Amadeus Lombardi will start his NHL story on New Jersey’s fourth line Thursday night, skating with Cody Glass at center and Stefan Noesen on the right when the Devils open against the Philadelphia Flyers at Prudential Center.
For the 23-year-old forward, named to the final roster and told by coach Sheldon Keefe that his debut was coming, the moment landed with real weight. Lombardi’s parents, siblings, grandparents, extended family and friends from his youth hockey days are expected in Newark for the 7 p.m. ET opener.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Lombardi said. “Very emotional.”
The Devils acquired Lombardi from the Detroit Red Wings on June 25, sending a fourth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft the other way. The move opened the door after four years in Grand Rapids, where Lombardi put up 40 goals and 109 points across 163 American Hockey League regular-season games.
His most recent season with the Griffins included 16 goals and 42 points in 47 games. Detroit had selected the 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward in the fourth round, 113th overall, in 2022.
Lombardi said reaching the League took longer than he once might have expected, but he understands the route. “There are so many good players in the world, so many good players in the NHL,” he said. “It really takes time to fully polish your game and be ready to take that next step.”
The summer carried a different kind of edge after the trade. Lombardi said he had been working with plenty of motivation, then felt that mindset shift after conversations with Devils general manager Sunny Mehta, Keefe and the club’s staff.
Instead of training to silence doubters, Lombardi said he was preparing to reward a team that had put faith in him. “These guys took a bet on me,” he said. “These guys are willing to give me an opportunity. I’m going to make sure they look really good for betting on me.”
After the horn
Lombardi’s path nearly ended well before the pro game. As a 14-year-old, he was smaller than many opponents and absorbed the physical cost of it every night.
“I went through a period of time where I was just really, really small, getting killed every game,” Lombardi said. “I was about to quit when I was 14 just because I was so small.”
His family kept him in the game. His younger sister, Symphony, spent years accompanying Lombardi and their brother, Ulysses, through rink life. Lombardi called her the family’s backbone because of what she gave up to support both players.
Ulysses, 18, is in his second Ontario Hockey League season with Erie and has become Lombardi’s closest offseason training partner. Lombardi described his younger brother as his best friend and said their shared hockey route has brought them even closer.
The siblings’ names come from their parents’ interests in music and mythology. Their father, Nick, previously played in the bands Dropkick Me Jesus and Attomik. Lombardi said Amadeus has a Latin meaning tied to loving God, while Ulysses is the Latin form of Odysseus and Symphony refers to harmonious sound.
The family’s support will be visible before the puck drops as well. Lombardi plans to take part in the Devils’ opening-night red-carpet arrival, though he said he still needs to settle on the right outfit.
On the ice, Glass expects Lombardi’s speed and skill to translate quickly. He noted that the winger competes hard on pucks despite his size and said the line’s job is to let the rookie settle in.
“We want to make him as comfortable as possible because that’s when he’s going to shine,” Glass said.
Keefe said Lombardi earned the assignment through his work habits, talent and approach through camp. The coach also pointed to the respect Lombardi has built in the dressing room.
“He’s worked extremely hard,” Keefe said. “He shows his talent and his ability, and I think his teammates recognize that he has things to offer.”
For Lombardi, the debut is not a finish line. It is the first NHL shift after a long climb through junior hockey, the AHL and a trade that gave him a fresh opening.
“So many people helped me get here,” Lombardi said. “It was really emotional just talking to them, letting them know that we finally made it.”
