Devils Re-Sign Three More

According to a series of press releases on the Devils’ official site, General Manager Ray Shero has come to terms with three more players. Ben Thomson, Kevin Rooney and Stefan Noesen have all been signed to one-year, two-way contracts.

Ben Thomson, a forward and a 24 year-old native of Brampton, Ontario was the first announced. He will make $650,000 at the NHL level. He was chosen in the fourth round, 96th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft and has played the majority of his Devils career in the AHL. This will be his fourth professional hockey season. He has 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points in 212 AHL games (he also has 296 penalty minutes) according to the press release. Last year he had a goal in the four Calder Cup playoff games he played in.

He also made his NHL debut last season (April 4 versus the Flyers) and has a total of three NHL games under his belt.

Next up to sign was Providence College product Kevin Rooney. The 24 year-old Canton, Massachusetts native will make $650,000 at the NHL level. Rooney just finished his first pro season, playing in 71 games for the Albany Devils of the AHL and making his New Jersey Devils debut on March 2 against the Capitals.

In Albany, he had 13 goals and eight assists for 21 points with 39 penalty minutes according to the press release. The release also mentions that Rooney had one goal in four Calder Cup playoff games played in last year.

Rooney, a forward, was signed to a one-year AHL contract last year (July 5, 2016) as a free agent. The press release mentions that he attended Development Camp last year for the Devils and participated in the 2016 Prospects Challenge in Buffalo. He signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract on February 27, 2017 right before his NHL debut against the Caps in Washington.

The final signing announcement of the day was forward Stefan Noesen. The forward, born in Plano, Texas, will make $660,000 at the NHL level.

Noesen, who is 24 years old as well, was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks last year via waivers. He was chosen 21st overall in the first round of the 2011 NHL Draft by Ottawa. Last season he split between the Ducks and Devils at the NHL level and the San Diego Gulls of the AHL (Anaheim’s affiliate).

With the Devils, after being claimed off waivers on January 25, 2017, he played 32 games and had six goals and two assists for eight points. He scored his first career NHL goal on December 7 while still with the Ducks versus the Hurricanes. He notched his first assist as a Devil on February 14 against the Avalanche. He also scored a goal in each of his first two games with the Devils according to the press release. Those goals came January 26 against Washington and January 31 against Detroit.

At the AHL level, Noesen has 116 games (for the Norfolk Admirals and San Diego). In those games, he has 23 goals and 40 assists to total 63 points. He also has 127 penalty minutes, according to the press release.

His NHL totals read 46 games, eight goals, two assists for ten points and 24 penalty minutes.