The Devils’ coaching overhaul may be about to lose one of the most familiar faces in the building.
Sergei Brylin, who had been with the organization in some capacity since 1994, is reportedly close to leaving New Jersey altogether to take a head coaching job with Dynamo Minsk. Hockey News Hub, which has tracked Russian hockey news closely, reported that the two sides have reached a preliminary agreement and that Brylin would become the head coach.
“Sergei Brylin and Dinamo Minsk have reached a preliminary agreement on signing a contract.
Brylin would become the head coach.
Nothing official yet. Keeping an eye on the situation. #KHL”
That report surfaced on July 13, 2026, and while nothing has been made official, the signs point toward Brylin moving on from the Devils.
His departure would mark a major shift for an organization that had already trimmed its coaching staff under Sunny Mehta, who made revamping the bench one of his first priorities as general manager. Sheldon Keefe stayed in place, Dave Rogalski was moved on from, and Jeremy Colliton’s exit was framed as a business decision. Brylin’s situation, though, has been the most jarring of the bunch.
The Devils had already announced that Brylin would no longer be a full-time coach on Keefe’s staff and would instead take on “another role” with the organization. That move split fans, especially because Brylin had been part of the Devils’ coaching mix through multiple head coaches, including the Pete DeBoer era. Since he joined the staff, the Devils have gone through nine head coaches if you count the Adam Oates, Scott Stevens, and Lou Lamoriello situation as three separate coaches.
If Brylin does head to Minsk, it would end a run that had already been interrupted once before. He had been linked to KHL coaching jobs in the past, but always found his way back to New Jersey.
This time feels different. For the first time since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, the Devils won’t have Brylin as a coach anywhere in the organization.
He has been part of the only NHL organization he ever called home, and now that stretch appears to be coming to an end. Brylin entered the Devils Ring of Honor. He will be missed, but he will always be a Devil.
In Other News...
Which Devils Prospects Could Force Tough Roster Calls This Season
Under Sunny Mehta, the Devils have already started reshaping the pipeline, and that makes the next wave of prospects worth watching a little more closely. Anton Silayev is in the mix after signing his entry-level deal, while Amadeus Lombardi arrived as another name the organization believes can help sooner rather than later. With the roster and depth chart still taking shape, both players fit the kind of profile that can turn a quiet development year into a real NHL conversation.
The same goes for the rest of the prospect group, even if the paths are different. Jakub Malek sits behind a crowded goalie picture and looks like the first name to surface if the Devils need help in net, while Matyas Melovsky has put together a strong recent stretch that keeps him on the radar for an injury call-up. None of it guarantees a debut, but it does mean New Jersey may have more tough decisions ahead than it did a year ago. [Read more 🡒]
Johnathan Kovacevic Opens Up About The ACL Comeback That Changed Everything
Johnathan Kovacevics path back was never going to be simple after the knee surgery on May 8, 2025, but the Devils defenseman treated the rehab like a season unto itself. After tearing his ACL in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he spent months working his way back, and when he finally returned on Jan. 11, 2026, the focus was less on rushing into results than on rebuilding trust in his own body and game.
Kovacevic said the recovery became a challenging but valuable learning experience, and that showed over the course of the season as his confidence gradually came back. He ended up playing in 34 games in 2025-26, a reminder that the comeback was not just about getting cleared to skate again, but about finding his rhythm and feeling like himself on the ice. [Read more 🡒]