New Jersey Devils

New Jersey Devils
Conference Eastern
Division Atlantic
Founded 1974
History Kansas City Scouts
1974–76
Colorado Rockies
1976–82
New Jersey Devils
1982–present
Home Arena Prudential Center
City Newark, New Jersey
Colors Red, Black, and White

              
Media MSG Plus
MSG
WFAN (660 AM)
Owner(s) Flag of the United States Jeffrey Vanderbeek
General Manager Flag of the United States Lou Lamoriello
Head Coach Flag of Canada Brent Sutter
Captain Flag of the United States Jamie Langenbrunner
Minor League Affiliates Lowell Devils (AHL)
Trenton Devils (ECHL)
Stanley Cups 1994–95, 1999–00, 2002–03
Conference Championships 1994–95, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2002–03
Division Championships 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07

The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. 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 in 1974, moved to Denver, Colorado after only two seasons, and then settled in New Jersey in 1982. Under current general manager Lou Lamoriello, the Devils have made the playoffs in 18 out of the last 20 seasons, including each of the last 11. They won the Stanley Cup in 1995, 2000, and 2003.[1]

The Devils play their home games in Newark at the Prudential Center, which first opened for the 2007-08 season.[2] Previously, they played at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is now named the Izod Center.

They have rivalries with their trans-Hudson neighbor, the New York Rangers,[3] and with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils or Flyers won the Atlantic Division title in every season between 1995 and 2007.[4][5]

Contents

Franchise history

Kansas City and Colorado

See also: Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies (NHL)

In 1974, the NHL ended its first expansion period by adding teams in Kansas City, Missouri and Washington, D.C.[6] 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 a statue in the city.[7]

On October 9, 1974, the Scouts took the ice for the first time at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto and lost 6-2 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—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 tickets and were almost $1 million in debt. Due to their various on- and off-ice disappointments, the franchise moved to Denver and was renamed the Colorado Rockies.[7]

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, despite finishing with fewer wins (they finished 21 games under .500), they managed to edge the Vancouver Canucks out of the last playoff spot by two points, but were quickly eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 1978 Stanley Cup playoffs.

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, and 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.[8]

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 Philadelphia Flyers for "invading" New Jersey.[9]

New Jersey

1982–1993

The Jersey Devil, inspiration for the team's name.

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.[10]. Over 10,000 people voted in a contest held by local newspapers to select the name.[11] 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.[12] 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:

“ Well, it's time they got their act together, folks. They're ruining the whole league. They had better stop running a Mickey Mouse organization and put somebody on ice.[13] ”

Later, Gretzky publicly admitted that his comment went too far, but privately maintained that his comment was accurate.[14] In response, many Devils fans wore Mickey Mouse apparel when the Oilers returned to New Jersey.[13]

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.[12] 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, the Devils had begun building a nucleus of young players. John MacLean, Kirk Muller, and Pat Verbeek all complemented the veteran leadership of Resch. The team's record improved each season between 1984 and 1987. However, the presence of the powerful Islanders, Flyers and Capitals in the Patrick Division 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 13-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 second time in franchise history.[15]

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 donut!" 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.[16]

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.[17][16]

The next season, the Devils once again slipped below .500 and missed the playoffs. Lamoriello made several postseason player changes, notably signing of the first two Soviet stars to play in the NHL: 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.[18] 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.[19]

1993–2000

Under Lemaire, the team roared through the 1993–94 regular season with a lineup including defensemen Scott Stevens, 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.[20] 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 Rangers and 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 let the world know they were up for the challenge, after Stephane Richer scored the game winning goal in the second overtime of Game One. Going into Game 6, the Devils led the series 3-2. 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 seven, the Devils' Valeri Zelepukin tied the deciding 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.[16] Nonetheless, the series is viewed by many hockey fans as one of the greatest 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).[21]

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. Throughout the remainder of the decade, the Devils failed to live up to expectations. 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.

But in the 1999–00 season, however, they reached the top again, defeating the defending champion Dallas Stars in six games to win the Stanley Cup for the second time. Stevens, Holik, Lemieux, 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 the 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.[22] This series was also remembered for the pulverizing hit that team captain Scott Stevens laid on Flyers captain Eric Lindros, effectively ending Lindros' career in Philadelphia. Stevens was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy,[23] 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.[24] 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.[25]

2001–2004

Led by the Elias-Arnott-Sykora line (The A Line) and the stellar play of goaltender 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 six on home ice. 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,[26] 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.

The Devils present president George W. Bush with a jersey after winning the 2003 Stanley Cup Championship.

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. The Devils brought the Stanley Cup to New Jersey a third time, defeating the 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,[27] announced his retirement. Despite Anaheim's loss, 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.[28][29] However, Brodeur was awarded the Vezina Trophy as outstanding goaltender in the regular season for the first time in his career.

