Ahead of the New Jersey Devils’ final game of the 2024 NHL Global Series, the team announced that a forward would miss the game against the Buffalo Sabers for personal reasons.
The absence of Czech-born Ondrej Palat is due to the birth of his second child. According to Mike Morreale of NHL.com, the veteran flew back to New Jersey today.
The 33-year-old announced in an Instagram post on August 19 that his family was expecting. His wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter, in 2018.
In Palat’s absence, Kurtis MacDermid will join the lineup and play on the fourth line with Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian. Paul Cotter will play in Palat’s place on the third line with Erik Haula and Stefan Noesen.
In the first game of the 2024-2025 season, Palat played 13:46. He was credited with one shot, one blocked shot and two hits.
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