Yahoo Sports Devils’ Rookie Seamus Casey Ready to Be a Pro
In early May, one of Seamus Casey's dreams came true.
He signed his entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils and took the first step towards beginning his professional hockey career.
"I think signing in May was a dream come true and super exciting, and then, you realize it is time to get to work," Casey said.
The 20-year-old defenseman split his summer between Michigan and Florida. During his offseason training, Casey focused on getting stronger and preparing to play a season at the professional level.
"I tried to train with as many pro guys as I could," he said on Thursday. "We had a pretty good alumni group in Michigan, so that was very helpful. There were guys who played five, 10, 15 years (professionally). Obviously, (you) learn a lot from them. It is going to help coming into camp. Florida was the same thing. We had a good group of college and pro guys in the mix. It was good."
When it comes to his training, Casey shared that each season has felt like the biggest season of his life, and now it is time to showcase his ability to play at the ultimate level.
"I'm ready to be a pro. I think that is a big step coming from junior or college, wherever you are at. I want to prove that I have what it takes to be at this level," Casey said.
On Thursday, the Devils announced that defenseman Luke Hughes would miss approximately six to eight weeks after suffering a left shoulder injury.
As everyone knows, injuries always lead to opportunities in sports.
Despite a few defensemen ahead of Casey on the depth chart, like Johnathan Kovacevic and Nick DeSimone, the young rookie can still try to force the coaching staff's hand.
"Obviously, my goal is to make the team, but beyond that, long term, I want to get better," Casey explained. "I want to learn from the pro guys, from the team, and the coaches. Take what I can and force them to make some tough decisions.
"If I go to Utica, I will take what I learned here and have a good next step."
Fans can watch Casey and the rest of the rookies on Friday afternoon when the Devils play the Ottawa Senators at 3:30 P.M. EST as part of the 2024 Prospects Challenge in Buffalo, New York.
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