On this edition of 鈥楳OJ on Sports鈥�, host Bob Marjanovich talks with one of the outstanding young talents in the National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils defenceman, Damon Severson.

He grew up playing minor hockey in the Brandon area before moving on to play for the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

鈥淭hey鈥檙e (the Rockets) are going to do anything they can to make sure they don鈥檛 lose hockey games,鈥� says Severson. 鈥淚 was fortunate enough to be on some real good teams, especially my last two years there. I think we won 57 out of 72 games, which is incredible.鈥�

He was a key member of the Rockets team that won the WHL championship in 2015, and he was named to the WHL First All-Star Team that same year.

Severson was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the second round, 60th overall, of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season and quickly established himself as a key player on the Devils鈥� blue line.

The defenceman tells the 鈥楳OJ鈥�, 鈥淚 learned that I made the team out of training camp when I saw the roster released. No one said anything. About half hour before warmups, and Lou Lamoriello comes walking around the corner and he finds me and he goes, you鈥檙e here for a reason. Show us. And that was really all he had to say.鈥�

Severson鈥檚 size, physicality, and defensive skills make him a valuable asset for the team, and he has consistently been one of the Devils鈥� top defensemen.

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