logo
Šimon Nemec's overtime heroics give him a moment he can cherish after up-and-down year

Šimon Nemec's overtime heroics give him a moment he can cherish after up-and-down year

New York Times26-04-2025

NEWARK — Of all the players who could have scored in double overtime, perhaps none could have benefited from it more than defenseman Šimon Nemec.
'He's going to be a better player tomorrow as a result of tonight's game,' coach Sheldon Keefe said after the Devils' 3-2 win.
The 21-year-old Nemec, whom the Devils selected No. 2 overall in 2022, described 2024-25 as a tough season for him. His goal in the second overtime period — in which he activated offensively, cut through two defenders and put a puck through Frederik Andersen — was the type of play that can change the way he will look back on this year.
Advertisement
With the Devils' season on the line and their group of defensemen banged up, he was the one who stepped up.
'He took that moment,' Brian Dumoulin said. 'He wasn't scared of it.'
SIMON NEMEC WINS IT IN DOUBLE OT!! 😱
His first #StanleyCup Playoffs goal is the @Energizer overtime winner! pic.twitter.com/IcTUqDhTUE
— NHL (@NHL) April 26, 2025
Nemec had a lot to build off after his rookie year in 2023-24. Injuries to Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler thrust him into a bigger-than-expected role, and he averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time a game. He appeared on Calder ballots.
But the downs of 2024-25 started before he even returned to North America for training camp. In August, Nemec suffered an upper-body injury playing for the Slovakian National Team in an Olympic qualifying match, putting him in a less-than-ideal position entering training camp. He was ready for the start of the season, but when the Devils' group of defensemen — which added Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon and Johnathan Kovacevic over the offseason — got healthy, coach Sheldon Keefe started making Nemec a healthy scratch. The Devils eventually sent him to AHL Utica, where he played 34 games over the next three months.
'We have a good team,' said Devils forward Tomáš Tatar, Nemec's countryman, when asked about the defenseman's up-and-down year. 'It's not easy to just come in and play, especially when you're that young. It takes time and experience.'
Nemec was the 11th-youngest defenseman to play an NHL game this year. Lian Bichsel, Denton Mateychuk, Isaiah George and Elias Pettersson were the only blueliners younger than Nemec who played more than his 27 games, and they all spent time in the AHL, too. Defensemen take time to develop, and The Athletic's Scott Wheeler, a prospect writer, is still confident he will develop into a top-four defenseman.
Advertisement
'In terms of a guy you're going to bet on to be successful for a long period of time, he's got the tools,' Scott Moser, who coached Nemec at world junior championships, said in an interview last year. 'When you're projecting over a long period of time, it's really no surprise why New Jersey was so high on him.'
Corey Pronman, who also writes about prospects for The Athletic, believes Nemec can become a top-four defenseman, too, though he doesn't see it as the same guarantee as a couple years ago. He noted he could struggle to get time on the power play since New Jersey has Luke Hughes and Hamilton.
Nemec was still in and out of the lineup when back with the NHL club full time starting in February, and Keefe made him a healthy scratch in Game 1 against Carolina. Hughes and Dillon both got hurt that game, though, so Nemec got his first chance at playoff action in Game 2. He said it wasn't easy not having consistent playing time, but he felt ready.
Keefe liked the way the young defenseman played in Game 2. Then the coach had to rely on him even more in Game 3 after Kovacevic suffered an undisclosed injury, leaving the Devils with only five defensemen. Nemec played 22:39, more than he had in any NHL game this year. He nearly ended the game in the first overtime with an early shot, and the Devils had 63 percent of the expected goal share with him on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Overtime might've been the highlight, but he was having a strong game even before that.
'I feel like my confidence is back the last couple games,' he said after.
Nemec scored his first playoff goal the same night that his friend Juraj Slafkovský did the same for Montreal. The two grew up playing on Slovakian junior teams together and were the first two picks in the 2022 NHL draft, with Slafkovský going No. 1 overall to Montreal. Talking about Nemec last season, Slafkovský praised his hockey IQ and playmaking.
Advertisement
'(He's) someone who can create and make the most offensive play,' Slafkovský said.
That was clear against Carolina. In overtime, Keefe caught himself thinking it would be special to see Siegenthaler, playing at less than 100 percent in his first game since Feb. 4, score the winning goal. After the game, the coach reflected more on that sentiment.
'If I was really thinking, I would have said, 'Wouldn't it be something if the young guy, Nemec — who has stepped up so big for us — ended it?'' Keefe said. 'Just a great play by him.'
Tatar recognized that this year has been up-and-down for Nemec, but he believes Friday's goal will help the defenseman's confidence grow.
'Those,' Tatar said, 'are the moments you cherish.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Olympic wrestling gold medalist Amit Elor to miss world championships team qualifier
Olympic wrestling gold medalist Amit Elor to miss world championships team qualifier

