Simon Nemec is ready to turn the page and start his new chapter with the Calgary Flames.
The 22-year-old defenceman never established a firm foothold in New Jersey, but says he never asked for a trade from the Devils, who drafted him second overall in the 2022 Draft.
“I didn’t ask for a trade, but there were some conversations that it didn’t work out for me, for the team,” Nemec said at the European Player Media Tour. “New Jersey got a new GM, and he decided to go this way and I’m totally fine with that.
“I was happy. It wasn’t easy time in New Jersey and I was like, ‘Finally, it was figured out.’”
Nemec will travel from Slovakia to Calgary next week to prepare for his first training camp with his new team and is excited for expanded opportunities with the Flames after putting up a career-high 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games with the Devils last season.
The Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia native will be a key part of the Flames’ rebuild after signing a five-year, $36.25 million contract extension shortly being acquired, along with forward Maxim Tsyplakov, for conditional first-round picks in the 2027 NHL Draft and 2028 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and defenceman prospect Etienne Morin.
“It’s a new challenge,” Nemec said. “That was a good spot for me, for the team. I feel like they need a player like me. I can play a lot of minutes there. I can be part of the future there and be one of the leaders of the team.”
The defenceman rarely had a chance to showcase his offensive talents in New Jersey as he was stuck behind both Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes for power-play time, despite leading all Devils’ defencemen with 10 even-strength goals last season.
Nemec will be competing for time on the Flames’ top power play with fellow right-handed defenceman Zayne Parekh, adding that head coach Ryan Huska told him to prepare for a heavier role than he played last season.
“They know that I can play more, and I can be a better player with that,” Nemec said. “So, [Huska] just told me to be prepared for this.
“I want to be on the No. 1 power play. I think Calgary can offer me that. I need to fight for that, but I will be ready for it. … We were three guys in New Jersey. We all wanted to play first power play, and it didn’t work well for me. I think in Calgary I can show that I can be a No. 1 power-play guy.”
Nemec played three seasons with the Devils prior to being moved and recorded 16 goals and 49 points in 155 games. He added one goal and one assist in four games during the 2024-25 playoffs.
He was also a big part of Slovakia’s surprising performance at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics, recording two assists in six games as the nation won its group and finished fourth in the tournament. He was also on the national team that won bronze at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, Slovakia’s first Olympic hockey medal.
Nemec says his Olympic experience playing top minutes against the best players in the world will help him as he takes on what he hopes is a big role for a young team in Calgary.
“That I can play against every guy in the world, and I can play good hockey against them,”
Nemec said of his best-on-best experience. “Maybe that’s why Calgary traded for me – because they watched the Olympics, and they saw like, ‘This guy can do it, and we can give him that opportunity.’ And I feel like now it’s up to me how I’m going to handle it.”
