New Jersey Devils
Encyclopedia
The New Jersey Devils are a professional
ice hockey
team based in Newark, New Jersey
, United States
. They are members of the Atlantic Division
of the Eastern Conference
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). The club was founded in Kansas City, Missouri
as the Kansas City Scouts
in 1974, moved to Denver, Colorado
as the Colorado Rockies
after only two seasons, and then settled in New Jersey in 1982.
The franchise was poor to mediocre for most of its first 13 seasons, only making the playoffs once. However, under current president
and general manager
Lou Lamoriello
, the Devils have made the playoffs for all but two years from 1987-88 to 2009–10, including 13 in a row from 1996-97 to 2009-10. They finished with a winning record every year from 1992–93 to 2009–10, tied with the Detroit Red Wings
as the longest such streak of any team in America's four major sports. They have qualified for four Stanley Cup Finals
in their history, winning in 1994–95
, 1999–00
and 2002–03
. Among American NHL expansion franchises only the New York Islanders
boast more Stanley Cups. For their first 25 seasons in New Jersey, the Devils were based in East Rutherford and played their home games at Brendan Byrne Arena/Continental Airlines Arena. Prior to the 2007–08 season
, the Devils relocated to Newark to play their home games at the newly-constructed Prudential Center.
The Devils are known for their defensive-oriented style of play, but have recently excelled in their offense as well. The Devils have a rivalry
with their cross-Hudson River
neighbor, the New York Rangers
, as well as a rivalry
with the Philadelphia Flyers
. Since the division's creation in 1993, the Devils have won the Atlantic Division season title nine times, most recently in the 2009–10 season.
period by adding teams in Kansas City, Missouri
and Washington, D.C.
The Kansas City franchise was to be called the Mohawks, since the Kansas City metropolitan area includes portions of Missouri and Kansas
. However, the Chicago Black Hawks
objected to the similarity. The team was renamed the Scouts
after The Scout, the iconic statue
located in Penn Valley Park
that overlooks downtown
.
On October 9, 1974, the Scouts hit the ice for the first time at Maple Leaf Gardens
in Toronto
and lost 4–2 to the Maple Leafs
. Due to a rodeo
being held in Kansas City's brand-new Kemper Arena
, the Scouts were forced to wait nine games before making their home debut. Although they lost that game to the Black Hawks 4–3, the next night they beat their expansion brethren, the Washington Capitals
, 5–4. Like most expansion teams, the Scouts were terrible, garnering only 41 points in their inaugural season. The next season, they won only 12 games (including only one win in their last 44 games)—still the worst in franchise history. The Scouts failed to make the playoffs in either season in Kansas City and won only 27 of 160 games.
Although they were better than the Capitals (who won only eight games in their inaugural season), the Scouts began to suffer from an economic downturn in the Midwest. For their second season, the Scouts sold just 2,000 of 8,000 season ticket
s and were almost $1 million in debt. The Scouts' owners did not have the resources or the patience to handle such massive losses, and decided to get out after only two years. After the 1975-76 season, the franchise was moved to Denver and was renamed the Colorado Rockies
.
The team made a fresh start in Colorado, winning its first game 4–2 over Toronto. They picked up momentum and looked like a possible playoff contender, but things collapsed in February, and the Rockies finished the 1976–77 season with a record of 20–46–14; good for 54 points. The next season, they seemed to regress, finishing with only 59 points and 21 games under .500, the sixth-worst record in the league. However, the Smythe Division
was so weak that year (only the Black Hawks finished above .500) that the Rockies were able to edge out the Vancouver Canucks
for second place in the division by two points. In those days, the division runners-up were guaranteed a playoff spot. They didn't last in the playoffs long, though; the Philadelphia Flyers
eliminated them in a two-game sweep.
A lack of stability continually dogged the team. In their first eight years, the Scouts/Rockies went through ten coaches (including eight in their first seven years), none lasting more than one full season. While in Denver, the team changed owners twice.
Prior to the 1978–79 season, owner Jack Vickers sold the team to Arthur Imperatore, who announced that he wished to move the team to the New Jersey Meadowlands
. The NHL vetoed the move since the Brendan Byrne Arena was still being built, and there was no suitable temporary facility in the area. In 1979, the team hired Don Cherry as head coach and traded for Maple Leafs star Lanny McDonald
. Despite these moves, the Rockies still posted the worst record in the NHL. They played the next two seasons with the possibility of moving until May 27, 1982, when New Jersey shipping tycoon John McMullen
purchased the team and announced that the long-expected move to New Jersey would finally come to pass.
The team would now be playing right in the middle of the New York
–New Jersey–Connecticut
tri-state area
, home to the three-time defending Stanley Cup
champion New York Islanders
, as well as the very popular New York Rangers
. The Devils had to compensate the Islanders, Rangers and Flyers for "invading" New Jersey.
On June 30, 1982, the team was renamed the New Jersey Devils, after the legend of the Jersey Devil
, an ominous cryptozoological
creature supposed to inhabit the Pine Barrens
of South Jersey. Over 10,000 people voted in a contest held by local newspapers to select the name. The team began play in East Rutherford, New Jersey at the Brendan Byrne Arena, later renamed the Continental Airlines Arena and now the Izod Center, where they would call home through the 2006–07 season. The Devils' first game ended in a 3–3 tie to the Pittsburgh Penguins
. Their first win, a 3–2 victory, came in New Jersey at the expense of their new trans-Hudson
rivals, the New York Rangers. The team finished with a 17–49–14 record, putting them three points above last place in the Patrick Division
.
In the following season, the Devils were publicly humiliated by Wayne Gretzky
after they were blown out 13–4 by his team, the Edmonton Oilers
. Gretzky was upset that former teammate Ron Low
played for what he considered an inferior team, and in a post-game interview said:
Later, Gretzky publicly admitted that his comment went too far, but privately maintained that his comment was accurate. In response, many Devils fans wore Mickey Mouse apparel when the Oilers returned to New Jersey.
In the 1983–84 season, the Devils hosted the annual NHL All-Star Game at the Brendan Byrne Arena. Chico Resch
was the winning goaltender, and Devils defenseman Joe Cirella
tallied a goal as the Wales Conference beat the Campbell Conference 7–6. However, the team did not achieve much success. Head coach Bill MacMillan
was fired midway through the season and replaced with Tom McVie
, and the Devils won only 17 games. After the season, McVie was replaced by Doug Carpenter
.
Meanwhile, with stable ownership at last in place, the Devils began a slow journey to respectability. They assembled a nucleus of young players; John MacLean, Bruce Driver
, Ken Daneyko
, Kirk Muller
, and Pat Verbeek
all complemented the veteran leadership of Resch. The team's record improved each season between 1984 and 1987. However, playing in a division where the same three teams—the Flyers, Capitals and Islanders—made the playoffs every year for six years running meant that the Devils found themselves in a losing battle with the Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins
for the division's last playoff spot. The Devils actually finished last in the Patrick in 1986 and 1987 despite improving their record.
Hoping to light a spark under the team, McMullen hired Providence College
coach and athletic director Lou Lamoriello
as team president in April 1987. Lamoriello appointed himself general manager
shortly before the 1987–88 season. This move came as a considerable surprise to NHL circles. Although Lamoriello had been a college coach for 19 years, he had never played, coached, or managed in the NHL and was almost unknown outside the American college hockey community.
The 1987–88 Devils garnered the first winning record in the franchise's 14-year history. On the final day of the regular season, they were tied with their nemesis, the Rangers, for the final playoff spot in the Patrick Division. After New York defeated the Quebec Nordiques
3–0, all eyes were on the Devils, who were playing the Blackhawks in Chicago. The Devils were trailing 3–2 midway through the third period when John MacLean tied the game, and with two minutes left in overtime, he added the winning goal. Although the Rangers and Devils both finished with 82 points, the Devils had one more win, sending them to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
The team made it all the way to the conference finals, but lost to the Boston Bruins
in seven games. In that series, head coach Jim Schoenfeld
verbally abused referee Don Koharski
after the third game, screaming obscenities. During the exchange, Koharski slipped and fell against the wall. He immediately claimed that Schoenfeld had pushed him, but Schoenfeld retorted that Koharski had fallen down. As Koharski snapped that Schoenfeld was "gone," Schoenfeld replied, "Good, 'cause you fell, you fat pig. Have another doughnut!" League disciplinarian Brian O'Neill ordered Schoenfeld to sit out game four. The Devils demanded a hearing, but O'Neill refused. Claiming their rights as well as Schoenfeld's had been violated, the Devils appealed to New Jersey Superior Court
judge James F. Madden—an unprecedented appeal to authority outside the league. Forty minutes before game time, Madden ordered the suspension overturned pending a formal league hearing. In his order, Madden pointed out that the NHL's investigation consisted of two phone calls—one to Koharski and one to Schoenfeld—and criticized O'Neill for not reviewing the videotape. In protest, referee Dave Newell and linesmen Gord Broseker and Ray Scapinello refused to work the game. After more than an hour's delay, three off-ice officials—Paul McInnis, Jim Sullivan and Vin Godleski—were tracked down to work the game. McInnis served as the referee, while Sullivan and Godleski worked the lines wearing yellow scrimmage sweaters. Notably, league president John Ziegler
was away on personal business and could not be contacted, leaving Chicago Blackhawks
owner Bill Wirtz
, as chairman of the league's board of governors, to give the order to play the game with backup officials.
Ziegler conducted a hearing on May 10, and suspended Schoenfeld for game five and fined him $1,000; the Devils were fined $10,000. Schoenfeld later admitted he regretted his comments. Nonetheless, Devils fans and broadcasters claimed that the officials shortchanged them for several years afterward.
The next season, the Devils once again slipped below .500 and missed the playoffs. Lamoriello made several postseason player changes, notably signing of two Soviet
stars: Viacheslav Fetisov
and Sergei Starikov
. The Devils drafted Fetisov years earlier in the 1983 entry draft
, but the Soviet government
did not allow Fetisov, who was an Army
officer as well as a member of the national team
, to leave the country. Shortly after, the Devils signed Fetisov's defense partner, Alexei Kasatonov
.
The team changed coaches midway through each of the next two seasons. Schoenfeld was replaced with John Cunniff
in 1989–90, and Tom McVie was re-hired midway through the 1990–91 season and helmed the team through its third-straight first-round elimination in 1991–92. Herb Brooks
, who coached the 1980 "Miracle on Ice
" team, was brought in for the 1992–93 season, but when the team yet again was eliminated in the first round, he was fired and replaced with former Montreal Canadiens
coach Jacques Lemaire
.
, Scott Niedermayer
, and Ken Daneyko
, forwards Stephane Richer
, John MacLean, Bobby Holik
, and Claude Lemieux
, and goaltenders Chris Terreri
and Martin Brodeur
, who was honored as the league's top rookie with the Calder Memorial Trophy
. The Devils' first 100-point season earned them the NHL's second-best record behind the New York Rangers
. However, due to the NHL's new playoff format, the Devils were seeded third in the East, behind the Atlantic Division champion Rangers and Northeast Division champion Penguins. The Devils and Rangers met in a memorable Eastern Conference Finals match up, which went seven games. The Devils had lost all six regular season meetings to the Blueshirts, but were up for the challenge, after Richer scored the game winning goal in the second overtime of Game 1. Going into Game 6, the Devils led the series 3–2 after having dominated Game 5 in Madison Square Garden. Before the game Rangers captain Mark Messier
made his famous guarantee that the Rangers would win Game 6. Keeping true to his word, Messier led his team back, netting a natural hat trick, and leading the Rangers to a 4–2 victory (after the Devils were up 2–0). In Game 7, the Devils' Valeri Zelepukin
tied the game with 7.7 seconds remaining, but the Devils were defeated in double overtime, on a goal by Stephane Matteau
. Devils fans, however, claimed that Esa Tikkanen
was in the crease, and the goal should have been wiped out. Nonetheless, the series is viewed by many hockey fans as one of the best playoff series in NHL history.
