For love of the game.

That’s why NHL players play the game. Because they love to play. What they may not love to do, however, is practice.

One player that openly, and hilariously, admitted such is Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton. He understands the importance and necessity of practice. And he works diligently during practice on his own game. But Hamilton, like every other player, didn’t get involved in hockey for the love of practice.

Hamilton, however, has changed his tune. At least just a little bit.

On Thursday as the Devils hit the ice for the first practice of training camp, it also marked the first time Hamilton, 31, has practiced with his teammates in nearly 10 months. I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

“When things get taken away from you, it puts a different perspective for you when hockey’s gone,” he told the Devils official website in an exclusive interview. “Now, I’m just happy to be out there. I’m happy to be out there with 10 guys, happy to be out there with 20 guys and doing all that kind of stuff.

“Whereas, when everything was good (and I was healthy), every day is just what it is. I’m just enjoying all those little steps now and looking forward to training camp, then the next steps of coming back.”

Hamilton, a 12-year NHL veteran, appeared in only 20 games last season with the Devils after tearing his left pectoral muscle on Nov. 28. Though Hamilton is no stranger to injuries, he had never suffered an injury that took such a long rehab and recovery time.

The winter was a few torturous months for the 6-foot-6, 230-pound blueliner. Hamilton was still around the team every day. He’d arrive early in the morning, walking past the practice rink that he couldn’t skate on. He’d walk through the locker room as his teammates laced their skates and taped their sticks for practices or morning skates. At night he would watch the games from the players’ suite as the Devils players were doing what he loved to do and couldn’t. Play.

“I was thinking about it all the other day, it just feels like you’re tied up with shackles on or something,” Hamilton said. “You can’t do what you love, you can’t do what brings you joy. You’re just sitting around, trying, and waiting, obviously working out hard.

“I’ve been through some stuff before, but never really quite like this with how long.”

Late last season, Hamilton finally returned to that practice ice, albeit not in team practice. He began skating on his own and was occasionally joined time to time by other injured Devils working on rehab stints. Hamilton was hoping the Devils would make the playoffs and then there would be a possibility for his return. But it was note meant to be.

“I was working really hard to be ready. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out,” he said. “I just worked hard all summer to feel even better than I was then. I’m definitely happy that I’m feeling better than I was then, just so happy to be back out there.”

While Hamilton was working all summer to return to form, the Devils were working all summer to retool their lineup. They added goaltender Jacob Markstrom, forwards Tomas Noesen and Paul Cotter, defensemen Brenden Dillon and Hamilton’s former teammate in Carolina Brett Pesce.

“When we get out there and put it all together, we’ll see what we really got. But it’s very exciting,” Hamilton said. “You’ve got different guys that are going to fill different roles. I always think that’s important, that guys are slotted into their proper roles, be happy to be in those roles. You need that for everyone to be successful. They’re great players that can play up and down the lineup, just seeing guys like Noesen and Cotter, all these guys are really exciting for us.

“Then you bring in a guy like Brett and he is just good at everything. Watching him play, playing with him and playing against him, he’s so good defensively, so smart, such a good pass and everything. Hard to play against, both ways.”

Hamilton played with Pesce from 2018 to 2021. That summer of ’21 was when he signed a seven-year, $63 million dollar contract with the Devils. He set career highs during the 2022-23 campaign with 22 goals, 52 assists and 74 points. His 22 goals were also a Devils team record for a defenseman.

Hamilton will be entering his fourth season with the Devils. And he admitted that the team’s current roster is probably the best assembled during his time in New Jersey.

“When I look at the team now and where we were at (in 2021) and whatnot, you look at it now and this is probably the best team we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Hamilton said. “Now it’s time for us to come together and do it on the ice. I think it’s easy in the summer, but it’s up to us now to prove it and play for each other and see what we can do.”

The Devils were in the middle of rebuilding when Hamilton signed. He believed in the process and that the club was destined to compete for the Stanley Cup in the future. Now, he hopes the future is now.

“For me, it’s whether we can keep progressing forward and win the Stanley Cup,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest thing, otherwise it doesn’t really matter.

“Everyone has to come in here with a sense of responsibility towards that.”

Amanda Stein contributed to this report.