Devils’ Dougie Hamilton set to return following 18-game injury absence

New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton will make his return to the lineup Wednesday versus the Detroit Red Wings after missing the past 18 games due to a lower-body injury, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now.

Sidelined since early March, Hamilton has seen 63 appearances with the Devils this season in which he has collected nine goals and 31 assists for 40 points to sit seventh in team scoring and second among defensemen. With it, the veteran rearguard has also registered 28 penalty minutes and a plus-nine rating while averaging 19:48 in time on ice per game.

Originally chosen ninth overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2011 NHL Draft, Hamilton has since seen 834 career contests counting stops with the Bruins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, and Devils in which he has amassed 151 goals and 350 assists for 501 career points. With the Devils in 2022-23, the 31-year-old Toronto native reached a career-high 74 points counting 22 goals and 52 assists coming in 82 games. Hamilton has also added nine goals and 20 assists for 29 points through 66 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Per PuckPedia, Hamilton is in the fourth year of a seven-year deal that carries a $9-million annual average value. Hamilton originally joined New Jersey in 2021 as an unrestricted free agent.

Entering Wednesday action, New Jersey sits third place in the Metropolitan Division with a 42-32-7 record and 91 points. For the Devils, Wednesday’s contest marks the club’s final regular-season game before it begins its opening-round series of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs versus the divisional rival Hurricanes. The two sides met four times in the regular season, taking two wins apiece.

The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs mark the second time in the past seven seasons in which the Devils will compete in the postseason.