Dougie Hamilton remains one of the New Jersey Devils‘ more effective two-way defensemen. Now, he’s about to pass a franchise legend.
On Thursday, the Devils defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-4, and Hamilton provided the assist on Jesper Bratt’s game-winner. That assist meant more than simply escaping a near-collapse.
Per NHL.com’s Mike Morreale, “Hamilton earned his 12th career overtime point with New Jersey to tie Scott Niedermayer for the second most by a defenseman in franchise history behind Brian Rafalski (13).”
Niedermayer is a Hockey Hall of Famer who made a name for himself with the Devils between 1991-92 and 2003-04 before joining the Anaheim Ducks for the final few seasons of his career. He compiled 476 points and 112 goals with the Devils. So for Hamilton to be on the verge of passing Niedermayer, it says a lot about his overall production.
Rafalski was a solid two-way defenseman in New Jersey for seven seasons and later in Detroit for another four years. Rafalski posted 311 points and 44 goals with the Devils, and 13 of those points came in the extra period.
Dougie Hamilton Can Set A New Record With The Devils This Season
To date, Hamilton has only appeared in over 64 games in a single season with the Devils just twice. He has missed substantial time in three of his first five seasons in Newark. Yet, he has a good chance to ultimately end his time in New Jersey with the franchise record in overtime points for a defenseman.
It shows how productive Hamilton has been. Hamilton has recorded 207 points and 58 goals in 321 games with New Jersey. He finds himself on a half-point-per-game pace this season, with eight in 16 games.
Overtime points number 13 and 14 could come this season, given the Devils’ 4-0 record in overtime/shootout through 16 games. The trend may not be going away soon, with two of those games ending in overtime or a shootout in the previous two contests.
Hamilton’s Heroics May Be What New Jersey Needs In The Competitive Metro
The Devils may have 22 points. But 16 games into their season, they are already six points behind the Carolina Hurricanes, who have 28. New Jersey may have two games in hand, but the Hurricanes won’t struggle through many bad outings.
That said, avoiding overtime losses after giving up big leads will be pivotal for the Devils. Earning an overtime point is better than skating away with zero points. Still, considering how tough Carolina has been, the Devils’ best bet is to win games in overtime or a shootout when they allow leads to slip in the final frame. They can’t rely on overtime losses to stay close to a team like Carolina.
Throughout his stint with the New Jersey Devils, Hamilton has shown he can be a clutch player in overtime. If and when the Devils blow another multi-goal lead and find themselves in overtime, they must get the puck on Hamilton’s stick.
If he helps them win just once more in overtime, he will pass a franchise legend in Niedermayer. Two more points, and he will hold the franchise record for defensemen.
Devils’ Dougie Hamilton On Verge of Passing Franchise Legend in Key Stat