“It’s pretty surreal,” Lombardi said. “Very emotional.”
Lombardi, 23, talked about his long journey to this point and how his family, including siblings with unique and musical-themed names, helped him get there, a day before Wednesday’s opener against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Prudential Center (7 p.m. ET; Disney+, HULU, ESPN+).
The attacker called his younger sister, Symphony, the “backbone of everything” as she sacrificed herself and his younger brother, Ulysses, while accompanying him to the ice rinks.
18-year-old Ulis is engaged in his own hockey career and has become Lombardi’s closest training partner. Ulis is in his second season with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League.
“My sister sacrificed so much growing up, just walking around the rinks with us, always being there for us,” Lombardi said. “He is very supportive of both of us. My brother, we have grown so close over the past few years, following the same path. I really believe him. He is my best friend.’
Their unusual names reflect their parents’ love of music and mythology. Lombardi’s father, Nick, played in two bands: Dropkick Me Jesus and Attomik.
“Both my parents love music,” Lombardi said. “Amadeus means loving God, that’s why my name comes from Latin. The Latinized version of Odysseus is Ulysses. A symphony, I think, is a harmonious combination of sounds. We all have pretty unique names.”
His story of reaching the NHL is not unique, however. This is one player who overcomes the odds and sticks to a dream that may eventually make it.
Lombardi’s journey included four seasons with Grand Rapids, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. He had 109 points (40 goals, 69 assists) in 163 regular season games, including 42 points (16 goals, 26 assists) in 47 games last season.
The Devils acquired him in a deal with the Red Wings on June 25 for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, giving Lombardi the opportunity he’s been chasing since the Red Wings selected him in the fourth round (No. 113) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Asked if he expects to make it to the NHL by now, Lombardi said, “I think yes and no. After a few years, maybe you’ll crack it. But the reality is, there are so many good players in the world, so many good players in the NHL. It really takes time to fully hone your game and be ready to take the next step.”
The anticipation tested Lombardi, but also drove him.
“Sometimes I felt like I was so close, yet so far away,” she said. “Going into the summer, I was pretty motivated, working, not out of anger, but very motivated.
“When the trade happened, when I talked to (Devils general manager Sunny Mehta), the staff, (coach) Sheldon (Keeffe), all these guys, it went from practice to prove people wrong to practice to prove people right.