NBC Sports

time32 minutes ago

  • NBC Sports

Olympic wrestling gold medalist Amit Elor to miss world championships team qualifier

Olympic wrestling gold medalist Amit Elor will not compete at an event to determine the 2025 World Championships team on Saturday due to health reasons. 'I recently found out that I was anemic during the World Team Trials (May 16-17), which added up to be too much with my current injuries,' was posted on Elor's social media. 'In the meantime, I'm committed to safely working on strengthening my wrestling. I'm also very excited to contribute to the wrestling community by being more available for camps and clinics ❤️ Wishing the very best to all the wrestlers competing this weekend! No matter what, I'm sure we're going to have an incredible team representing us at the world stage. To my Final X competitor, @glaudealex (Alexandria Glaude) you got this and I'll be cheering for you at worlds!' Last August, Elor became at age 20 the youngest Olympic wrestling gold medalist in American history, extending a five-year, 82-match win streak. After competing at 68kg in Paris, she moved back up to 72kg (a non-Olympic weight) this year and qualified for this Saturday's Final X. Elor was due to face Glaude, 28, for the 72kg spot on the team for this September's World Championships in Croatia. Nick Zaccardi,

Simone Biles Apologizes To Riley Gaines, Calls For Inclusion And Respect In Sports
Simone Biles Apologizes To Riley Gaines, Calls For Inclusion And Respect In Sports

Yahoo

time42 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Simone Biles Apologizes To Riley Gaines, Calls For Inclusion And Respect In Sports

Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles apologized for getting personal in an online clash with right-wing activist Riley Gaines and further clarified her statements on transgender athletes. Biles' apology comes after Gaines, a 25-year-old former swimmer, targeted a high school softball player who is trans in Minnesota on X. Biles called out Gaines for bullying while attempting to defend the athlete. 'I've always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn't adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn't help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for,' Biles wrote on Tuesday. 'These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don't have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect. I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women's sports. My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful.' 'Individual athletes—especially kids—should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over,' Biles continued. 'I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful. Xoxo Simone.' On Friday, Gaines pointed out that the comments on a post celebrating a high school softball team had been turned off. 'To be expected when your star player is a boy,' she wrote. Biles stepped in in defense of the teenage trans athlete with multiple tweets. 'bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male,' Biles wrote. In a separate post, Biles referred to Gaines as 'truly sick' and a 'sore loser,' referencing a 200-yard swimming freestyle race in 2022 in which Gaines tied for fifth place with Lia Thomas, an athlete who is trans. The race skyrocketed Gaines to popularity among many right-wingers. 'You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports,' Biles added. 'But instead… You bully them… One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!' Gaines said she was disappointed by Biles' comments and doubled down on her anti-trans stance. 'It's not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces,' Gaines wrote. 'You can uplift men stealing championships in women's sports with YOUR platform. Men don't belong in women's sports and I say that with my full chest.' On Tuesday, Gaines accepted Biles' apology in a lengthy post on X. 'Sports ARE inclusive by nature. Anyone can and everyone SHOULD play sports. Competition, on the other hand and by definition, is exclusive. So the idea of 'competitive equity' is nonsensical,' Gaines said. She also baselessly claimed that trans athletes are harming or abusing girls. 'You can't have any empathy and compassion for the girls if you're ignoring when young men are harming or abusing them. I am not ashamed to be a voice for the voiceless,' Gaines wrote before proudly proclaiming her support for President Donald Trump and pointing out her lawsuit with several other athletes against the NCAA. Gaines did not address singling out the trans high school softball player. Despite NCAA President Charlie Baker claiming in testimony in front of a Senate panel in December 2024 that he is aware of fewer than 10 college-aged trans student athletes in the U.S., conservatives have hyper-fixated on trans athletes as some sort of detriment to women's rights and sports teams. In February, Trump signed an executive order prohibiting 'male competitive participation in women's sports.' The order establishes the right to 'rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.' California and a winning high school trans athlete in the state have recently drawn the ire of Trump, who has threatened to withhold funding based on his executive order. Simone Biles Slams Riley Gaines' 'Truly Sick' Anti-Trans Talk: 'Straight Up Sore Loser!' Simone Biles Makes Shocking Remark About Her Future In Gymnastics Simone Biles Wants 'Justice' After Jordan Chiles' Medal Was Revoked

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store