“When adversity hits, you need people in your dressing room who have been through it, and this is a player who’s a high character leader. He’s making the most of his opportunity and takes care of himself. He’s been great for our young guys, great for our culture. He’s near the end of his career, but he loves the game, loves helping people. His selflessness, professionalism and no-excuse, never-quit attitude make him a special guy. He’s a tremendous teammate.”
Those words were spoken by New Jersey Devils head coach John Hynes about right wing Drew Stafford toward the end of the 2018-19 season, Stafford’s second in the Garden State and 13th in the National Hockey League.