should have a great year. I'm expecting to have a great year.
Hughes full interview
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Dougie Hamilton on his first impression of the Devils team
A lot of talent. A lot of skill, speed, everything you'd want. It's going to be on us to build some chemistry and get used to playing with each other. Buy into the system and hopefully be ready to go for Game 1.
Hamilton Full interview
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Pavel Zacha on playing center or wing
It's not my decision. I'm here at camp to play wherever they put me. With this system, I think it's easier for a center to play wing than the other way around. I'm just excited to start.
Zacha full interview
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Mackenzie Blackwood on his game
I don't think I need to go back to the drawing board with my game at all. I think I just need to continue to build on small reads and details. Me and (goaltending coach Dave Rogalski) will be working through the season together and working on those things. I'm feeling confident that my game is trending in the right direction.
Blackwood full interview
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Miles Wood on the new Devils
I'm heading into my sixth year. It's crazy how fast it goes. My first year was me and Severson. We're the only players left from my first year. Talk about changeover. We've seen it. More importantly, I'm super excited about this group.
Wood full interview
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Jesper Bratt on improving his scoring
When I looked at back at last season, the shooting and goal scoring part was what I wanted to improve the most. That was something I put a lot of extra time in. I had an extra three sessions a week for the last five weeks with a shooting coach that I was working with to improve that part. The goal scoring and shooting mentality part can take my game to the next step. That's something I worked on and hopefully it pays off on the ice.
Bratt full interview
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Ryan Graves on his role
If you look at the backend there are players like Dougie and Ty and Severson and PK that are really good on the offensive side of the puck. But you need people to even that out andplay on the other side of it to kill penalties and to play the hard minutes and be physical and things like that back there, and being hard to play against. That's where I fit in, and I'm looking forward to doing it.
Graves full interview
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P.K. Subban on the season ahead
I'm excited because it's a privilege to do what we do. If you look at the past season where our jobs were taken from us, our ability to do it the way we always had done it was taken away, so you don't take that for granted. … we have a tremendous opportunity this season to take another step forward as an organization.
Subban full interview
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Jonathan Bernier on the team's mentality
I had some great conversations with Marty (Brodeur) and Tom (Fitzgerald) before I signed but that was a big part for me is the team is ready to take the next step. ... They want to take the next step. They're done being young and being a rebuild. They just want to win. That's what you want as a player, being on a competitive team every night.
Full interview
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Tomas Tatar on playing against only Canadian teams last season
It was awful, I'm not going to lie to you. It doesn't matter playing against the same teams, but the travel wasn't easy. Canada is stretched out. Those trips to Vancouver and back to Montreal or Calgary and Edmonton then back to Montreal are not easy. I know the league did the best they could given the circumstances, which I'm not saying was easy, but I'm pretty sure our division was the toughest on the body and traveling up and down.
Tatar full interview
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Damon Severson on the defensive acquisitions
You bring in some size, you bring in some skill, you bring a mix of a defender in Graves and a puck mover in Doubie. They're both big guys. I used to be the big guy on the team at 6-2 and now I'm looking up at these guys at 6-5, 6-6. It's pretty impressive.
Severson full interview
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Nolan Foote on his goal in training camp
I'm fighting for a spot, trying to make opening night, keep working and have a solid training camp and show them what I do best, what I've improved and what they've asked me to do. Just come prepared.
Foote full interview
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Jimmy Vesey on his opportunity
Right now I'm just here to make the team. That starts (Thursday) on the ice. I'm going to come in and give it my best effort.
Vesey full interview
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