Former Devils Forward Explains Why He Joined Panthers Despite Rivalry with Bruins in 2023 Playoffs
When the New Jersey Devils signed forward Tomas Nosek last summer, he came to Newark at a pretty good price tag. The Czech forward signed with the Devils for one year at the low price of $1 million. As a former Boston Bruins forward, General Manager Tom Fitzgerald inked Nosek because he liked the hard-nosed game he played as a member of the Bruins, while also bringing solid defensive metrics and penalty killing abilities. Nosek will now take those talents to South Florida after signing with the Florida Panthers this offseason.
At the end of the 2023-24 season, Nosek explained that although it was just a short time in New Jersey for him and his family, he desired to return in 2024-25.
“I hope we can find some way [to make it work],” said Nosek. “My family loved it here, so we will have that talk for sure. I’m looking forward to it and I hope we can find some way to work things out.”
When reflecting on his season, which was plagued by injuries from the very beginning — mostly from needing foot surgery in November — Tomas Nosek knew he had more to offer. His goal in leaving the Bruins was to remain in the playoff chase on an up-and-coming Devils team who had just put up 112 points in 2022-23. Nosek explained the difficulties he went through in 2023-24 was a learning experience he would grow from.
