2. Newcomers
The Devils will have a few first timers suiting up for the Prospects Challenge. And for many fans tuning it, it’ll be their first chance to see some players in action on the ice. Players like Lenni Hameenaho, Jakub Malek and Matyas Melovsky will rep the Black and Red for the first time.
One player that Devils fans are excited to see is Hameenaho. The second-round pick (58th overall) in 2023 has played the past three seasons with Assat of Liiga (Finland). Hameenaho, 20, led the team with 20 goals last season while totaling 51 points in 58 regular-season games. He added seven points (3g-4a) in 15 games for Finland at the World Championship.
Malek is a very intriguing prospect. The team’s fourth-round pick (100th overall) in 2021 is making the jump to North America this season. In his third season with Ilves (Liiga), he went 15-11-6 with a 2.09 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. His four shutouts ranked second in the entire league while his save percentage ranked fifth.
Melovsky, 20, set career marks last year with Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 26 goals, 57 assists and 83 points. His 83 points led the team and ranked seventh (tied) overall in the entire QMJHL, while his 57 helpers was fourth most in the Q. The Devils’ sixth-round pick (171st overall) in 2024 also was awarded the Guy Carbonneau Trophy as the QMJHL’s “Best Defensive Forward.”