Damon Severson

Damon Severson
Damon Severson
Born	August 7, 1994 (age 32); Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
Occupation	Professional ice hockey defenceman
Years active	2014–present
Known for	Playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL; longest-serving player for New Jersey Devils (until 2023)

Damon Severson (born August 7, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was chosen by the New Jersey Devils as the 60th overall pick in the second round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Hailing from Melville, Saskatchewan, Severson began skating at the age of two and took up hockey by four. During the 2009–10 season, he competed with the Yorkton Harvest of the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League and the Melville Millionaires of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. His impressive performance at the junior level earned him a ninth-round selection by the Kelowna Rockets in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft. In his sophomore season with Kelowna, Severson achieved personal bests with seven goals and 30 assists, totaling 37 points over 56 games. This progress led to him receiving the Rockets' Most Improved Player honor before being drafted by New Jersey in 2012.

Severson made his professional debut during the 2014–15 NHL season, notching his first NHL point and goal in a single game. By December of that year, he had accumulated four goals and eight assists across 32 games but missed some time due to a hairline fracture in his ankle. He completed his rookie campaign with five goals and 17 points in 51 contests. Prior to the 2020–21 season, new head coach Lindy Ruff appointed Severson as an alternate captain. At 26 years old, he became the Devils' longest-serving player following the trade departures of key veterans.

On the international stage, Severson has represented Canada at both junior and senior levels. His first appearance was at the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, and he later debuted on the senior national team at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, where he contributed to Canada securing a silver medal.

Early life

Born on August 7, 1994, in Brandon, Manitoba, Damon Severson is the son of Doug Severson and Donna Dixon. He started skating when he was two years old and began playing hockey at age four. Apart from hockey, he also engaged in football, baseball, basketball, and badminton during his youth.

Amateur

Raised in Melville, Saskatchewan, Severson competed for both the Yorkton Harvest in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League and the Melville Millionaires of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League throughout the 2009–10 season. His standout play at this level led to his selection by the Kelowna Rockets in the ninth round of the Western Hockey League (WHL) bantam draft in 2009. At just 15 years old, he impressed coaching staff enough to make his major junior debut and scored his first WHL goal on November 3, 2010. After tallying four goals and seven assists over 32 games that season, Severson earned a spot on Team West for the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge.

During the 2011–12 WHL season, Severson elevated his game to seven goals and 30 assists for a total of 37 points across 56 contests, which garnered him Kelowna's Most Improved Player accolade. Ranked as the 48th best North American skater by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, he was selected by New Jersey Devils as their second-round pick (60th overall) and subsequently signed a three-year entry-level contract on September 6, 2012.

Following his contract signing, Severson returned to Kelowna for further development and finished that season with a career-high of 52 points in 71 games while earning recognition as the Rockets' Top Defenceman. He then signed an Amateur Tryout Agreement with the AHL's Albany Devils, appearing in two games before attending Team Canada's World Junior summer development camp. Afterwards, he participated in his first New Jersey Devils training camp, playing in two preseason matches prior to being reassigned to Kelowna.

In the 2013–14 WHL season, Severson served as an assistant captain for Kelowna and was selected to represent Team WHL in the CHL Canada/Russia Series. By December that year, he had accumulated nine goals and nineteen assists over twenty-seven games and received an invitation to Team Canada's World Junior training camp. He concluded that season with an outstanding plus-47 rating, secured Kelowna's Top Defenceman award once more, scored fifteen goals—which ranked fourth highest in franchise history for a single season—and earned a place on the WHL Western Conference Second All-Star team.

New Jersey Devils

Following his participation in the Devils' 2014 rookie and training camps, Severson earned a place on the NHL roster for the 2014–15 season, standing out as one of only four players aged 23 or younger on the squad. Assigned jersey number 28 and paired with seasoned defenseman Andy Greene, Severson made his NHL debut on October 9, 2014, facing the Philadelphia Flyers. Just two days later, he notched his inaugural NHL point and goal during a matchup against the Florida Panthers. His strong start quickly positioned him as a contender for the Calder Memorial Trophy. By the conclusion of October, Severson was averaging over three minutes per game on the power play and recorded a personal best of 27:31 minutes on ice in a single game. Among NHL rookies, he ranked second in average ice time per contest at 22:45. By December, he had tallied 12 points across 32 games but was sidelined for four to five weeks due to a hairline fracture in his ankle. After returning on March 3, 2015, following a roster adjustment, he wrapped up his rookie year with five goals and 17 points over 51 games.

In the subsequent season, Severson completed his first full NHL campaign, appearing in 72 games and contributing one goal alongside 21 points. Post-regular season, he experienced a brief reassignment to Albany. The 2016–17 season marked an uptick in his performance as he achieved personal bests with 28 assists and 31 points. Head coach John Hynes commended Severson’s growing confidence and dedication to his role. Highlights included scoring his first game-winning goal on October 29, 2016, and leading the team with an average ice time of 28:05 during periods impacted by injuries. He missed a single game in March due to injury but celebrated his 200th NHL appearance on April 1, 2017.

