Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes bumped into Jesper Bratt and his fiancée in his hotel in Boston during the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off in late February.
It was an opportunity for the New Jersey Devils winger and his former coach to catch up, and when asked about Bratt, Hynes spoke about the 26-year-old's growth.
"Jesper has matured in multiple ways, (including) his game, but I think he's got a confidence about him," Hynes said to The Hockey News during a phone interview.
When Hynes was relieved as head coach of the Devils during the 2019-20 season, Bratt, then 21, earned 32 points. It was before the Swede elevated his game and became one of New Jersey's young stars, earning four consecutive 70-plus point seasons.
Seeing the success Bratt has amassed does not come as a surprise to Hynes, who immediately recognized the youngster's skill all those years ago.
"When he came over, he was really impressive," Hynes said. "I think it was his first training camp that he made the team out of camp. He was fast and tenacious, and you could see the hockey sense and skill. At that point in time, we were going through the initial stages of the rebuild, and when he came over, you could tell right away that he was going to be a New Jersey Devil in the NHL."
Bratt recalled that first NHL training camp in an exclusive interview with The Hockey News.
"I was so happy and proud to be there," he said. "I thought it was awesome. I really felt like I had nothing to lose. I felt I prepared physically and mentally as best as I possibly could. I was extremely honored and happy to be there fighting for a spot and my dream job."
Over time, Hynes saw Bratt go through the process of realizing and understanding what it takes to become an effective offensive player in the NHL. It aligns with Bratt stating that it took one entire season to understand how the League works and four to figure out his game.
Hynes has coached against Bratt for the past few seasons but shared he has watched the odd Devils game here and there. In addition to Bratt improving on his speed and skill, there is one area where Hynes has seen the winger develop his game.
"Where I have really seen him grow is (his play) in the hard areas," Hynes said. "He gets to the net front. He can win puck battles in the offensive zone. He can play one-on-one versus a defenseman down low in the offensive zone. He has really been able to grow his game in those areas."
Hynes is not surprised to see Bratt's game take off because he had a front-row seat to the 5-foot-10 winger's work ethic and dedication for years. For that reason, Hynes envisioned the Stockholm native eventually transitioning into a leadership role. Since a shoulder injury ended Jack Hughes' season, Bratt has been one of New Jersey's alternate captains.
"Even when he was a young guy, when you had one-on-one conversations with him, they were of ...
