Cammalleri hopes No. 13 means luck
Devils’ centre will be sporting familiar jersey number this season
It was the jersey that gave it away.
For as long as he can remember, Mike Cammalleri has worn No. 13. But when he signed a five-year contract with New Jersey last summer, he was given No. 23. On a team called the Devils, the other number was off limits. It had to do with bad luck.
So when Cammalleri visited New Jersey last month and was told he could wear No. 13 again, he knew something was up. A day later, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced they had hired Lou Lamoriello as their general manager.
“It was definitely surprising at first for the obvious reasons, but after further biopsy, it kind of makes a lot of sense,’’ Cammalleri said after skating and training with a group of NHLers at St. Michael’s College in Toronto. “I really enjoyed Lou. Him recruiting me last summer and playing for him this year, I got to know him really well. I was able to catch up with him in Toronto recently and I think he’ll be great for the organization. He’s just a tremendous person to learn from.’’
Having said that, Cammalleri believes the Devils will be more than just fine without the man who spent the past 28 years as the face of the franchise. It is not meant as disrespect to the 72-year-old. After all, it was Lamoriello who always said no person is bigger than the team.
The Devils will test out that theory this season, with Ray Shero installed as the GM and John Hynes brought in as the head coach. Neither one comes with Lamoriello’s reputation. But Cammalleri, who said there are “Lou disciples spread out around the league,’’ believes some of that is overblown.
“Lou has his particular way of doing things. But a lot more’s made of it than is true,’’ said Cammalleri. “He is a very practical person, a very objective person. He’s a serious man and he cares a lot about what he does and invests a lot of time and effort into it. A lot of it is common sense.
“It’s not as mythical as it might seem.’’
For Cammalleri, it comes down to hard work and wanting to get better.
Though he scored 27 goals and 42 points in 68 games last season — no other New Jersey player reached the 20-goal mark — he began training for the upcoming season just two days after the season ended. He said he wants to improve on his totals. But more importantly, he wants to stay healthy, something that has eluded the 5-foot9, 190-pound forward in the past years.
“I’m the kind of person who’s never going to be satisfied,’’ said Cammalleri.
“Maybe there’s a level of pride in what you do. Until I’m on a team that can win a Cup, I don’t think I’ll be satisfied.’’
With Jaromir Jagr gone and Patrik Elias nearing his 40th birthday, more will be expected from Cammalleri.
But the team also needs Adam Henrique to bounce back from a difficult season and possibly for 2015 sixth-overall pick Pavel Zacha to make the jump to the NHL.
If that happens, said Cammalleri, who knows? Maybe this team, which was in the Cup final in 2012, can surprise some people.
“I’ve seen teams start with what you may call lean periods and in today’s day, advance fairly quickly,’’ said Cammalleri.
“I don’t think there’s anything more rewarding than maybe digging in now with New Jersey and getting there.’’