Despite the setback, the team returned to the Eastern Conference Finals during the lockout-shortened 1995 season and defeated the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two. They swept the heavily favored Detroit Red Wings
to win New Jersey's first-ever Stanley Cup, and the first major professional sports championship in the state's history, as they brought the Stanley Cup across the Hudson River from "the Garden
to the Garden State," with the Rangers having won the Stanley Cup the year before. Claude Lemieux
was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
as playoffs MVP. The Devils established an NHL record by posting 11 road victories in one playoff season. The success also came amid constant rumors that the team would move for the third time in its history to Nashville
(which eventually gained their own NHL expansion team
).
The Devils missed the playoffs by 2 points the following season, with a 37–33–12 record. They were beaten by the Tampa Bay Lightning
for the last playoff spot in the East on the last day of the season. It marked the first time in 26 years that a defending Cup champion failed to reach the playoffs. For most of the remainder of the decade, the Devils failed to live up to expectations. Despite annually having one of the best regular season records in the league, they were ousted by the New York Rangers in the second round of the 1997 playoffs, and were eliminated in the first round by the Ottawa Senators
and the Pittsburgh Penguins the next two seasons.
During the 1999–2000 season, New Jersey was in the midst of a late-season swoon. Despite having one of the best records in the league, Lamoriello feared another early playoff collapse and made the controversial decision to fire head coach Robbie Ftorek and replace him with assistant Larry Robinson. The move paid off, as New Jersey defeated the Florida Panthers
, the Toronto Maple Leafs
and the Philadelphia Flyers
to make the Stanley Cup Finals. In the Finals, the Devils reached the top again, defeating the defending champion Dallas Stars
in six games to win the Stanley Cup for the second time. Stevens, Holik, Niedermayer, and Brodeur, all integral parts of the 1995 team, were augmented with new players acquired in the intervening five years including Patrik Elias
, Petr Sykora
, Jason Arnott
, Alexander Mogilny
, and rookies Brian Rafalski
, John Madden, and Calder Trophy recipient Scott Gomez
. A highlight of the Devils' second championship run was their come-from-behind victory in the conference finals. They trailed the Philadelphia Flyers three games to one, but rebounded to win three straight games and the series. This was both the first time in Devils playoff history and in NHL Conference Finals history that a 3–1 deficit was surmounted. This series was also remembered for the hit that captain Scott Stevens laid on Flyers center Eric Lindros
, effectively ending Lindros' career in Philadelphia. Stevens was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy
, and assisted on Jason Arnott's Stanley Cup-clinching goal in double-overtime of Game 6 in Dallas.
Shortly before this victory, McMullen sold the team to Puck Holdings, an affiliate of YankeeNets, for $175 million. The owners wanted to use the Devils and the New Jersey Nets
(also a tenant at Continental Airlines Arena) for programming on what eventually became the YES Network
and move both teams to a new arena in Newark
. Neither of these proposals became reality under Puck Holdings' ownership. The new owners largely left the Devils' operations in Lamoriello's hands. For the start of the next season, Lamoriello was appointed CEO
of both the Devils and Nets. He remained at the helm of the basketball team until it was sold with the intention of moving it to Brooklyn
.
, and the goaltending of Martin Brodeur, the Devils reached the Stanley Cup Finals
for the second straight year in 2001. They lost the series to the Colorado Avalanche
despite leading 3–2 and having Game 6 on home ice; Brodeur had a subpar series, with a save percentage under 90%, and was bested by Colorado Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy
. The team's strong regular season was recognized at the NHL's annual awards that year, with Madden becoming the first player in franchise history to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy
(for top defensive forward), along with Brodeur and Stevens named as finalists for the Vezina Trophy
(top goalie) and Norris Trophy
(top defensemen) awards respectively.
In the 2001–02 season, they were expected to be contenders once again, and they finished the season as the 3rd best team in the Atlantic Division, with 95 points. The Devils entered the playoffs as a 6 seed, but lost in the first round to the number 3 seed Carolina Hurricanes
.
In 2003, the Devils finished first in the Atlantic Division with 108 points, earning the number 2 seed in the East. Their playoff
run included a seven-game conference final series victory, decided in the final three minutes on a goal by newly acquired forward Jeff Friesen
, over the Ottawa Senators, who won the President's Trophy that season. In the Stanley Cup Finals
, the Devils and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
had a back and forth battle, with both teams winning only their home games. This was the first time since 1965
that all the games in a Stanley Cup Final were won by the home team. The Devils brought the Stanley Cup to New Jersey a third time, defeating the Mighty Ducks in the 7th game of the Finals in New Jersey. Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko, and Sergei Brylin
each won their third Cup, and after the series, Daneyko, a long-time fan favorite, announced his retirement. Despite Anaheim not being able to complete their Cinderella
run, the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP was awarded to their goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere
who was the first player not on the championship team to be named playoff MVP since Ron Hextall
in 1987
. Some hockey writers speculated a New Jersey player did not win because there were multiple candidates, resulting in a split vote
among the sportswriters who select the winner. However, Brodeur was awarded the Vezina Trophy as outstanding goaltender in the regular season for the first time in his career. The New Jersey Nets
were in their finals
at the same time the Devils won this Stanley Cup, but lost to the San Antonio Spurs
in six, which denied the state of New Jersey from having both NBA and NHL championships in the same year.
In the 2003–04 season, Martin Brodeur took home the Vezina Trophy again. Despite the permanent loss of long time team captain Scott Stevens the Devils finished second in the Atlantic Division with 100 points. With the sixth seed in the Stanley Cup playoffs
, the Devils lost to the Philadelphia Flyers four games to one. In March 2004, near the end of the season, Lehman Brothers
executive Jeffrey Vanderbeek
purchased a controlling interest from Puck Holdings and resigned from Lehman Brothers to assume full-time ownership. He had been a minority owner since the 2000 sale. Like Puck Holdings/YankeeNets, Vanderbeek has largely left the Devils in Lamoriello's hands.
Vanderbeek was a strong proponent of the proposed arena in Newark, which first received funding from the city council during Puck Holdings' ownership in 2002. After legal battles over both eminent domain
and the city's financial participation in the arena project, the final deal was approved by council in October 2004, and the groundbreaking occurred almost exactly a year later. Nonetheless, in January 2006 financial issues threatened to halt the deal, as the Devils did not provide the city with a required letter of credit until the last possible day.
Though construction was well underway, in late summer 2006, Cory Booker
, who had recently taken office as Mayor of Newark, promised to reevaluate the deal and considered backing out. In October Booker conceded there would be "a first-class arena built in the city of Newark, whether we like it or not", and soon after the Devils struck a deal including both property and monetary givebacks that appeased city officials. The arena, which was named the Prudential Center when Newark-based Prudential Financial
purchased naming rights in early 2007, opened shortly after the start of the 2007–08 season.
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, many Devils players played in European leagues and in the hockey world championships. Patrik Elias, who was playing in the Russian Superleague, contracted hepatitis A
. Faced with Elias' indefinite recovery timetable, plus the loss of defensive stalwarts Scott Niedermayer to free agency and Scott Stevens to retirement, Lamoriello signed veteran defenseman Dan McGillis
and two former Devils — winger Alexander Mogilny and defenseman Vladimir Malakhov
, none of whom finished the season on the ice. In July 2005, the team announced that head coach Pat Burns
did not return for the 2005–2006 season after being diagnosed with cancer
for the second time in little more than a year. Assistant coach Larry Robinson
, the team's head coach from 2000 to 2002, was promoted to start the season.
The Devils struggled early in the 2005–06 season, ending the 2005 calendar year with a 16–18–5 record. Robinson resigned as head coach on December 19, and Lamoriello moved down to the bench. Once Elias returned from his bout with hepatitis, the team quickly turned around, finishing 46–27–9 after a season-ending eleven-game winning streak capped with a dramatic 4–3 win over the Montreal Canadiens
. During that final victory, which clinched the Devils' sixth division title, Brian Gionta
set a new team record for goals in a season with 48, topping Pat Verbeek
's 46. The win streak to close the year was also an NHL record.
On April 29, 2006, the Devils won their first round Stanley Cup playoff series against the New York Rangers four games to none, extending their winning streak to fifteen games and marking the first time the Devils defeated their cross-river rival in a playoff series. The team's season ended in the next round with a 4–1 Game 5 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, who eventually won the Stanley Cup.
In the offseason, the Devils hired former Montreal Canadiens
coach Claude Julien
to replace Lamoriello behind the bench. However, in the last week of the 2006–2007 Devils season, with just three games left, Julien was fired, and Lamoriello once again reprised his coaching role. The move is reminiscent of Robbie Ftorek's firing with eight games left in the 1999–2000 season, after which the Devils won the Stanley Cup. Lamoriello defended the move saying, "I don't think we're at a point of being ready both mentally and [physically] to play the way that is necessary going into the playoffs." The Devils went on to win their seventh Atlantic Division title and earn the second seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins by two points. They defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the first round, but struggled against the third-seeded Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals and lost to them in five games. Their final loss of the series on May 5, 2007, marked the final game of the Devils' 25-year history at the Continental Airlines Arena.
and Brian Rafalski
left the team as unrestricted free agents; Gomez to the rival Rangers
, and Rafalski to the Detroit Red Wings
. Back-up goalie Scott Clemmensen
went to Toronto, and local favorite, forward Jim Dowd signed with Philadelphia. The Devils, however, were able to sign Buffalo forward Dainius Zubrus
, and Rangers defenseman Karel Rachunek
. On July 5, the Devils signed Rangers goalie Kevin Weekes
as a backup to Brodeur, as well as Nashville Predators
defenseman Vitali Vishnevski on July 10.
On July 13, 2007, Brent Sutter
was named the 14th head coach of the team. Previous coach Larry Robinson
was named to aide John MacLean as the second assistant coach. On August 7, 2007, the Devils signed former Islander Arron Asham
. As the Devils preseason came to an end, prospects Nicklas Bergfors
and David Clarkson
made the final roster. The Devils opened their new arena, the Prudential Center, on October 27, 2007, against the Ottawa Senators, after opening the season with a nine-game road trip. The game ended with a 4–1 win for Ottawa.
On October 31, 2007, the New Jersey Devils won their first home game at the Prudential Center by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning, 6–1. In a dramatic last game of the season against their rivals the New York Rangers, the Devils won in a shootout, giving them home ice advantage over the Rangers in the playoffs, though the Devils lost the series against the Rangers 4–1, losing all three games at home. Brodeur did win the Vezina Trophy for the fourth time in five years for his performance in the regular season.
For the 2008–09 season
, the Devils signed Brian Rolston
, Bobby Holik, Brendan Shanahan, Mike Rupp, and Scott Clemmensen
, all making their second stints with the team. The Devils' season looked to be in jeopardy after Brodeur tore a biceps tendon in November and was sidelined for four months, but strong play by scoring leader Zach Parise
and backup goalie Clemmensen kept the Devils atop the NHL standings. Brodeur would return strong and make history. On March 17, 2009, before a sellout home crowd, Brodeur broke Patrick Roy
's record for regular season wins with his 552nd victory, while Patrik Elias became the franchise's all-time leading scorer with his 702nd point. In the opening round of the playoffs
, the Devils suffered two losses to the Hurricanes within the final minute of regulation play. In Game 4, the Devils overcame a 3 goal deficit, only to lose on a goal with 0.2 seconds left in the game in which Brodeur claimed he was interfered with. The team was eliminated in a Game 7 loss in which the Hurricanes scored 2 goals in the last one minute and twenty seconds of the game to erase a 3–2 Devils lead.
