NHL: New Jersey Devils at Toronto Maple Leafs

Devils center Scott Gomez (23) battles Maple Leafs winger David Clarkson Thursday night in Toronto. (Tom Szczerbowski/USA TODAY Sports)

(Tom Szczerbowski)

NEWARK — Admit it. You thought Scott Gomez was an unwise signing, a stab at reliving the Devils' good old days.

Maybe you still feel that way.

But ask the players in the Devils’ dressing room and they will tell you the veteran center, 18 days from his 35th birthday, has already paid huge dividends. He has become a leader on a team that really needed one.

“I think having Gomer here is big,” center Adam Henrique said. “He really speaks up. Before the game he says what’s on his mind and gets the guys going. Everybody kind of feeds off that.”

They did in Toronto Thursday night. With a lineup decimated by injuries and illness, the Devils weren't brimming with confidence. Particularly because they had lost five in a row (0-3-2).

But Gomez spoke up and said the right things.

“It’s not a surprise,” Stephen Gionta said. “He likes to talk. He’s been around. He’s played almost a thousand games and he’s kind of seen every situation. He’s come in as a veteran guy and kind of voiced his opinion. It’s good to hear that.

“He’s being very supportive, very encouraging and positive. His voice definitely is heard in this locker room. It’s good to see him step up and take control.”

Gomez said he is passing along knowledge that he learned in his early days with the Devils.

When Scott Stevens was boiling over, he watched. When Randy McKay was giving advice, he listened.

Gomez said he particularly directs his comments at younger players.

"You're going to make mistakes in the game, no question about it. You have to let guys know that," Gomez said. "At the same time, you have to let them know they're in the NHL for a reason. Look at the guys I grew up with — Bobby Holik, Scotty Stevens, Jay Pandolfo, Randy McKay. We got our butts chewed by those guys, but they were saying it for good reasons.



"They would get on you, but at the same time they would say something positive. If something needs to be corrected, they'd correct it. But this is a hard game and we all need to go out there together. Before I stepped onto the ice, the guys I learned from gave me a pat on the back and made sure I knew they had my butt."

Who would have guessed?

Coach Pete DeBoer said Gomez's enthusiasm is contagious and his upbeat, humorous nature makes him fun to be around. He said he has helped keep players loose.

"It's just typical me. It's kind of maybe new for some guys hearing my voice. It boils down to winning," Gomez said. "It's a young team. It's really not coming from me. It's what was told to me. I've been around. This is a great group of guys, a great team. I'm just excited to be here to try to help them out.



"It's just a fact. I'm older. There's not much I haven't gone through. This team's been playing good. It's just been getting bad breaks."

It got a good break when Gomez was signed.

Rich Chere may be reached at rchere@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Ledger_NJDevils. Find NJ.com on Facebook.