The Hudson River Rivalry renewal is on tap as the New York Rangers prepare to play the New Jersey Devils.
A strong start to 2025 has the Rangers fanbase feeling somewhat decent. 2-1-1 coming off an overtime loss to the Dallas Stars will see the Rangers going into the Thursday night matchup with more confidence.
Both 22-year-old forward Matt Rempe (previously suspended) and goaltender Igor Shesterkin (previously on Injured Reserve) will be returning to the ice for the first time in quite a while. Not to mention Arthur Kaliyev — recently claimed off waivers from the LA Kings — will also be making his debut.
Despite these changes, the Rangers (18-20-2) have an uphill battle to climb against New Jersey (25-15-3). In order to take them down, they'll have to watch out for one of the Devils' key players — left wing Jesper Bratt.
Jesper Bratt
Bratt is tied with teammate Jack Hughes for team-leader. The two of them each have 48 points, but Bratt has a leg up on assists with 34. The Sweden native also has 14 goals so far during the 2024-25 season.
Bratt was selected by the Devils in the sixth round (No. 162) of the 2016 NHL Draft after he scored four points (two goals, two assists) in seven games for Sweden at that year's Under-18 5-Nations Tournament.
New Jersey made the right choice, with Bratt scoring his first NHL goal in his debut against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 7, 2017. He finished his rookie (2017-18) season with 35 points across 13 goals and 22 assists in 74 games
He played in the 2024 NHL All-Star Game and most recently agreed to an eight-year, $63 million contract with the Devils on June 15, preventing him from becoming a restricted free agent.
How to Tune In
Puck drop at Madison Square Garden for the Rangers hosting the Devils in the Battle of the Hudson River is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST tonight — Thursday, Jan. 9th.
The game will be streamed via ESPN+ and be sure to tune into ourTwitter for live updates.