On June 9, 2009, the New Jersey Devils announced that head coach Brent Sutter was stepping down from his position, citing personal and family reasons. However, in a controversial move three days later, Sutter was introduced as the new head coach of the Calgary Flames
.
After the free agency period opened on July 1, 2009, career-long Devils John Madden and Brian Gionta
left to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks
and Montreal Canadiens
, respectively. Scott Clemmensen
signed with the Florida Panthers
and Mike Rupp signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins
. All four had won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey.
On July 13, 2009, The Devils named former head coach Jacques Lemaire
head coach of the New Jersey Devils. Assistant Coach John MacLean was named head coach of the Lowell Devils
.
After several weeks of fruitless contract negotiations late in the season, the Atlanta Thrashers traded star left wing Ilya Kovalchuk
, along with defenseman and former Devil Anssi Salmela
, to the Devils on February 4, 2010 for defenseman Johnny Oduya and forwards Niclas Bergfors, young prospect Patrice Cormier, and a first round draft pick in the 2010 draft. The teams also traded second round draft picks for 2010.
The Devils finished the season in first place in the Atlantic Division, second in the Eastern Conference. Their seeding matched them up against Philadelphia in the first round, who eliminated the Devils 4 games to 1. Kovalchuk was held to two goals in the series.
retired from coaching, the Devils announced that the team's all-time leading scorer, John MacLean, would become their new head coach. Former team head and assistant coach, Larry Robinson and former NHL all-star Adam Oates
joined MacLean as assistants.
During the offseason, the Devils signed Ilya Kovalchuk
to a seventeen-year contract, keeping him in New Jersey until the conclusion of the 2026-27 season. The contract was the longest contract ever held by an NHL player, beating out Rick DiPietro
's fifteen-year contract with the New York Islanders
. The NHL rejected Kovalchuk's 17-year contract for allegedly circumventing the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement
and Kovalchuk became a free agent for two months before the NHL officially accepted a fifteen year contract worth $100 million.
John MacLean led the team to a record of 9-22-2, and sitting in last place in the NHL on December 23 he was removed in favor of Jacques Lemaire
, coming out of retirement for his third stint as head coach of the Devils and second in less than two seasons.
During the tumultuous season, the Devils lost superstar Zach Parise
to a meniscus tear in November and he finally returned in March for just one game in which the Devils were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Adding to the team's woes, goaltender Martin Brodeur
suffered two multi-game injuries, an elbow injury in November and a minor knee sprain in February.
Following the trade of captain Jamie Langenbrunner
to the Dallas Stars
, the Devils managed an astonishing turnaround with an impressive run of 26-7-3. They saw a dramatic increase in offensive production, in addition to the outstanding performance of backup goaltender Johan Hedberg
. On March 12, the Devils found themselves just six points out of a final playoff spot. The other major trade of the season was Jason Arnott
to the Washington Capitals
for center David Steckel and a second round draft pick.
During their astonishing late winter run the players did not talk about any playoff aspirations and maintained the motto of "one game at a time." Jacques Lemaire also refused to talk about the team's playoff potential and told reporters to ask him about the Devils' chances once they were five points back. The Devils ultimately came within one point of Lemaire's benchmark but were eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens
on April 2, 2011, thus missing out on the playoffs for the first time since the 1995-96 season. After winning their last game of the season, Jacques Lemaire announced that he would not return as head coach for another season with the Devils. Overall, this was the first losing season for the Devils since 1990-91. Lemaire was replaced by former Florida Panthers
head coach Peter DeBoer
.
In the 2011 offseason, the Devils drafted defenceman Adam Larsson
4th overall along with several other key prospects at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. In addition to drafting and later signing Larsson, the Devils signed Zach Parise, Cam Janssen, and Eric Boulton to one year contracts. There were only 2 trades made during the offseason. The first came when Brian Rolston
was traded to the New York Islanders
in exchange for Trent Hunter
, who was quickly bought out of his contract. The second was the trade that sent Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond
to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a 5th round pick in the 2012 Draft.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
of the letters "N" and "J", rendered with two devil horns at the top of the "J" and a pointed tail at the bottom. The monogram is red with a black outline, and sits inside an open black circle. The logo lies on a field of white in the middle of the chest on both uniforms. Prior to the 1992–93 season, the black circle and outline were green.
The current team colors are red, black and white, and they can be seen on both the home and road jerseys. The home jersey, which was the team's road jersey until the NHL swapped home and road colors in 2003, is dominantly red in color. There are three black and white stripes, one across each arm and one across the waist. The road jersey (the team's former home jersey) is white in color with a similar design, except that the three stripes are black and red. The shoulders are draped with black on both uniforms. Before the 1992–93
season, the uniforms were green and red with slightly different striping leading some fans to affectionately refer to them as "Christmas
colors". The Devils have yet to introduce a third jersey
and are one of only two NHL teams (Detroit is the other) never to have worn one. GM Lou Lamoriello has stated that he does not ever intend to introduce a third jersey for the Devils, saying, "I don't believe in it," Lamoriello said. "I strongly believe that you have to have one identity as a team. We want to create a feeling that our home and away jerseys are special and that it means something special to wear one." Unlike most teams, the team kept the same uniform design when the NHL switched to the Rbk EDGE jerseys for the 2007–08 NHL season.
On August 25, 2009, Lamoriello announced that the Devils would wear their classic red, white, and green jerseys on their Saint Patrick's Day
2010 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lamoriello stated, "The original red, green, and white jerseys are a part of our history here in New Jersey. We have always been an organization that takes great pride in its tradition. This is something we believe our fans will enjoy for that one special night." The Devils defeated the Penguins, 5-2. Martin Brodeur wore a special replica helmet of the one from his first NHL game.
. NJ Devil keeps the crowd excited, signs autographs, participates in entertainment during the intermissions, skates across the ice, and runs throughout the aisles of the arena to high five fans.
Prior to 1993, the mascot was "Slapshot", a large Devils hockey puck
that interacted with the fans. However, the man inside the costume resigned after he was accused of touching three women inappropriately while in costume. The lawsuit and all charges were dropped as nothing could be proven. However, to remove the stigma of the lawsuit, Slapshot was retired and has not returned since.
's first tenure, although the Devils have twice led the Eastern Conference in goals scored, once leading the NHL in goals scored (295 GF in 2000–2001). Lemaire gave the Devils their defensive mantra when he implemented a system commonly called the neutral zone trap
. This system is designed to force teams to turn over the puck in the neutral zone leading to a counterattack. This style of play led the team to be chastised by the media and hockey purists for "making the NHL boring". Nevertheless, the Devils were successful using this style of play, and Devils coach Larry Robinson asserted that the Montreal Canadiens (who also won the Cup many times) he played on in the 1970s used a form of the trap, though it did not have a name.
Under Brent Sutter, the team adopted less of a trap and more of a transitional, aggressive forechecking style of play which also emphasized puck possession and instilled the cycle to start the 2007–2008 season. This led to many high scoring games early in the 07–08 season for New Jersey. New Jersey went on to score 244 goals in the '08–09 season, the most the team had scored in eight seasons. However, with the return of Jacques Lemaire as head coach, the Devils have resumed a more defense-oriented playing style, scoring just 222 goals and allowing only 191, an NHL best in the 2009–10 season, earning Martin Brodeur
his fifth William M. Jennings Trophy
.
The Devils have retired two numbers. A third number will be retired during the season.
Daneyko, Niedermayer, and Stevens all won 3 Stanley Cups each on the same Devils teams in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Numbers taken out of circulation
Hall of Famers
Nine members of the Hockey Hall of Fame
have had experience with the Devils upon election; five players, one coach, and one executive. One broadcaster has been honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame.
and Colorado Rockies
.
This list does not include the former coaches of the Kansas City Scouts
and Colorado Rockies
.
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game * = still active with the team
Active player stats as of the completion of the 2010-2011 season.
Regular season records
Playoff records
Team records
This list does not include the former arenas of the Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies.
Radio: WFAN
Public Address:
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They are members of the Atlantic Division
Atlantic Division (NHL)
The NHL's Atlantic Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Patrick Division. It is the only division in the NHL where all of its current members have won the Stanley Cup at least twice, though only three teams have won...
of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). The club was founded in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
as the Kansas City Scouts
Kansas City Scouts
The Kansas City Scouts was a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1974–76. In 1976, the franchise relocated to Denver, Colorado and became the Colorado Rockies...
in 1974, moved to Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
as the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
after only two seasons, and then settled in New Jersey in 1982.
The franchise was poor to mediocre for most of its first 13 seasons, only making the playoffs once. However, under current president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Lou Lamoriello
Lou Lamoriello
Louis "Lou" Lamoriello is the CEO, president, and general manager of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League...
, the Devils have made the playoffs for all but two years from 1987-88 to 2009–10, including 13 in a row from 1996-97 to 2009-10. They finished with a winning record every year from 1992–93 to 2009–10, tied with the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
as the longest such streak of any team in America's four major sports. They have qualified for four Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
in their history, winning in 1994–95
1995 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1995 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings. This was the first of nine consecutive finals with American franchises exclusively. New Jersey was making the franchise's first-ever appearance in the Final, while Detroit returned...
, 1999–00
2000 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2000 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference and defending Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars. The Devils were led by captain Scott Stevens, coach Larry Robinson and goalie Martin Brodeur...
and 2002–03
2003 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2003 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the champion of the National Hockey League for the 2002–03 season...
. Among American NHL expansion franchises only the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
boast more Stanley Cups. For their first 25 seasons in New Jersey, the Devils were based in East Rutherford and played their home games at Brendan Byrne Arena/Continental Airlines Arena. Prior to the 2007–08 season
2007–08 New Jersey Devils season
The 2007-08 New Jersey Devils season was the team's 26th in the National Hockey League since the franchise relocated to New Jersey. It was the first season the team had played home games anywhere other than Continental Airlines Arena, as the Devils relocated to the newly-built Prudential Center in...
, the Devils relocated to Newark to play their home games at the newly-constructed Prudential Center.
The Devils are known for their defensive-oriented style of play, but have recently excelled in their offense as well. The Devils have a rivalry
Devils–Rangers rivalry
The New Jersey Devils - New York Rangers Rivalry , exist between two National Hockey League teams in the New York metropolitan area...
with their cross-Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
neighbor, the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, as well as a rivalry
Devils–Flyers rivalry
The rivalry between the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League is a rivalry between two teams in the Atlantic Division...
with the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Since the division's creation in 1993, the Devils have won the Atlantic Division season title nine times, most recently in the 2009–10 season.
Kansas City and Colorado
In 1974, the NHL ended its first expansionExpansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
period by adding teams in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The Kansas City franchise was to be called the Mohawks, since the Kansas City metropolitan area includes portions of Missouri and Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. However, the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
objected to the similarity. The team was renamed the Scouts
Kansas City Scouts
The Kansas City Scouts was a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1974–76. In 1976, the franchise relocated to Denver, Colorado and became the Colorado Rockies...
after The Scout, the iconic statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
located in Penn Valley Park
Penn Valley Park
Penn Valley Park is an urban park overlooking Downtown Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri.The park was developed in 1904 on land through which the Santa Fe Trail had passed. It contains two famous landmarks: The Scout and the United States' official World War I museum with its Liberty Memorial...
that overlooks downtown
Downtown Kansas City
Downtown Kansas City is the central business district of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. It is located between the Missouri River in the north, to 31st Street in the south; and from the Kansas–Missouri state line east to Troost Avenue as defined by officials of the...