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 6th 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.[30]

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.[31] 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,[32] and the groundbreaking occurred almost exactly a year later.[2] 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.[33]

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.[34][35] In October Booker conceded there would be "a first-class arena built in the city of Newark, whether we like it or not",[36] and soon after the Devils struck a deal including both property and monetary givebacks that appeased city officials.[37] The arena, which was named the Prudential Center when Newark-based Prudential Financial purchased naming rights in early 2007,[38] opened shortly after the start of the 2007–08 season.[39]

2004–2007

Goaltender Martin Brodeur has led the Devils to three Stanley Cup championships, and he is the second winningest goalie in NHL history.[40]

During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, many Devils players played in European leagues and in the hockey world championships.[41] Patrik Elias, who was playing in the Russian Superleague, contracted hepatitis A by eating poorly cooked fish.[42] 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.[43][44][45] 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.[46] 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.[47] Robinson resigned as head coach on December 19, and Lamoriello moved down to the bench.[48] 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.[49] The win streak to close the year was also an NHL record.[50]

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 an 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.[51] 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.[52] The move is reminiscent of Robbie Ftorek's firing with eight games left in the 1999–00 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 fourth 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–present

The early playoff exit led to some speculation that this was the "end of an era" for the Devils.[53] This proved to be correct, as on July 1, 2007, long-time Devils Scott Gomez and Brian Rafalski left the team as unrestricted free agents, Gomez to the rival New York Rangers and Rafalski to the Detroit Red Wings. Back-up goalie Scott Clemmensen went to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and local favorite forward Jim Dowd opted for free agency. However, the Devils signed Sabre forward Dainius Zubrus and Ranger defenseman Karel Rachunek shortly after. 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, along with previous coach Larry Robinson, to aide John MacLean as the second assistant coach. On August 7, 2007, the Devils signed former Islander Arron Asham. After the Devils preseason came to an end, Devils 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. Jay Pandolfo was the first Devils player to score a hat trick at the Prudential Center. 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. The Devils lost the series against the Rangers 4-1, losing all three games at the Prudential Center. Following the series conclusion, Martin Brodeur refused to shake Rangers forward Sean Avery's hand because of Avery's antics throughout the series, including waving his stick distractingly in Brodeur's face while the puck was in the attacking zone. The following week Brodeur became a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the eighth time (he won in 2003, 2004, and 2007) and forward John Madden became a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy for the fourth time (having won once in 2000).

On June 12, Martin Brodeur was awarded the Vezina Trophy for the fourth time in five years. On July 1, 2008 the Devils signed Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik and they turned down the option of having career-long Devil Sergei Brylin return for another season, making Brodeur the only remaining Devil from the franchise's three Stanley Cup-winning teams.

Style of play

The Devils have been known as a defense-first team since Jacques Lemaire's 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.[54] This system is designed to force teams to turn over the puck in the neutral zone leading to a counterattack.[55] This style of play, coupled with poor attendance and television ratings, led the team to be chastised by the media and hockey fans for "making the NHL boring".[56] 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.[57]

Under Brent Sutter, the team adopted less of a trap and more of a transitional, "run and gun" style of play to start the 2007-2008 season.[58] This led to many high scoring games early in the 07-08 season for New Jersey.

Team colors and mascot

The Devils' logo is a monogram 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 lays 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

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 2003 when the NHL decided to switch home and road jerseys,[59] is dominantly red in color. There are three black and white stripes, one across each arm and one across the waist. The road jersey is the team's former home jersey, 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 1993, the uniforms were green and red with slightly different striping[19] leading some fans to affectionately refer to them as "Christmas colors".[60] The Devils have yet to introduce a third jersey, and are one of only 2 NHL teams (Detroit is the other) to never have one.[61] GM Lou Lamoriello has stated that he does not intend to ever 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."[62]

Mascot

The current mascot is "NJ Devil", a 7-foot (2.1 m) tall devil who plays into the myth of the Jersey Devil. 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.[63]

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 improperly touching three women 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.[64]

Season-by-season results

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Devils. For the full season-by-season history, see New Jersey Devils seasons

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Records as of May 8, 2007.

Season GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA PIM Finish Playoffs
2003–04 82 43 25 12 2 100 213 164 894 2nd, Atlantic Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Flyers)
2004–05 Season canceled due to 2004–05 NHL lockout
2005–061 82 46 27 — 9 101 242 229 938 1st, Atlantic Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1–4 (Hurricanes)
2006–07 82 49 24 — 9 107 216 201 830 1st, Atlantic Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1–4 (Senators)
2007–08 82 46 29 — 7 99 206 197 974 2nd, Atlantic Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Rangers)
1 As of the 2005-06 NHL season, all games will have a winner; the OTL column includes SOL (Shootout losses).

