The New Jersey Devils announced today that the team has agreed to terms forward Connor Brown to a four-year contract worth $12,000,000, with an annual average value of $3,000,000. The contract breakdown is as follows: 2025-26: $3,500,000; 2026-27: $3,500,000; 2027-28: $2,500,000 & 2028-29: $2,500,000. The announcement was made by President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.
Brown, 31, completed his 10th NHL season, after spending the last two seasons with the Edmonton Oilers. The 6’0”, 185lbs. forward recorded 30 points (13g-17a) and was one of four Edmonton skaters who played in all 82 games last season. His four game-winning goals tied a career-high, which he first earned in 2016-17. Brown’s ten penalty minutes were the fewest totaled on Edmonton for players who played in 20, or more, games. Overall, Brown registered 43 points (17g-25a) in 153 regular-season contests with Edmonton.
A native of Etobicoke, Ontario, Brown began his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015-16. He spent parts of four seasons there until the end of the 2018-19 campaign. Brown was later traded to the Ottawa Senators on July 1, 2022, and recorded a career-high 43 points (16g-27a) in his first season with Ottawa. The following season, the righthanded shot earned a career-high 21 goals and five shorthanded goals. His five shorthanded goals in 56 games ranked first for all NHL skaters in 2020-21. Brown joins New Jersey after playing in 601 career regular-season games and totaling 258 career points (107g-151a).
The veteran forward also carries Stanley Cup Playoff experience. Brown appeared in three consecutive postseasons with Toronto from 2016-17 to 2018-19 and then played in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals with Edmonton from 2023-24 to 2024-25. Brown has played in 59 career playoff games and recorded 20 points (8g-12a), which includes a career-high nine points and five goals for a single postseason in 2024-25.
Born on January 14, 1991, Toronto drafted Brown in the sixth round, 156th overall, in the 2012 NHL Draft. Brown’s 258 career points lead all skaters from the 2012 draft who were selected in the sixth round. Before his professional experience, Brown played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with Erie from 2011-12 to 2013-14. Erie named Brown team captain for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, and he earned 250 career points (98g-152a) in 199 regular-season games. He recorded a career-high 128 points (45g-83a) in 2013-14, which led all OHL skaters and earned him the Red Tilson Trophy, which is awarded annually to the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player. Additionally, his 83 assists ranked first in the OHL that same season.
On the international stage, Brown represented Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) World Championship (WC) in 2021 and was named an alternate captain. He helped Canada win a gold medal at the WC, after leading all skaters in the tournament with 16 points and 14 assists.