.
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and lost 4–2 to the Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Due to a rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
being held in Kansas City's brand-new Kemper Arena
Kemper Arena
Kemper Arena is a 19,500 seat indoor arena, in Kansas City, Missouri.It is named for R. Crosby Kemper Sr., a member of the powerful Kemper financial clan and who donated $3.2 million, from his estate for the arena...
, the Scouts were forced to wait nine games before making their home debut. Although they lost that game to the Black Hawks 4–3, the next night they beat their expansion brethren, the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
, 5–4. Like most expansion teams, the Scouts were terrible, garnering only 41 points in their inaugural season. The next season, they won only 12 games (including only one win in their last 44 games)—still the worst in franchise history. The Scouts failed to make the playoffs in either season in Kansas City and won only 27 of 160 games.
Although they were better than the Capitals (who won only eight games in their inaugural season), the Scouts began to suffer from an economic downturn in the Midwest. For their second season, the Scouts sold just 2,000 of 8,000 season ticket
Season ticket
A season ticket is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time.-Sport:In sport, a season ticket grants the holder access to all regular-season home games for one season without additional charges. The ticket usually offers a discounted price over purchasing a ticket for each of...
s and were almost $1 million in debt. The Scouts' owners did not have the resources or the patience to handle such massive losses, and decided to get out after only two years. After the 1975-76 season, the franchise was moved to Denver and was renamed the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
.
Smythe Division
The NHL's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Conn Smythe. It is the fore-runner of the NHL's Northwest Division and NHL's Pacific Division....
was so weak that year (only the Black Hawks finished above .500) that the Rockies were able to edge out the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
for second place in the division by two points. In those days, the division runners-up were guaranteed a playoff spot. They didn't last in the playoffs long, though; the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
eliminated them in a two-game sweep.
A lack of stability continually dogged the team. In their first eight years, the Scouts/Rockies went through ten coaches (including eight in their first seven years), none lasting more than one full season. While in Denver, the team changed owners twice.
Prior to the 1978–79 season, owner Jack Vickers sold the team to Arthur Imperatore, who announced that he wished to move the team to the New Jersey Meadowlands
Meadowlands Sports Complex
The MetLife Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in East Rutherford, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority...
. The NHL vetoed the move since the Brendan Byrne Arena was still being built, and there was no suitable temporary facility in the area. In 1979, the team hired Don Cherry as head coach and traded for Maple Leafs star Lanny McDonald
Lanny McDonald
Lanny King McDonald is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Rockies and Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He played over 1,100 games during a 16-year NHL career in which he scored 500 goals and over 1,000 points...
. Despite these moves, the Rockies still posted the worst record in the NHL. They played the next two seasons with the possibility of moving until May 27, 1982, when New Jersey shipping tycoon John McMullen
John McMullen (engineer)
John J. McMullen, Ph.D was a naval architect and marine engineer, and former owner of the New Jersey Devils and Houston Astros. He founded the engineering firm John J...
purchased the team and announced that the long-expected move to New Jersey would finally come to pass.
The team would now be playing right in the middle of the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
–New Jersey–Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
tri-state area
Tri-state area
There are a number of areas in the 48 contiguous United States known as tri-state areas where three states either meet at one point or are in proximity to each other. The best known of the latter type is the New York metropolitan area...
, home to the three-time defending Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, as well as the very popular New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. The Devils had to compensate the Islanders, Rangers and Flyers for "invading" New Jersey.
1982–1993: Building a Team
Jersey Devil
The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States. The creature is often described as a flying biped with hooves, but there are many variations...
, an ominous cryptozoological
Cryptozoology
Cryptozoology refers to the search for animals whose existence has not been proven...
creature supposed to inhabit the Pine Barrens
Pine Barrens (New Jersey)
The Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands, is a heavily forested area of coastal plain stretching across southern New Jersey. The name "pine barrens" refers to the area's sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil, to which the crops originally imported by European settlers didn't take well...
of South Jersey. Over 10,000 people voted in a contest held by local newspapers to select the name. The team began play in East Rutherford, New Jersey at the Brendan Byrne Arena, later renamed the Continental Airlines Arena and now the Izod Center, where they would call home through the 2006–07 season. The Devils' first game ended in a 3–3 tie to the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. Their first win, a 3–2 victory, came in New Jersey at the expense of their new trans-Hudson
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
rivals, the New York Rangers. The team finished with a 17–49–14 record, putting them three points above last place in the Patrick Division
Patrick Division
The Patrick Division of the National Hockey League was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division moved to the Prince of Wales Conference in 1981. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Lester Patrick...
.
In the following season, the Devils were publicly humiliated by Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
after they were blown out 13–4 by his team, the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. Gretzky was upset that former teammate Ron Low
Ron Low
Ronald Albert Low is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender and coach. He grew up in Foxwarren, Manitoba.-Playing career:...
played for what he considered an inferior team, and in a post-game interview said:
Later, Gretzky publicly admitted that his comment went too far, but privately maintained that his comment was accurate. In response, many Devils fans wore Mickey Mouse apparel when the Oilers returned to New Jersey.
In the 1983–84 season, the Devils hosted the annual NHL All-Star Game at the Brendan Byrne Arena. Chico Resch
Chico Resch
Glenn Allan "Chico" Resch is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender and television sportscaster. Resch played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1973 to 1986, winning one Stanley Cup with the New York Islanders in 1980...
was the winning goaltender, and Devils defenseman Joe Cirella
Joe Cirella
Joseph Cirella is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in 828 games in the National Hockey League...
tallied a goal as the Wales Conference beat the Campbell Conference 7–6. However, the team did not achieve much success. Head coach Bill MacMillan
Bill MacMillan
William Stewart MacMillan was a player and coach in the National Hockey League. He spent 9 seasons in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Flames, and New York Islanders, and was the head coach of the Colorado Rockies from 1980 to 1982 and coached the New Jersey Devils from 1982 to 1983...
was fired midway through the season and replaced with Tom McVie
Tom McVie
Tom McVie was a coach in the National Hockey League. He coached the Washington Capitals from the 1975–76 season to the middle of the 1978–79 season. He moved to the Winnipeg Jets, then in the World Hockey Association, and coached the team with Bill Sutherland in its first two NHL seasons, 1979–80...
, and the Devils won only 17 games. After the season, McVie was replaced by Doug Carpenter
Doug Carpenter
Doug Carpenter is a former head coach in the National Hockey League, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the International Hockey League and the American Hockey League, and is a former hockey player in the Eastern Hockey League and the International Hockey League.As a player from 1964–1974, he...
.
Meanwhile, with stable ownership at last in place, the Devils began a slow journey to respectability. They assembled a nucleus of young players; John MacLean, Bruce Driver
Bruce Driver
Bruce Douglas Driver is a former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1983–84 until 1997–98. Driver possessed a strong point shot, heady offensive instincts, smart positional defensive play, and a good stick with which he was adept at poke...
, Ken Daneyko
Ken Daneyko
Kenneth Stephen Daneyko is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman of Ukrainian origin who played his entire career with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League, winning three Stanley Cup championships with the team. He has been affectionately nicknamed "Mr...
, Kirk Muller
Kirk Muller
Kirk Christopher Muller is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 19 seasons from 1984–85 until 2002–03...
, and Pat Verbeek
Pat Verbeek
Patrick Verbeek is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played for the New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, and Detroit Red Wings during his career...
all complemented the veteran leadership of Resch. The team's record improved each season between 1984 and 1987. However, playing in a division where the same three teams—the Flyers, Capitals and Islanders—made the playoffs every year for six years running meant that the Devils found themselves in a losing battle with the Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
for the division's last playoff spot. The Devils actually finished last in the Patrick in 1986 and 1987 despite improving their record.
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
coach and athletic director Lou Lamoriello
Lou Lamoriello
Louis "Lou" Lamoriello is the CEO, president, and general manager of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League...
as team president in April 1987. Lamoriello appointed himself general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
shortly before the 1987–88 season. This move came as a considerable surprise to NHL circles. Although Lamoriello had been a college coach for 19 years, he had never played, coached, or managed in the NHL and was almost unknown outside the American college hockey community.
The 1987–88 Devils garnered the first winning record in the franchise's 14-year history. On the final day of the regular season, they were tied with their nemesis, the Rangers, for the final playoff spot in the Patrick Division. After New York defeated the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
3–0, all eyes were on the Devils, who were playing the Blackhawks in Chicago. The Devils were trailing 3–2 midway through the third period when John MacLean tied the game, and with two minutes left in overtime, he added the winning goal. Although the Rangers and Devils both finished with 82 points, the Devils had one more win, sending them to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
The team made it all the way to the conference finals, but lost to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in seven games. In that series, head coach Jim Schoenfeld
Jim Schoenfeld
James Grant Schoenfeld is a retired professional ice hockey player. He is currently the assistant general manager with the New York Rangers, as well as an interim assistant coach...
verbally abused referee Don Koharski
Don Koharski
Don Koharski is a retired professional ice hockey referee in the National Hockey League. He currently resides in Tampa, Florida, with his wife, together with whom he has two sons...
after the third game, screaming obscenities. During the exchange, Koharski slipped and fell against the wall. He immediately claimed that Schoenfeld had pushed him, but Schoenfeld retorted that Koharski had fallen down. As Koharski snapped that Schoenfeld was "gone," Schoenfeld replied, "Good, 'cause you fell, you fat pig. Have another doughnut!" League disciplinarian Brian O'Neill ordered Schoenfeld to sit out game four. The Devils demanded a hearing, but O'Neill refused. Claiming their rights as well as Schoenfeld's had been violated, the Devils appealed to New Jersey Superior Court
New Jersey Superior Court
The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with state-wide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The Superior Court has three divisions: the Appellate Division is essentially an intermediate appellate court while the Law and Chancery Divisions function as trial courts...
judge James F. Madden—an unprecedented appeal to authority outside the league. Forty minutes before game time, Madden ordered the suspension overturned pending a formal league hearing. In his order, Madden pointed out that the NHL's investigation consisted of two phone calls—one to Koharski and one to Schoenfeld—and criticized O'Neill for not reviewing the videotape. In protest, referee Dave Newell and linesmen Gord Broseker and Ray Scapinello refused to work the game. After more than an hour's delay, three off-ice officials—Paul McInnis, Jim Sullivan and Vin Godleski—were tracked down to work the game. McInnis served as the referee, while Sullivan and Godleski worked the lines wearing yellow scrimmage sweaters. Notably, league president John Ziegler
John Ziegler (sports administrator)
John A. Ziegler, Jr was the fourth president of the National Hockey League.In 1977, Ziegler became the fourth president of the NHL, succeeding Clarence Campbell...
was away on personal business and could not be contacted, leaving Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
owner Bill Wirtz
Bill Wirtz
William Wadsworth "Dollar Bill" Wirtz was the chief executive officer and controlling shareholder of the family-owned Wirtz Corporation. He was best known as the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League, who are part of Wirtz Corp's holdings...
, as chairman of the league's board of governors, to give the order to play the game with backup officials.
Ziegler conducted a hearing on May 10, and suspended Schoenfeld for game five and fined him $1,000; the Devils were fined $10,000. Schoenfeld later admitted he regretted his comments. Nonetheless, Devils fans and broadcasters claimed that the officials shortchanged them for several years afterward.
The next season, the Devils once again slipped below .500 and missed the playoffs. Lamoriello made several postseason player changes, notably signing of two Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
stars: Viacheslav Fetisov
Viacheslav Fetisov
Viacheslav "Slava" Alexandrovich Fetisov is a retired professional ice hockey defenseman...
and Sergei Starikov
Sergei Starikov
Sergei Viktorovich Starikov is a Russian ice hockey coach, who competed as defenseman for the Soviet national team....
