One week after his surprising trade to the Devils, defenseman Sami Vatanen finally got to visit his new hockey home at the Prudential Center in Newark.

At least he did after getting slightly lost.

The new Devils defenseman fought through a minor detour and still arrived early for his first practice at his new arena on Thursday, and he will play his first game there when the Devils host the Blue Jackets at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Vatanen hasn't had much time to focus on anything but hockey since his trade. He played in three games over his first five days with the Devils, and Thursday marked his second practice with the team.

"You came here for playing hockey, so it's the easiest way to jump in," Vatanen said. "Then you ask the questions during the game and after the game. That's the best way to go."

Vatanen's wife is still in California for now, as the two begin work on getting settled in New Jersey.

On the ice, Vatanen says he already feels at home.

"I've been very excited. I think we've played some good hockey, so we got a big win last game and the boys have been really good," he said. "I've hung out with them, it's just easy to come here and just be a part of the team. It's been really fun."

The Devils wasted no time vaulting Vatanen into a big role on the ice. He played more than 20 minutes in each of his first three games with the Devils, and he started in the top pairing with captain Andy Greene.

Vatanen said Greene has helped make it a smooth transition.

"He's a veteran guy, he's helped me a lot," Vatanen said. "We've spoken a lot of the game, before the games and after. It's nice. He's very calm on the ice, so it helps me."

Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.