James Nichols
Put a camera and a microphone in front of his face, and New Jersey Devils star defenseman Dougie Hamilton isn’t the same goofy “admin” fans see in the team’s humorous content. The 31-year-old defenseman instead hermits a bit, becoming the shy version of himself, which reflects in his responses. When asked about his exclusion from Team Canada’s 4 Nations Face-off roster, however, a dejected tone could be detected.
The Devils signed Dougie Hamilton in July 2021 to a seven-year, $63 million contract. It’s the kind of deal only a star defenseman in the NHL receives, even in free agency. He rewarded the Devils for signing him to his mega-deal in the 2022-23 season. Hamilton notched a career year, scoring 22 goals and collecting 74 points from the blue line.
A torn pectoral kept Hamilton out of action for 62 games last season. As a result, he got off to a slow start—to Hamilton’s standards—in the 2024-25 season.
Not only was Hamilton left off Canada’s roster, he wasn’t even named to those who created Canada’s “All-Snub” team.
When asked if Hamilton felt he deserved to see his name on the roster, he was anything but unbothered in his response.
“I mean, for me, I just do the best I can, and that’s all you can do,” Hamilton explained, eyes glued to the floor. “So it’s not up to me. Just… like I said, I do the best I can, and that’s pretty much it.”
Certainly, you can look at the defensive corps Canada’s general manager, Don Sweeney, selected and justify Hamilton over at least one or two of the defenders.
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Sweeney opted for Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko, Josh Morrissey, Shea Theodore, and Travis Sanheim.
Auditions for the 4 Nations Face-Off rosters have certainly been quick. Players only had from opening night until Dec. 4th to be the best version of themselves in order to sway the opinions of the four GMs running the teams at the upcoming tournament.
For Hamilton, missing three-quarters of last season and having the extra long summer to ensure his recovery was a gift and a curse. The Devils’ star defenseman admitted he would have returned to the team had they clinched a spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
However, the Devils season ended in April, giving Hamilton an extra four-plus months away from game action.
It took Hamilton six games to find the scoresheet at to start the 2024-25 season, but when he finally did, the points began to roll in.
He scored his first goal in the eighth game of the year, however, it took Hamilton another 13 games until he’d find the back of the net again.
Since then, Hamilton’s scored a goal in four of the Devils’ last seven games, and has really begun to look like himself again.
“Just getting used to playing again after missing so long. I think in certain situations, you kind of gotta get used to those after not playing for so long. And also, just [playing] lots of hockey,” Hamilton responded when asked what’s prompted his recent uptick.
“I mean, some shots you make are great and don’t go in and vice versa, so it all works out eventually.”
Perhaps, it’s a blessing in disguise that Hamilton was excluded. There’s less of a chance he suffers an injury and, as a result, he can get some necessary rest in the thick of the playoff race.
It’s an absolute fact that when the Devils were teetering in 2023-24, they didn’t completely plummet until Hamilton was shut down for the season. Therefore, the less risk, the better.
Let’s not forget that the 2026 Olympics are just right around the corner. Although Hamilton might not have the inside track after being snubbed from the 4 Nations roster, he still has plenty of time to prove he belongs with the best competing for gold.
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