After being traded to the Utah Hockey Club, former New Jersey Devils defenseman John Marino spoke to Utah media for the first time.

Oct 2, 2023; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils defenseman John Marino (6) celebrates his goal against the New York Islanders during the first period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

John Marino heard the rumors, and on June 29, those rumors became a reality.

A little less than two years after acquiring Marino from the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New Jersey Devils traded the 27-year-old defenseman to the Utah Hockey Club along with the No. 153 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft for the 49th pick in 2024 and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

On July 3, Marino met with Utah’s media for his introductory availability and spoke about the trade.

“There were obviously a lot of rumors leading up to the draft, trade rumors and everything. You never really know until it happens,” he said. “There were a couple of other teams in the mix, too, and I feel like Utah was not talked about too much, so I wasn’t really sure where I was going.”

Marino played for the Devils for the past two seasons, appearing in 139 games. He concludes his tenure in New Jersey with 43 points (eight goals, 35 assists). Offensively, his numbers improved from the 2022-23 to 2023-24 season, but his overall game regressed.

Apr 8, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New Jersey Devils defenseman John Marino (6) skates with the puck during the second period against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

On the first day of free agency, New Jersey signed veteran defenseman Brett Pesce to a six-year, 33 million-dollar contract. He is expected to fill Marino’s void.

With the 49th pick the Devils acquired for Marino, they selected Mikhail Yegorov, who was ranked first overall among North American goaltenders.