. The Devils drafted Fetisov years earlier in the 1983 entry draft
1983 NHL Entry Draft
The 1983 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, on June 8, 1983. The NHL Entry Draft is the primary means by which players arrive in the National Hockey League. The St. Louis Blues did not participate in this draft, shortly after the league blocked the franchise's...
, but the Soviet government
Government of the Soviet Union
The Council of Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was the de jure government comprising the highest executive and administrative body of the Soviet Union from 1946 until 1991....
did not allow Fetisov, who was an Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
officer as well as a member of the national team
Soviet national ice hockey team
The Soviet national ice hockey team , was the national hockey team of the Soviet Union. The Soviets were the most dominant team of all time in international play. The team won nearly every world championship and Olympic tournament between 1954 and 1991 held by the International Ice Hockey Federation...
, to leave the country. Shortly after, the Devils signed Fetisov's defense partner, Alexei Kasatonov
Alexei Kasatonov
Alexei Viktorovich Kasatonov is a retired ice hockey defenceman, a long-time member of the Soviet Union national team.On the international stage, Kasatonov won two golds and one silver in the Olympics, and five golds in the World Championships...
.
The team changed coaches midway through each of the next two seasons. Schoenfeld was replaced with John Cunniff
John Cunniff
John Paul Cunniff was an American NHL hockey coach and former professional player who appeared in 65 World Hockey Association regular season games between 1972 and 1976...
in 1989–90, and Tom McVie was re-hired midway through the 1990–91 season and helmed the team through its third-straight first-round elimination in 1991–92. Herb Brooks
Herb Brooks
Herbert Paul Brooks, Jr. was an American ice hockey player and coach. He notably coached the United States' men's hockey team to a 4-3 upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York on February 22, 1980...
, who coached the 1980 "Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
" team, was brought in for the 1992–93 season, but when the team yet again was eliminated in the first round, he was fired and replaced with former Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
coach Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
.
1993–2000: Champions
Under Lemaire, the team roared through the 1993–94 regular season with a lineup including defensemen Scott StevensScott Stevens
Ronald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
, Scott Niedermayer
Scott Niedermayer
Scott Niedermayer is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for two teams: the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks. Niedermayer was known for his skating stride, and ability for leading or joining the offensive rush...
, and Ken Daneyko
Ken Daneyko
Kenneth Stephen Daneyko is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman of Ukrainian origin who played his entire career with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League, winning three Stanley Cup championships with the team. He has been affectionately nicknamed "Mr...
, forwards Stephane Richer
Stephane Richer
Stéphane Jean-Jacques Richer is a retired professional ice hockey left winger.-Playing career:Richer was drafted 29th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 1,054 career NHL games, scoring 421 goals and 398 assists for 819 points. Richer won the Calder Cup in...
, John MacLean, Bobby Holik
Bobby Holik
Robert Holík is a retired Czech-American professional ice hockey center who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League...
, and Claude Lemieux
Claude Lemieux
Claude Percy Lemieux is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the...
, and goaltenders Chris Terreri
Chris Terreri
Christopher Arnold Terreri is an American former goaltender for several NHL teams, most notably for the New Jersey Devils, with whom he played for twelve seasons....
and Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
, who was honored as the league's top rookie with the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
. The Devils' first 100-point season earned them the NHL's second-best record behind the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. However, due to the NHL's new playoff format, the Devils were seeded third in the East, behind the Atlantic Division champion Rangers and Northeast Division champion Penguins. The Devils and Rangers met in a memorable Eastern Conference Finals match up, which went seven games. The Devils had lost all six regular season meetings to the Blueshirts, but were up for the challenge, after Richer scored the game winning goal in the second overtime of Game 1. Going into Game 6, the Devils led the series 3–2 after having dominated Game 5 in Madison Square Garden. Before the game Rangers captain Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
made his famous guarantee that the Rangers would win Game 6. Keeping true to his word, Messier led his team back, netting a natural hat trick, and leading the Rangers to a 4–2 victory (after the Devils were up 2–0). In Game 7, the Devils' Valeri Zelepukin
Valeri Zelepukin
Valeri Mikhailovich Zelepukin is a retired Russian ice hockey player who has played in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks between 1991 and 2001. He is 6'1"", weighs 200 lbs and shoots left-handed...
tied the game with 7.7 seconds remaining, but the Devils were defeated in double overtime, on a goal by Stephane Matteau
Stephane Matteau
Stéphane Matteau is a former National Hockey League player.As a member of the New York Rangers 1994 Stanley Cup Championship team, Matteau is most remembered for scoring two overtime goals in the Eastern Conference Finals against the New Jersey Devils...
. Devils fans, however, claimed that Esa Tikkanen
Esa Tikkanen
Esa Tikkanen is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey forward. He played for the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, St...
was in the crease, and the goal should have been wiped out. Nonetheless, the series is viewed by many hockey fans as one of the best playoff series in NHL history.
Despite the setback, the team returned to the Eastern Conference Finals during the lockout-shortened 1995 season and defeated the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two. They swept the heavily favored Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
to win New Jersey's first-ever Stanley Cup, and the first major professional sports championship in the state's history, as they brought the Stanley Cup across the Hudson River from "the Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
to the Garden State," with the Rangers having won the Stanley Cup the year before. Claude Lemieux
Claude Lemieux
Claude Percy Lemieux is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the...
was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
as playoffs MVP. The Devils established an NHL record by posting 11 road victories in one playoff season. The success also came amid constant rumors that the team would move for the third time in its history to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
(which eventually gained their own NHL expansion team
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
).
The Devils missed the playoffs by 2 points the following season, with a 37–33–12 record. They were beaten by the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
for the last playoff spot in the East on the last day of the season. It marked the first time in 26 years that a defending Cup champion failed to reach the playoffs. For most of the remainder of the decade, the Devils failed to live up to expectations. Despite annually having one of the best regular season records in the league, they were ousted by the New York Rangers in the second round of the 1997 playoffs, and were eliminated in the first round by the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the Pittsburgh Penguins the next two seasons.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
to make the Stanley Cup Finals. In the Finals, the Devils reached the top again, defeating the defending champion Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
in six games to win the Stanley Cup for the second time. Stevens, Holik, Niedermayer, and Brodeur, all integral parts of the 1995 team, were augmented with new players acquired in the intervening five years including Patrik Elias
Patrik Elias
Patrik Eliáš is a Czech professional hockey left winger and alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . A long-time Devil and currently the team's longest-tenured skater, Eliáš is the franchise's all-time leading scorer, while also holding franchise records for most...
, Petr Sykora
Petr Sýkora
Petr Sýkora is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . Sýkora has previously played in the NHL for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild. He is a two-time Stanley Cup...
, Jason Arnott
Jason Arnott
Jason William Arnott is a professional ice hockey centre for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. He began his NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers in 1993–94 after being selected seventh overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team...
, Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93...
, and rookies Brian Rafalski
Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 professional ice hockey seasons for five teams: 11 in the National Hockey League for two teams , three in SM-liiga for two teams prior to entering the NHL, and one in Elitserien for...
, John Madden, and Calder Trophy recipient Scott Gomez
Scott Gomez
Scott Carlos Gomez is an American ice hockey center of both Mexican and Colombian descent, currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. A highlight of the Devils' second championship run was their come-from-behind victory in the conference finals. They trailed the Philadelphia Flyers three games to one, but rebounded to win three straight games and the series. This was both the first time in Devils playoff history and in NHL Conference Finals history that a 3–1 deficit was surmounted. This series was also remembered for the hit that captain Scott Stevens laid on Flyers center Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
, effectively ending Lindros' career in Philadelphia. Stevens was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
, and assisted on Jason Arnott's Stanley Cup-clinching goal in double-overtime of Game 6 in Dallas.
Shortly before this victory, McMullen sold the team to Puck Holdings, an affiliate of YankeeNets, for $175 million. The owners wanted to use the Devils and the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(also a tenant at Continental Airlines Arena) for programming on what eventually became the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
and move both teams to a new arena in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. Neither of these proposals became reality under Puck Holdings' ownership. The new owners largely left the Devils' operations in Lamoriello's hands. For the start of the next season, Lamoriello was appointed CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of both the Devils and Nets. He remained at the helm of the basketball team until it was sold with the intention of moving it to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
.
2001–2004: Another Cup and the Lockout
Led by the Elias-Arnott-Sykora line (The A Line), Bobby HolikBobby Holik
Robert Holík is a retired Czech-American professional ice hockey center who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League...
, and the goaltending of Martin Brodeur, the Devils reached the Stanley Cup Finals
2001 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2001 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Eastern Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion Colorado Avalanche, making the franchise's second Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and first since the team won the 1996 Finals. The...
for the second straight year in 2001. They lost the series to the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
despite leading 3–2 and having Game 6 on home ice; Brodeur had a subpar series, with a save percentage under 90%, and was bested by Colorado Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy
Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...
. The team's strong regular season was recognized at the NHL's annual awards that year, with Madden becoming the first player in franchise history to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy
Frank J. Selke Trophy
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season. It has been awarded 33 times to...
(for top defensive forward), along with Brodeur and Stevens named as finalists for the Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
(top goalie) and Norris Trophy
James Norris Memorial Trophy
The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top "defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position". The James Norris Memorial Trophy has been awarded 55 times to 23 different players since its beginnings in...
(top defensemen) awards respectively.
In the 2001–02 season, they were expected to be contenders once again, and they finished the season as the 3rd best team in the Atlantic Division, with 95 points. The Devils entered the playoffs as a 6 seed, but lost in the first round to the number 3 seed Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
.
2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs, the National Hockey League championship, began on April 9, 2003, following the 2002–03 regular season. The playoffs concluded on June 9, 2003, with the New Jersey Devils defeating the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games.The sixteen qualifying teams played...
run included a seven-game conference final series victory, decided in the final three minutes on a goal by newly acquired forward Jeff Friesen
Jeff Friesen
Jeff Daryl Friesen is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently a Free Agent. He most recently played with Eisbären Berlin of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-Playing career:...
, over the Ottawa Senators, who won the President's Trophy that season. In the Stanley Cup Finals
2003 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2003 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the champion of the National Hockey League for the 2002–03 season...
, the Devils and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
had a back and forth battle, with both teams winning only their home games. This was the first time since 1965
1965 Stanley Cup Finals
-References:* Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame . Lord Stanley's Cup. Bolton, Ont.: Fenn Pub. pp 12, 50. ISBN 978-1-55168-261-7...
that all the games in a Stanley Cup Final were won by the home team. The Devils brought the Stanley Cup to New Jersey a third time, defeating the Mighty Ducks in the 7th game of the Finals in New Jersey. Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko, and Sergei Brylin
Sergei Brylin
Sergei Vladimirovich Brylin is a Russian professional ice hockey center currently playing for Metallurg Novokuznetsk of the Kontinental Hockey League...
each won their third Cup, and after the series, Daneyko, a long-time fan favorite, announced his retirement. Despite Anaheim not being able to complete their Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
run, the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP was awarded to their goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Jean-Sébastien Giguère
Jean-Sébastien Giguère is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Verdun Collège Français and Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , where he was drafted 13th...
who was the first player not on the championship team to be named playoff MVP since Ron Hextall
Ron Hextall
Ronald Jeffrey Hextall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders...
in 1987
1987 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1987 Stanley Cup Final was played between the Edmonton Oilers and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Oilers would win the series 4–3, for their third Stanley Cup victory.-Paths to the Final:...
