In the NHL regular-season opener held in Prague, the New Jersey Devils defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-1, with Paul Cotter scoring a goal and assisting in his debut for the Devils. The match began with a 13-second silence in honor of Johnny Gaudreau, a Columbus Blue Jackets player who passed away in August. Stefan Noesen opened the scoring for the Devils, followed by goals from Johnathan Kovacevic and Nico Hischier. The Sabres managed to score through Owen Power, but Cotter secured the win with an open-net goal. The Devils, aiming to improve after missing the playoffs last season, are under new coach Sheldon Keefe and played with Jacob Markstrom in goal, who saved 30 shots.