A DEAL WITH THE DEVILS: Alton’s Mermis signs NHL free agent contract with New Jersey
Pete Hayes, phayes@thetelegraph.com Updated 9:10 pm CDT, Tuesday, July 2, 2019
GODFREY — Dakota Mermis is having a devil of a summer, it turns out.
Alton native Mermis, who became an unrestricted NHL free agent July 1 is moving from the land of the cactus to become a Jersey boy. The 25-year-old Alton High grad on Monday signed a one-year free agent contract with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League.
Mermis, a left-shooting defenseman, had played in the Arizona Coyotes organization the last three seasons, spending most of his time at the parent club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Tucson. Once the bidding process began for free agent players, Mermis already had a list of potential teams and he and his agent had fielded calls, once that became allowed.
“It’s all pretty quiet until the season ended,” Mermis said. “On (June) 24th, the phone lines open.”
Mermis said he’s looking ahead to a new chapter in his career.
“It’ll be different,” Mermis said, “but its a part of the business. I made a lot of good relationships in Arizona and I’ll miss those, but it’s exciting to get a fresh start.”
The Devils’ top farm club is in Binghamton, New York, about a two-hour drive from Newark, the home of the Devils.
“Training camp starts the second week in September,” he said. “Then we’ll see how it goes and who gets to stay up with the Devils.”
Mermis was named captain of the Tucson Roadrunners last season after serving as an alternate captain the prior season. Through 251 career regular-season AHL games from 2015-19, Mermis has 10 goals and 58 assists for 68 points and 227 penalty minutes. In addition, he has played in nine playoff games, scoring three goals and adding a pair of assists for five points.
Mermis was the 2012 Telegraph Prep Hockey Player of the Year. In 2017-18, he was called up twice by the parent Coyotes and saw action in nine games, including one in St. Louis against the Blues, his childhood NHL favorite team. The past season, he was called up three times to the parent club in Phoenix.
Mermis signed a standard three-year entry level contract with the Coyotes in July 0f 2015.
Prior to signing his entry level contract with the Coyotes, Mermis spent the previous three years playing in the Ontario Hockey League and helped lead the Oshawa General to the Memorial Cup championship.
Seven years ago, Dakota and older brother Jarrod Mermis spent time together playing at the University of Denver.
At age 16, Dakota had been appointed to the prestigious U.S. National Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., playing for the under-17 team when older brother Jarrod, also a former Alton High Redbirds player, began his career at the University of Denver.
Dakota was selected to the U.S. Hockey Developmental program and he made the decision to leave Alton and pursue his dream following his sophomore year at Alton High. He attended high schools in Green Bay, Wisconsin and in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He stayed with host families in in the towns his teams were based in for a shot at someday getting a chance to play in the National Hockey League.
“Everyone in our family is thrilled,” Mermis said. “It’ll be a fresh take and a new level of excitement.”
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