. Some hockey writers speculated a New Jersey player did not win because there were multiple candidates, resulting in a split vote
Split vote
A split vote is normally used synonymously with "deadlocked", "hung", or "evenly split" vote. It indicates a vote in which no decision can be made, as neither side has the majority....
among the sportswriters who select the winner. However, Brodeur was awarded the Vezina Trophy as outstanding goaltender in the regular season for the first time in his career. The New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
were in their finals
2003 NBA Finals
The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2002–03 NBA season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New Jersey Nets of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format. The Spurs...
at the same time the Devils won this Stanley Cup, but lost to the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
in six, which denied the state of New Jersey from having both NBA and NHL championships in the same year.
In the 2003–04 season, Martin Brodeur took home the Vezina Trophy again. Despite the permanent loss of long time team captain Scott Stevens the Devils finished second in the Atlantic Division with 100 points. With the sixth seed in the Stanley Cup playoffs
2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League began on April 7, 2004, following the 2003–04 regular season. The playoffs ended with the Tampa Bay Lightning securing the Stanley Cup with a seven-game series win over the Calgary Flames on June 7. It was Tampa Bay's first Stanley Cup...
, the Devils lost to the Philadelphia Flyers four games to one. In March 2004, near the end of the season, Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was a global financial services firm. Before declaring bankruptcy in 2008, Lehman was the fourth largest investment bank in the USA , doing business in investment banking, equity and fixed-income sales and trading Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (former NYSE ticker...
executive Jeffrey Vanderbeek
Jeffrey Vanderbeek
Jeffrey Vanderbeek is the owner of the New Jersey Devils, a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League. Vanderbeek, a New Jersey native and Devils season ticket holder since the late 1980s, became a minority owner when Puck Holdings, an affiliate of YankeeNets, purchased the team in...
purchased a controlling interest from Puck Holdings and resigned from Lehman Brothers to assume full-time ownership. He had been a minority owner since the 2000 sale. Like Puck Holdings/YankeeNets, Vanderbeek has largely left the Devils in Lamoriello's hands.
Vanderbeek was a strong proponent of the proposed arena in Newark, which first received funding from the city council during Puck Holdings' ownership in 2002. After legal battles over both eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
and the city's financial participation in the arena project, the final deal was approved by council in October 2004, and the groundbreaking occurred almost exactly a year later. Nonetheless, in January 2006 financial issues threatened to halt the deal, as the Devils did not provide the city with a required letter of credit until the last possible day.
Though construction was well underway, in late summer 2006, Cory Booker
Cory Booker
Cory Anthony Booker is the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Booker is a former Newark City Councilman...
, who had recently taken office as Mayor of Newark, promised to reevaluate the deal and considered backing out. In October Booker conceded there would be "a first-class arena built in the city of Newark, whether we like it or not", and soon after the Devils struck a deal including both property and monetary givebacks that appeased city officials. The arena, which was named the Prudential Center when Newark-based Prudential Financial
Prudential Financial
The Prudential Insurance Company of America , also known as Prudential Financial, Inc., is a Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 500 company whose subsidiaries provide insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services to both retail and institutional customers throughout the...
purchased naming rights in early 2007, opened shortly after the start of the 2007–08 season.
2005–2007: Post-Lockout
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
. Faced with Elias' indefinite recovery timetable, plus the loss of defensive stalwarts Scott Niedermayer to free agency and Scott Stevens to retirement, Lamoriello signed veteran defenseman Dan McGillis
Dan McGillis
Daniel Stewart McGillis is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who most recently played for Adler Mannheim of the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga...
and two former Devils — winger Alexander Mogilny and defenseman Vladimir Malakhov
Vladimir Malakhov (ice hockey)
Vladimir Igorevich Malakhov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player currently under contract with the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League...
, none of whom finished the season on the ice. In July 2005, the team announced that head coach Pat Burns
Pat Burns
Patrick Burns was a National Hockey League head coach. Over 14 seasons between 1988 and 2004, he coached in 1,019 games with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and New Jersey Devils...
did not return for the 2005–2006 season after being diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
for the second time in little more than a year. Assistant coach Larry Robinson
Larry Robinson
Larry Clark Robinson is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and is currently the defensive coach for the New Jersey Devils...
, the team's head coach from 2000 to 2002, was promoted to start the season.
The Devils struggled early in the 2005–06 season, ending the 2005 calendar year with a 16–18–5 record. Robinson resigned as head coach on December 19, and Lamoriello moved down to the bench. Once Elias returned from his bout with hepatitis, the team quickly turned around, finishing 46–27–9 after a season-ending eleven-game winning streak capped with a dramatic 4–3 win over the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. During that final victory, which clinched the Devils' sixth division title, Brian Gionta
Brian Gionta
Brian Joseph Gionta is an American professional ice hockey player and captain of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League , and is the second American-born captain of the Canadiens and its first sole American-born captain...
set a new team record for goals in a season with 48, topping Pat Verbeek
Pat Verbeek
Patrick Verbeek is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played for the New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, and Detroit Red Wings during his career...
's 46. The win streak to close the year was also an NHL record.
On April 29, 2006, the Devils won their first round Stanley Cup playoff series against the New York Rangers four games to none, extending their winning streak to fifteen games and marking the first time the Devils defeated their cross-river rival in a playoff series. The team's season ended in the next round with a 4–1 Game 5 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, who eventually won the Stanley Cup.
In the offseason, the Devils hired former Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
coach Claude Julien
Claude Julien (ice hockey)
Claude Julien is Canadian professional ice hockey head coach of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . He previously served as the head coach for the Montreal Canadiens and the New Jersey Devils...
to replace Lamoriello behind the bench. However, in the last week of the 2006–2007 Devils season, with just three games left, Julien was fired, and Lamoriello once again reprised his coaching role. The move is reminiscent of Robbie Ftorek's firing with eight games left in the 1999–2000 season, after which the Devils won the Stanley Cup. Lamoriello defended the move saying, "I don't think we're at a point of being ready both mentally and [physically] to play the way that is necessary going into the playoffs." The Devils went on to win their seventh Atlantic Division title and earn the second seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins by two points. They defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the first round, but struggled against the third-seeded Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals and lost to them in five games. Their final loss of the series on May 5, 2007, marked the final game of the Devils' 25-year history at the Continental Airlines Arena.
2007–2010: A New Home in Newark
During the move to Newark, the Devils lost a few prominent members. On July 1, 2007, long-time Devils Scott GomezScott Gomez
Scott Carlos Gomez is an American ice hockey center of both Mexican and Colombian descent, currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and Brian Rafalski
Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 professional ice hockey seasons for five teams: 11 in the National Hockey League for two teams , three in SM-liiga for two teams prior to entering the NHL, and one in Elitserien for...
left the team as unrestricted free agents; Gomez to the rival Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, and Rafalski to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. Back-up goalie Scott Clemmensen
Scott Clemmensen
Scott Lee Clemmensen is an American professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently playing with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League .-Playing career:...
went to Toronto, and local favorite, forward Jim Dowd signed with Philadelphia. The Devils, however, were able to sign Buffalo forward Dainius Zubrus
Dainius Zubrus
Dainius Gintas Zubrus is a Lithuanian professional ice hockey right winger and center currently playing for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League...
, and Rangers defenseman Karel Rachunek
Karel Rachunek
Karel Rachůnek was a Czech professional ice hockey player. Rachunek was the captain of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League when the team's plane crashed on September 7, 2011. He played eight seasons in North America in the National Hockey League...
. On July 5, the Devils signed Rangers goalie Kevin Weekes
Kevin Weekes
Kevin Weekes is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who most recently played for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . He is now a color commentator on Hockey Night in Canada, and a studio analyst for NHL on the Fly.- Player :Weekes' career began with the Owen...
as a backup to Brodeur, as well as Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
defenseman Vitali Vishnevski on July 10.
Brent Sutter
Brent Colin Sutter is a retired National Hockey League player and current head coach of the Calgary Flames. Selected by the New York Islanders 17th overall at the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, Sutter played over 1,000 games for the Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks during his 18-year career. He won the...
was named the 14th head coach of the team. Previous coach Larry Robinson
Larry Robinson
Larry Clark Robinson is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and is currently the defensive coach for the New Jersey Devils...
was named to aide John MacLean as the second assistant coach. On August 7, 2007, the Devils signed former Islander Arron Asham
Arron Asham
Arron Asham is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. As the Devils preseason came to an end, prospects Nicklas Bergfors
Nicklas Bergfors
Niclas Bergfors is a Swedish professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the first round, 23rd overall, at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft...
and David Clarkson
David Clarkson (ice hockey)
David Clarkson is a Canadian ice hockey forward who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Clarkson won a Memorial Cup in 2003 with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League.- Playing career :...
made the final roster. The Devils opened their new arena, the Prudential Center, on October 27, 2007, against the Ottawa Senators, after opening the season with a nine-game road trip. The game ended with a 4–1 win for Ottawa.
On October 31, 2007, the New Jersey Devils won their first home game at the Prudential Center by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning, 6–1. In a dramatic last game of the season against their rivals the New York Rangers, the Devils won in a shootout, giving them home ice advantage over the Rangers in the playoffs, though the Devils lost the series against the Rangers 4–1, losing all three games at home. Brodeur did win the Vezina Trophy for the fourth time in five years for his performance in the regular season.
For the 2008–09 season
2008–09 New Jersey Devils season
The 2008–09 New Jersey Devils season is the team's 27th season in the National Hockey League since the franchise relocated to New Jersey.-Pre-season:-Game log:-Playoffs:...
, the Devils signed Brian Rolston
Brian Rolston
Brian Lee Rolston is a professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. He has won a Stanley Cup Championship with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, and the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 playing for Team USA...
, Bobby Holik, Brendan Shanahan, Mike Rupp, and Scott Clemmensen
Scott Clemmensen
Scott Lee Clemmensen is an American professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently playing with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, all making their second stints with the team. The Devils' season looked to be in jeopardy after Brodeur tore a biceps tendon in November and was sidelined for four months, but strong play by scoring leader Zach Parise
Zach Parise
Zachary Justin Parise is an American professional ice hockey left winger of French-Canadian origin and captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . Parise's father, J. P...
and backup goalie Clemmensen kept the Devils atop the NHL standings. Brodeur would return strong and make history. On March 17, 2009, before a sellout home crowd, Brodeur broke Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy
Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...
's record for regular season wins with his 552nd victory, while Patrik Elias became the franchise's all-time leading scorer with his 702nd point. In the opening round of the playoffs
2009 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 15, 2009, after the 2008–09 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference , play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and...
, the Devils suffered two losses to the Hurricanes within the final minute of regulation play. In Game 4, the Devils overcame a 3 goal deficit, only to lose on a goal with 0.2 seconds left in the game in which Brodeur claimed he was interfered with. The team was eliminated in a Game 7 loss in which the Hurricanes scored 2 goals in the last one minute and twenty seconds of the game to erase a 3–2 Devils lead.
On June 9, 2009, the New Jersey Devils announced that head coach Brent Sutter was stepping down from his position, citing personal and family reasons. However, in a controversial move three days later, Sutter was introduced as the new head coach of the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
.
After the free agency period opened on July 1, 2009, career-long Devils John Madden and Brian Gionta
Brian Gionta
Brian Joseph Gionta is an American professional ice hockey player and captain of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League , and is the second American-born captain of the Canadiens and its first sole American-born captain...
left to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
and Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, respectively. Scott Clemmensen
Scott Clemmensen
Scott Lee Clemmensen is an American professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently playing with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League .-Playing career:...
signed with the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
and Mike Rupp signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. All four had won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey.
