Key Rangers rival sustained an upper-body injury during an Olympics qualifier, prior to joining the New Jersey Devils’ training camp in September. Now, the Devils are anxiously awaiting details on the severity of the injury.
While playing for Slovakia against Hungary in the second period of a qualifying game for the 2026 Winter Olympics, Nemec awkwardly crashed into the boards during a puck battle on Saturday and did not return. According to James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now, “Slovak doctors say nothing is broken or dislocated for Nemec.” The 20-year-old defenseman is expected to be a regular in New Jersey’s lineup this season, despite the offseason additions of veterans Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon, and the return to health of All-Star Dougie Hamilton.
Hamilton’s season-ending torn pectoral injury last year allowed Nemec to play 60 games as an NHL rookie, where he experienced both highs and lows but gained valuable experience. He finished with 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) and a minus-7 rating, averaging 19:52 of ice time — the fifth most on the Devils. Fellow rookie defenseman Luke Hughes led New Jersey in average time on ice (21:28) and tallied 47 points (nine goals, 38 assists) over 82 games. The Devils view Nemec and Hughes as key components of their defense for years to come. However, the immediate concern for the Devils is Nemec’s current health status.
Nichols reported, “More tests will be run on Saturday to determine if he’ll play in Sunday’s game against Kazakhstan — which the Devils will need to grant Nemec permission to play.”
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