Fresh off of an impressive individual playoffs with the Pittsburgh Penguins that resulted in a Stanley Cup Championship, defenseman Ben Lovejoy is taking his talents to the New Jersey Devils.
Ben Lovejoy has signed a three-year deal with the New Jersey Devils
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) July 1, 2016
He signed a three-year deal with the Devils, with his salary terms yet undisclosed.
Ben Lovejoy Signs With New Jersey Devils
At 32, Lovejoy has been around the League for six seasons, spending just over half of his career with the Penguins. He surprised with his timely offense in the Pens’ Cup run, scoring two goals and six points over 24 games. He’s not an offensive d-man by trade, potting just ten points in 66 games this season and never eclipsing 20 in his career, but is good in his role as a stay at home guy using his big body (6’2″, 205 lbs) to his advantage pinning the opposition to the boards.
He was a very important part of the Penguins top penalty kill with Kris Letang, blocking 25 shots on a unit that ranked 5th in the NHL (84.4%) and improved in their Cup run (85.1%). Overall, Lovejoy blocked 104 shots finishing third on the Penguins, leading the defensive core in hits with 154. Overall as a possession player, the Concord, New Hampshire native is pretty solid for the role he plays, averaging a 53% CF% over his last 86 games in the regular season.
Undrafted, the former Dartmouth College graduate is a great story, meeting his wife and earning a degree in history from an Ivy League school before earning a tryout AHL contract with the Norfolk Admirals. Logging 218 games at the AHL level, he signed his first NHL ELC with the Penguins, a one-year deal. It seems that the Penguins Stanley Cup Championship is a full-circle story for the Lovejoy family after a short stint in Anaheim. In addition to being a solid blue liner, Lovejoy is an absolute gem of an interview.
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