On July 13, 2009, The Devils named former head coach Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
head coach of the New Jersey Devils. Assistant Coach John MacLean was named head coach of the Lowell Devils
Lowell Devils
The Lowell Devils, formerly known as the Lowell Lock Monsters from 1998 to 2006, were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League playing in Lowell, Massachusetts at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. In 2006, they were purchased by the New Jersey Devils franchise and renamed to the Lowell...
.
After several weeks of fruitless contract negotiations late in the season, the Atlanta Thrashers traded star left wing Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valerevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was...
, along with defenseman and former Devil Anssi Salmela
Anssi Salmela
Anssi Salmela is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, to the Devils on February 4, 2010 for defenseman Johnny Oduya and forwards Niclas Bergfors, young prospect Patrice Cormier, and a first round draft pick in the 2010 draft. The teams also traded second round draft picks for 2010.
The Devils finished the season in first place in the Atlantic Division, second in the Eastern Conference. Their seeding matched them up against Philadelphia in the first round, who eliminated the Devils 4 games to 1. Kovalchuk was held to two goals in the series.
2010–present: Coaching Changes Continue
After head coach Jacques LemaireJacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
retired from coaching, the Devils announced that the team's all-time leading scorer, John MacLean, would become their new head coach. Former team head and assistant coach, Larry Robinson and former NHL all-star Adam Oates
Adam Oates
Adam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
joined MacLean as assistants.
During the offseason, the Devils signed Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valerevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was...
to a seventeen-year contract, keeping him in New Jersey until the conclusion of the 2026-27 season. The contract was the longest contract ever held by an NHL player, beating out Rick DiPietro
Rick DiPietro
Rick DiPietro, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . He was the first overall selection by the Islanders in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft....
's fifteen-year contract with the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The NHL rejected Kovalchuk's 17-year contract for allegedly circumventing the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement
NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement
The NHL collective bargaining agreement is the basic contract between the National Hockey League team owners and the NHL Players Association , designed to be arrived at through the typical labor-management negotiations of collective bargaining...
and Kovalchuk became a free agent for two months before the NHL officially accepted a fifteen year contract worth $100 million.
John MacLean led the team to a record of 9-22-2, and sitting in last place in the NHL on December 23 he was removed in favor of Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
, coming out of retirement for his third stint as head coach of the Devils and second in less than two seasons.
During the tumultuous season, the Devils lost superstar Zach Parise
Zach Parise
Zachary Justin Parise is an American professional ice hockey left winger of French-Canadian origin and captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . Parise's father, J. P...
to a meniscus tear in November and he finally returned in March for just one game in which the Devils were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Adding to the team's woes, goaltender Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
suffered two multi-game injuries, an elbow injury in November and a minor knee sprain in February.
Following the trade of captain Jamie Langenbrunner
Jamie Langenbrunner
James Craig Langenbrunner is an American professional ice hockey player. He's an alternate captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League . He was the captain of the 2010 United States Olympic Team...
to the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
, the Devils managed an astonishing turnaround with an impressive run of 26-7-3. They saw a dramatic increase in offensive production, in addition to the outstanding performance of backup goaltender Johan Hedberg
Johan Hedberg
Johan "Moose" Hedberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. On March 12, the Devils found themselves just six points out of a final playoff spot. The other major trade of the season was Jason Arnott
Jason Arnott
Jason William Arnott is a professional ice hockey centre for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. He began his NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers in 1993–94 after being selected seventh overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team...
to the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
for center David Steckel and a second round draft pick.
During their astonishing late winter run the players did not talk about any playoff aspirations and maintained the motto of "one game at a time." Jacques Lemaire also refused to talk about the team's playoff potential and told reporters to ask him about the Devils' chances once they were five points back. The Devils ultimately came within one point of Lemaire's benchmark but were eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
on April 2, 2011, thus missing out on the playoffs for the first time since the 1995-96 season. After winning their last game of the season, Jacques Lemaire announced that he would not return as head coach for another season with the Devils. Overall, this was the first losing season for the Devils since 1990-91. Lemaire was replaced by former Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
head coach Peter DeBoer
Peter DeBoer
Peter DeBoer is the head coach of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League and current part-owner of the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League...
.
In the 2011 offseason, the Devils drafted defenceman Adam Larsson
Adam Larsson
Adam Larsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman for the New Jersey Devils. He also played for Skellefteå AIK in Elitserien since 2009. He was selected 4th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2011 NHL Draft...
4th overall along with several other key prospects at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. In addition to drafting and later signing Larsson, the Devils signed Zach Parise, Cam Janssen, and Eric Boulton to one year contracts. There were only 2 trades made during the offseason. The first came when Brian Rolston
Brian Rolston
Brian Lee Rolston is a professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. He has won a Stanley Cup Championship with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, and the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 playing for Team USA...
was traded to the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in exchange for Trent Hunter
Trent Hunter
Trent Hunter is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings. He has previously played with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. On September 14, 2011 it was announced that Hunter would sign a professional tryout contract with the...
, who was quickly bought out of his contract. The second was the trade that sent Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond
Pierre-Luc Létourneau-Leblond
Pierre-Luc "PL3" Létourneau-Leblond is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger in the Calgary Flames organization of the National Hockey League...
to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a 5th round pick in the 2012 Draft.
Season-by-season record
Last five seasons:Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | 82 | 49 | 24 | 9 | 107 | 216 | 201 | 1st, Atlantic | Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1–4 (Senators Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... ) |
| 2007–08 | 82 | 46 | 29 | 7 | 99 | 206 | 197 | 2nd, Atlantic | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... ) |
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
82 | 51 | 27 | 4 | 106 | 244 | 209 | 1st, Atlantic | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Hurricanes Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center... ) |
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
82 | 48 | 27 | 7 | 103 | 222 | 191 | 1st, Atlantic | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... ) |
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
82 | 38 | 39 | 5 | 81 | 174 | 209 | 4th, Atlantic | Did not qualify |
Logo
The Devils' logo is a monogramMonogram
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series of uncombined initials is properly referred to as a...
of the letters "N" and "J", rendered with two devil horns at the top of the "J" and a pointed tail at the bottom. The monogram is red with a black outline, and sits inside an open black circle. The logo lies on a field of white in the middle of the chest on both uniforms. Prior to the 1992–93 season, the black circle and outline were green.
Jerseys
1992–93 New Jersey Devils season
The 1992–93 New Jersey Devils season was the franchise's eleventh season in New Jersey. The Devils finished fourth in the Patrick Division with a record of 40 wins, 37 losses, and 7 ties for 87 points. However, they lost the Patrick Division Semi-final to the President's Trophy-winning Pittsburgh...
season, the uniforms were green and red with slightly different striping leading some fans to affectionately refer to them as "Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
colors". The Devils have yet to introduce a third jersey
Third jersey
A third jersey or alternate jersey is a sports team's alternate and/or throwback design for the previously established other two jerseys, the home and away outfits. Alternate jerseys are used in all four of the North American major professional sports leagues as well as college sports, semipro...
and are one of only two NHL teams (Detroit is the other) never to have worn one. GM Lou Lamoriello has stated that he does not ever intend to introduce a third jersey for the Devils, saying, "I don't believe in it," Lamoriello said. "I strongly believe that you have to have one identity as a team. We want to create a feeling that our home and away jerseys are special and that it means something special to wear one." Unlike most teams, the team kept the same uniform design when the NHL switched to the Rbk EDGE jerseys for the 2007–08 NHL season.
On August 25, 2009, Lamoriello announced that the Devils would wear their classic red, white, and green jerseys on their Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
2010 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lamoriello stated, "The original red, green, and white jerseys are a part of our history here in New Jersey. We have always been an organization that takes great pride in its tradition. This is something we believe our fans will enjoy for that one special night." The Devils defeated the Penguins, 5-2. Martin Brodeur wore a special replica helmet of the one from his first NHL game.
Mascot
The current mascot is "NJ Devil", a 7 feet (2.1 m) tall devil who plays into the myth of the Jersey DevilJersey Devil
The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States. The creature is often described as a flying biped with hooves, but there are many variations...
. NJ Devil keeps the crowd excited, signs autographs, participates in entertainment during the intermissions, skates across the ice, and runs throughout the aisles of the arena to high five fans.
Prior to 1993, the mascot was "Slapshot", a large Devils hockey puck
Hockey puck
A puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...
that interacted with the fans. However, the man inside the costume resigned after he was accused of touching three women inappropriately while in costume. The lawsuit and all charges were dropped as nothing could be proven. However, to remove the stigma of the lawsuit, Slapshot was retired and has not returned since.
Style of play
The Devils have been known as a defense-first team since Jacques LemaireJacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
's first tenure, although the Devils have twice led the Eastern Conference in goals scored, once leading the NHL in goals scored (295 GF in 2000–2001). Lemaire gave the Devils their defensive mantra when he implemented a system commonly called the neutral zone trap
Neutral zone trap
The neutral zone trap is a defensive strategy used in ice hockey to prevent an opposing team from proceeding through the neutral zone to force turnovers...
. This system is designed to force teams to turn over the puck in the neutral zone leading to a counterattack. This style of play led the team to be chastised by the media and hockey purists for "making the NHL boring". Nevertheless, the Devils were successful using this style of play, and Devils coach Larry Robinson asserted that the Montreal Canadiens (who also won the Cup many times) he played on in the 1970s used a form of the trap, though it did not have a name.
Under Brent Sutter, the team adopted less of a trap and more of a transitional, aggressive forechecking style of play which also emphasized puck possession and instilled the cycle to start the 2007–2008 season. This led to many high scoring games early in the 07–08 season for New Jersey. New Jersey went on to score 244 goals in the '08–09 season, the most the team had scored in eight seasons. However, with the return of Jacques Lemaire as head coach, the Devils have resumed a more defense-oriented playing style, scoring just 222 goals and allowing only 191, an NHL best in the 2009–10 season, earning Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
his fifth William M. Jennings Trophy
William M. Jennings Trophy
The William M. Jennings Trophy is an annual National Hockey League award given to "the goalkeeper having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it. Winners are selected based on regular-season play." From 1946 until 1981, the Vezina Trophy had been awarded...
.
Honored members
Retired NumbersThe Devils have retired two numbers. A third number will be retired during the season.
- 3: Ken DaneykoKen DaneykoKenneth Stephen Daneyko is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman of Ukrainian origin who played his entire career with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League, winning three Stanley Cup championships with the team. He has been affectionately nicknamed "Mr...
- D, 1983-2003, number retired on March 24, 2006. Daneyko holds the record for most games played in a Devils uniform with 1,283 (and spent his entire career with the team). - 4: Scott StevensScott StevensRonald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
- D, 1991-2005, number retired on February 3, 2006. Stevens spent 13 seasons with the Devils, captaining the team for 12 of those seasons (1992-2004). - 27: Scott NiedermayerScott NiedermayerScott Niedermayer is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for two teams: the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks. Niedermayer was known for his skating stride, and ability for leading or joining the offensive rush...
- D, 1991-2004, number to be retired on December 16, 2011. Niedermayer spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Devils, winning the Norris Trophy in 2004.
Daneyko, Niedermayer, and Stevens all won 3 Stanley Cups each on the same Devils teams in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Numbers taken out of circulation
- 99 Wayne GretzkyWayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, number retired league-wide February 6, 2000 at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game.
Hall of Famers
Nine members of the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
have had experience with the Devils upon election; five players, one coach, and one executive. One broadcaster has been honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame.
- Peter StastnyPeter StastnyPeter Šťastný , also known colloquially as "Peter the Great" and "Stosh", is a retired Slovak professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1995. During his time with the Quebec Nordiques, Stastny became a Canadian citizen. Since 2004, he has also served as a...
