Arseniy Gritsyuk starts NHL journey with support from former Devils players

Arseniy Gritsyuk is one of the newest signings for the New Jersey Devils. The team confirmed his contract earlier this offseason. The 24-year-old forward will play his first NHL season in 2025.

But before he joins the team in New Jersey, Gritsyuk is already talking to some former Devils players for support.

Arseniy Gritsyuk talks to ex-Devils as he prepares for North America

In May 2025, Arseniy Gritsyuk spoke to Russian Gazette (RG) about his move from Russia to the NHL. He shared that he is getting advice from two former Devils players, Yegor Yakovlev and Nikita Gusev. Both of them now play in the KHL, the top hockey league in Russia.

Arseniy Gritsyuk played for SKA St. Petersburg last season.

He scored 17 goals and made 44 points in total. He added 5 more points in 6 playoff games. Now, his contract with the Russian club is over, and he’s free to join the Devils on a one-year entry-level NHL deal.This gives him a great chance to prove himself. Gritsyuk said Yakovlev and Gusev told him to take this opportunity. “They wished me luck and said it was the right move to prove myself,” Gritsyuk told RG.Also Read: "We Want More": Timo Meier And Nico Hischier On The New Jersey Devils' Performance In The Playoffs

Devils prospect learns from other players and prepares for NHL life

Arseniy Gritsyuk also mentioned he spoke to Ivan Demidov.

Demidov is a young Russian forward who recently started his own NHL career. According to Gritsyuk, Demidov warned him that the NHL is much stricter than Russian hockey. “There’s no freedom at all,” he said. That gave Gritsyuk an idea of how different the playing style would be.Gritsyuk also looks up to former Devils star Ilya Kovalchuk. Though fans have mixed feelings about Kovalchuk’s time in New Jersey, Gritsyuk still sees him as a guide.To get ready, Gritsyuk plans to arrive in New Jersey a month before the training camp. He is learning English and trying to adjust to life off the ice as well. In the same interview with RG, he said he only knows about Central Park in America and hopes to explore more.Tom Fitzgerald, the general manager of the Devils, signed Gritsyuk this spring to strengthen the team’s offence. The Devils are looking for more scoring power next season, and Gritsyuk could be a key player in that plan.