Ahead of the 2017–18 season, Severson agreed to a six-year contract worth $25.2 million, averaging $4.17 million annually. Despite a sluggish start that included two healthy scratches by November, he ended a seven-game point drought in December. In January 2018, Severson scored twice to help snap a six-game losing streak and became only the third defenseman in franchise history to net two goals against the New York Islanders in one game. That season, he ranked third among NHL defensemen for even-strength goals but was held out as a healthy scratch for the final three regular-season contests. During the playoffs versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, Severson logged substantial minutes after missing Game 1; nevertheless, the Devils were eliminated in five games.

The 2018–19 season saw Severson achieve career highs with 11 goals while matching his previous assist total at 28. He started November strongly by earning five points across four games and scored the fastest goal of that Devils’ season against Boston in December. Following the midseason loss of regular defensive partner John Moore in January, he formed a pairing with Seth Helgeson. On March 12, Severson became just the fourth defenseman in Devils history to record 100 assists before reaching their 350th game played. He posted a season-best average ice time of 24:18 and was one of only two Devils players to participate in all 82 games that year. During the offseason, he represented Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship and took part in various charitable initiatives.

After returning from winning a silver medal at the World Championship, Severson expressed strong approval of General Manager Ray Shero’s offseason acquisitions. He sustained solid performance into February 2020 with an eight-game point streak—the longest by any Devils defenseman since Brian Rafalski—and was tied for eleventh among NHL defensemen in points during that month. When play was suspended due to COVID-19, Severson led all Devils defensemen across multiple categories including goals, points, power-play points, takeaways, and average ice time.

Prior to the shortened 2020–21 season, new head coach Lindy Ruff appointed Severson as an alternate captain. In February 2021, he briefly entered NHL COVID protocol but returned within two weeks. Following trades that sent Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac to the New York Islanders, Severson became New Jersey’s longest-serving player at just age 26. He disclosed that much of the season was played while managing a broken toe which affected his mobility and overall effectiveness.

During preseason activities before the start of the 2021–22 campaign, Severson sustained a lower-body injury that delayed his season opener until October 19; he marked his return by scoring in a victory over the Seattle Kraken. On November 18, he achieved a significant career milestone by playing in his 500th NHL game against the Florida Panthers.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Following the signing of an eight-year contract extension with New Jersey on June 9, 2023, Severson was subsequently traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets through a sign-and-trade deal in exchange for a third-round selection in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

International play

Being Canadian, Severson has worn his nation's colors at both junior and senior international competitions. His first international appearance came with Team Canada West during the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where the team placed sixth. He also earned a bronze medal at the 2012 IIHF World U18 Championships.

Severson's debut at the senior international level occurred on April 29, 2019, when he was chosen to represent Canada at the 2019 IIHF World Championship held in Slovakia. On May 23, he netted a pivotal game-tying goal against Switzerland with just 0.4 seconds remaining, which propelled Canada to an overtime victory and a spot in the semifinals. The team ultimately secured the silver medal after falling to Finland in the final. Across ten games, he contributed one goal and five assists. Severson returned to Team Canada for the 2022 IIHF World Championship, once again helping secure a silver medal following another final defeat by Finland.

Selected for Canada's squad at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, this marks his third participation in a senior-level international tournament.

Regular season and playoffs

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2009–10	Yorkton Harvest	SMHL	44	9	25	34	53	4	1	1	2	18
2009–10	Melville Millionaires	SJHL	1	0	1	1	2	—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Kelowna Rockets	WHL	5	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Kelowna Rockets	WHL	64	4	13	17	53	10	2	0	2	13
2011–12	Kelowna Rockets	WHL	56	7	30	37	80	4	2	0	2	2
2012–13	Kelowna Rockets	WHL	71	10	42	52	74	11	1	9	10	18
2012–13	Albany Devils	AHL	2	0	2	2	0	—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Kelowna Rockets	WHL	64	15	46	61	63	14	4	14	18	18
2014–15	New Jersey Devils	NHL	51	5	12	17	22	—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	New Jersey Devils	NHL	72	1	20	21	32	—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Albany Devils	AHL	3	0	1	1	9	11	0	8	8	14
2016–17	New Jersey Devils	NHL	80	3	28	31	58	—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	New Jersey Devils	NHL	76	9	15	24	42	4	0	0	0	12
2018–19	New Jersey Devils	NHL	82	11	28	39	58	—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	New Jersey Devils	NHL	69	8	23	31	52	—	—	—	—	—
2020–21		New Jersey Devils		NHL		56		3		18		21	29	—	—	—	—
2021–22		New Jersey Devils		NHL		80		11		35		46	57	—	—	—	—
2022–23		New Jersey Devils		NHL		81		7		26		33	38	12	1	2	3	6
2023–24		Columbus Blue Jackets		NHL		67		9		19		28	51	—	—	—	—
2024–25		Columbus Blue Jackets		NHL		70		6		19		25	47	—	—	—	—
NHL totals			784	73	243	316	486	16	1	2	3	18

International

Year	Team	Event	Outcome	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2011	Canada Western	U17	6th place	5	0	2	2	4
2012	Canada	U18	Template:Bronze3	7	0	2	2	8
2019	Canada	WC	Template:Silver2	10	1	5	6	16
2022	Canada	WC	Template:Silver2	10	2	6	8	4
2024	Canada	WC	4th place	10	0	2	2	6
Junior career totals				12	0	4	4	12
Senior career totals				30	3	13	16	26

Awards and honours

Award	Year received
CHL Top Prospects Game – Team Cherry selection	2012