, a former center and one of the top goal scorers in the 1980s, played for the Devils from 1990 to 1993 and was inducted in 1998. - Defenseman Viacheslav FetisovViacheslav FetisovViacheslav "Slava" Alexandrovich Fetisov is a retired professional ice hockey defenseman...
, one of the first two Soviet players in the NHL, played for the Devils from 1989 to 1995 and was an assistant coach from 1999 to 2002; he was inducted in 2001. - Scott Stevens was inducted in 2007, his first year of eligibility.
- Igor LarionovIgor LarionovIgor Nikolayevich Larionov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player, known as The Professor. Along with Viacheslav Fetisov, he was instrumental in breaking the barrier that stopped Soviet players from joining the National Hockey League . He primarily played the centre position, and is...
, a member of the team during the 2003–04 season, became the fourth Devil elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2008. - Doug GilmourDoug GilmourDouglas Robert Gilmour is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League . During his National Hockey League career, Gilmour played for 7 NHL clubs: the St...
, who played with the Devils between 1997 and 1998, was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011. - Joe NieuwendykJoe NieuwendykJoseph Nieuwendyk is the general manager of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League and a retired Canadian ice hockey player...
, who played with the team between 2002 and 2003, was also elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011. - Herb BrooksHerb BrooksHerbert Paul Brooks, Jr. was an American ice hockey player and coach. He notably coached the United States' men's hockey team to a 4-3 upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York on February 22, 1980...
(1992–1993), who led the 1980 U.S. Olympic team to victory in the "Miracle on IceMiracle on IceThe "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
", was inducted in 2006. - In 2008, longtime Devils broadcaster Mike EmrickMike EmrickMichael "Doc" Emrick, is an American sports commentator noted mostly for his work in ice hockey. Emrick is currently the lead announcer for NHL national telecasts on both NBC and Versus...
won the Foster Hewitt Memorial AwardFoster Hewitt Memorial AwardThe Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is an award named after Foster Hewitt and presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame to members of the radio and television industry who make outstanding contributions to their profession and the game of ice hockey during their broadcasting career...
and was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame. - In 2009, Lou LamorielloLou LamorielloLouis "Lou" Lamoriello is the CEO, president, and general manager of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League...
was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, as part of the Builder category. - Additionally, Devils head coaches Jacques LemaireJacques LemaireJacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
(1993–1998, 2009–10, 2010 – 2011) and Larry RobinsonLarry RobinsonLarry Clark Robinson is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and is currently the defensive coach for the New Jersey Devils...
(2000–2002, 2005) had been elected as players prior to joining the Devils organization.
Team captains
This list does not include the former captains of the Kansas City ScoutsKansas City Scouts
The Kansas City Scouts was a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1974–76. In 1976, the franchise relocated to Denver, Colorado and became the Colorado Rockies...
and Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
.
Head coaches
- President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello took over as interim head coach twice in the middle of the season: after Larry Robinson resigned for health reasons in 2005, and after Claude Julien was fired in 2007.
-
- Jacques Lemaire took over as interim head coach in the middle of the season: after John MacLean was fired.
This list does not include the former coaches of the Kansas City Scouts
Kansas City Scouts
The Kansas City Scouts was a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1974–76. In 1976, the franchise relocated to Denver, Colorado and became the Colorado Rockies...
and Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
.
Franchise records
Scoring leadersThese are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game * = still active with the team
Active player stats as of the completion of the 2010-2011 season.
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
| Patrik Elias Patrik Elias Patrik Eliáš is a Czech professional hockey left winger and alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . A long-time Devil and currently the team's longest-tenured skater, Eliáš is the franchise's all-time leading scorer, while also holding franchise records for most... * |
LW | 961 | 335 | 481 | 816 | .85 |
| John MacLean | RW | 934 | 347 | 354 | 701 | .75 |
| Kirk Muller Kirk Muller Kirk Christopher Muller is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 19 seasons from 1984–85 until 2002–03... |
LW | 556 | 185 | 335 | 520 | .94 |
| Scott Niedermayer Scott Niedermayer Scott Niedermayer is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for two teams: the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks. Niedermayer was known for his skating stride, and ability for leading or joining the offensive rush... |
D | 892 | 112 | 364 | 476 | .53 |
| Bobby Holik Bobby Holik Robert Holík is a retired Czech-American professional ice hockey center who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League... |
C | 786 | 202 | 270 | 472 | .60 |
| Aaron Broten Aaron Broten Aaron Kent Broten is a former professional hockey player who was drafted in the 6th round, 106th overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Rockies... |
C | 641 | 162 | 307 | 469 | .73 |
| Scott Gomez Scott Gomez Scott Carlos Gomez is an American ice hockey center of both Mexican and Colombian descent, currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:... |
C | 548 | 116 | 334 | 450 | .82 |
| Scott Stevens Scott Stevens Ronald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils... |
D | 956 | 93 | 337 | 430 | .44 |
| Bruce Driver Bruce Driver Bruce Douglas Driver is a former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1983–84 until 1997–98. Driver possessed a strong point shot, heady offensive instincts, smart positional defensive play, and a good stick with which he was adept at poke... |
D | 702 | 83 | 316 | 399 | .57 |
| Jamie Langenbrunner Jamie Langenbrunner James Craig Langenbrunner is an American professional ice hockey player. He's an alternate captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League . He was the captain of the 2010 United States Olympic Team... |
RW | 564 | 142 | 243 | 385 | .68 |
Regular season records
- Most goals in a season: Brian GiontaBrian GiontaBrian Joseph Gionta is an American professional ice hockey player and captain of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League , and is the second American-born captain of the Canadiens and its first sole American-born captain...
, 48 (2005–06) - Most assists in a season: Scott StevensScott StevensRonald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
, 60 (1993–94) - Most points in a season: Patrik EliasPatrik EliasPatrik Eliáš is a Czech professional hockey left winger and alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . A long-time Devil and currently the team's longest-tenured skater, Eliáš is the franchise's all-time leading scorer, while also holding franchise records for most...
, 96 (40 G, 56 A) (2000–01) - Most penalty minutes in a season: Krzysztof OliwaKrzysztof OliwaKrzysztof Artur Oliwa is a Polish former professional ice hockey player. He played as a left winger in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, 295 (1997–98) - Most points in a season by a defenseman: Scott StevensScott StevensRonald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
, 78 (1993–94) - Most points in a season by a rookie: Scott GomezScott GomezScott Carlos Gomez is an American ice hockey center of both Mexican and Colombian descent, currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, 70 (1999–2000) - Most wins in a season: Martin BrodeurMartin BrodeurMartin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
, 48 (2006–07) (also the NHL record) - Most shutouts in a season: Martin BrodeurMartin BrodeurMartin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
, 12 (2006–07) - Most power play goals in a season: Brian GiontaBrian GiontaBrian Joseph Gionta is an American professional ice hockey player and captain of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League , and is the second American-born captain of the Canadiens and its first sole American-born captain...
, 24 (2005–06)
Playoff records
- Most goals in a playoff season: Claude LemieuxClaude LemieuxClaude Percy Lemieux is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the...
, 13 (19951995 Stanley Cup PlayoffsThe 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League was played between May 6 and June 24, 1995. In the Final, the New Jersey Devils swept the favored Detroit Red Wings in four games to win their first championship. The Quebec Nordiques played their last ever playoff series...
) - Most goals by a defenseman in a playoff season: Brian RafalskiBrian RafalskiBrian Christopher Rafalski is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 professional ice hockey seasons for five teams: 11 in the National Hockey League for two teams , three in SM-liiga for two teams prior to entering the NHL, and one in Elitserien for...
, 7 (20012001 Stanley Cup PlayoffsThe 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , were played from April until June. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils to win its second Stanley Cup....
) - Most assists in a playoff season: Scott NiedermayerScott NiedermayerScott Niedermayer is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for two teams: the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks. Niedermayer was known for his skating stride, and ability for leading or joining the offensive rush...
, 16 (20032003 Stanley Cup PlayoffsThe 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs, the National Hockey League championship, began on April 9, 2003, following the 2002–03 regular season. The playoffs concluded on June 9, 2003, with the New Jersey Devils defeating the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games.The sixteen qualifying teams played...
) - Most points in a single playoff game: Patrik SundströmPatrik SundströmPatrik Sundström is a retired professional ice hockey centre, who played in the NHL for ten seasons.- Playing career :Sundström was drafted 175th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft....
, 8 (3 G,5 A) (April 22, 1988) (also the NHL record) - Most points in a playoff season: Patrik EliasPatrik EliasPatrik Eliáš is a Czech professional hockey left winger and alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . A long-time Devil and currently the team's longest-tenured skater, Eliáš is the franchise's all-time leading scorer, while also holding franchise records for most...
, 23 (9 G,14 A) (2001) - Most points by a defenseman in a playoff season: Brian RafalskiBrian RafalskiBrian Christopher Rafalski is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 professional ice hockey seasons for five teams: 11 in the National Hockey League for two teams , three in SM-liiga for two teams prior to entering the NHL, and one in Elitserien for...
and Scott NiedermayerScott NiedermayerScott Niedermayer is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for two teams: the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks. Niedermayer was known for his skating stride, and ability for leading or joining the offensive rush...
, 18 (2001, 2003) - Most penalty minutes in a playoff season: Perry Anderson, 113 (19881988 Stanley Cup playoffsThe 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began with sixteen teams on April 6, 1988. It concluded on May 26, with the Edmonton Oilers defeating the Boston Bruins to win the Stanley Cup.-Series:...
)
Team records
- Most points in a season: 111 (2000–012000–01 New Jersey Devils seasonThe 2000–01 New Jersey Devils season was the team's 19th season in the National Hockey League since the franchise relocated to New Jersey. Although the Devils won the Atlantic Division and were Eastern Conference champions for the third time, the team fell short of winning back-to-back Stanley Cup...
) - Most wins in a season: 51 (2008–092008–09 New Jersey Devils seasonThe 2008–09 New Jersey Devils season is the team's 27th season in the National Hockey League since the franchise relocated to New Jersey.-Pre-season:-Game log:-Playoffs:...
) - Longest season-ending win streak: 11 (2005–06) (also the NHL record)
Home arenas
- Prudential Center
This list does not include the former arenas of the Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies.
Broadcasters
Television: MSG PlusMSG Plus
MSG Plus is a regional sports network in the New York City metropolitan area, whose reach expands to cover the entire state of New York, Northern New Jersey, Southwestern Connecticut, and Northeastern Pennsylvania. The network was rebranded on March 10, 2008.Like its sister network, MSG, it is...
- Steve Cangialosi – Play-by-play
- Glenn "Chico" Resch – Color commentator
- Ken DaneykoKen DaneykoKenneth Stephen Daneyko is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman of Ukrainian origin who played his entire career with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League, winning three Stanley Cup championships with the team. He has been affectionately nicknamed "Mr...
– TV analyst - Stan FischlerStan FischlerStan Fischler is a hockey and New York City Subway historian, broadcaster, author and professor.For his hockey knowledge, Fischler promotes himself as “The Hockey Maven” in both local and national circles...
– TV analyst
Radio: WFAN
WFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
- Matt LoughlinMatt LoughlinMatt Loughlin is an American sportscaster, and is the current radio play-by-play voice of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League on WFAN, where he is partnered with commentator Sherry Ross....
– Play-by-Play - Sherry RossSherry RossSherry Ross is an American sports broadcaster and journalist, currently working alongside Matt Loughlin as a color commentator for the NHL's New Jersey Devils radio broadcasts...
– Color Commentator
Public Address:
- Kevin Clark – Public Address Announcer