Franchise records

Scoring leaders

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

Updated at completion of 2007–2008 season

Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G
John MacLean RW 934 347 354 701 .75
Patrik Elias* LW 745 264 364 628 .84
Kirk Muller LW 556 185 335 520 .94
Scott Niedermayer D 892 112 364 476 .53
Aaron Broten C 641 162 307 469 .73
Bobby Holik* C 724 198 265 463 .64
Scott Gomez C 548 116 334 450 .82
Scott Stevens D 956 93 337 430 .44
Bruce Driver D 702 83 316 399 .57
Petr Sykora RW 445 145 205 350 .79

Franchise records

Regular season

Playoffs

Team

Players

Current roster

Updated December 15, 2008.[1]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
30 Flag of Canada Brodeur, MartinMartin Brodeur Injured Reserve G L 37 1990 Montreal, Quebec
2 Flag of Canada Brookbank, SheldonSheldon Brookbank D R 29 2007 Lanigan, Saskatchewan
23 Flag of Canada Clarkson, DavidDavid Clarkson RW R 25 2005 Toronto, Ontario
35 Flag of the United States Clemmensen, ScottScott Clemmensen G L 32 2008 Des Moines, Iowa
26 Flag of the Czech Republic Elias, PatrikPatrik Elias (A) LW L 33 1994 Trebic, Czechoslovakia
14 Flag of the United States Gionta, BrianBrian Gionta RW R 30 1998 Rochester, New York
6 Flag of the United States Greene, AndyAndy Greene D L 26 2006 Trenton, Michigan
16 Flag of the Czech Republic Holik, BobbyBobby Holik C R 38 2008 Jihlava, Czechoslovakia
15 Flag of the United States Langenbrunner, JamieJamie Langenbrunner (C) RW R 34 2001 Cloquet, Minnesota
28 Flag of the United States Leach, JayJay Leach D L 30 2008 Syracuse, New York
11 Flag of Canada Madden, JohnJohn Madden (A) C L 36 1997 Barrie, Ontario
7 Flag of the United States Martin, PaulPaul Martin D L 28 2000 Minneapolis, Minnesota
27 Flag of the United States Mottau, MikeMike Mottau D L 31 2006 Quincy, Massachusetts
29 Flag of Sweden Oduya, JohnnyJohnny Oduya D L 28 2006 Stockholm, Sweden
20 Flag of the United States Pandolfo, JayJay Pandolfo LW L 34 1993 Winchester, Massachusetts
9 Flag of the United States Parise, ZachZach Parise LW L 25 2003 Minneapolis, Minnesota
12 Flag of the United States Rolston, BrianBrian Rolston RW L 36 2008 Flint, Michigan
17 Flag of the United States Rupp, MichaelMichael Rupp C L 29 2006 Cleveland, Ohio
24 Flag of Canada Salvador, BryceBryce Salvador D L 33 2008 Brandon, Manitoba
1 Flag of Canada Weekes, KevinKevin Weekes G L 34 2007 Toronto, Ontario
5 Flag of Canada White, ColinColin White D L 31 1996 New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
19 Flag of Canada Zajac, TravisTravis Zajac C R 24 2004 Winnipeg, Manitoba
8 Flag of Lithuania Zubrus, DainiusDainius Zubrus C L 31 2007 Elektrenai, U.S.S.R.

Honored members

See also: List of New Jersey Devils players and New Jersey Devils notable players and award winners
Stevens's number is raised to the rafters.

Retired Numbers: The Devils have retired two numbers, both in 2006.[65] On February 3 they retired the number 4 of longtime defenseman and captain Scott Stevens, who spent 13 seasons with the Devils. Career Devil Ken Daneyko's number 3 was retired on March 24. Daneyko, a defenseman, was drafted in 1982 and spent 22 seasons in a Devils uniform.

Hall of Famers: Six members of the Hockey Hall of Fame have had experience with the Devils upon election; four players, one coach, and one broadcaster. Defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov, 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.[66] Peter Stastny, 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.[67] Scott Stevens was inducted in 2007, his first year of eligibility.[68] Igor Larionov, 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.[69] Herb Brooks (1992–1993), who led the 1980 U.S. Olympic team to victory in the "Miracle on Ice", was inducted in 2006.[70] In 2008, longtime Devils broadcaster Mike Emrick won the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Former Devils head coaches Jacques Lemaire (1993–1998) and Larry Robinson (2000–2002, 2005) had been elected as players prior to joining the Devils organization.

Leaders

Team captains

  • Don Lever, 1982–84
  • Mel Bridgman, 1984–87
  • Kirk Muller, 1987–91
  • Bruce Driver, 1991–92
  • Scott Stevens, 1992–2004
  • Scott Niedermayer, 2004
  • No captain, 2004–06 (2004–05 lockout)
  • Patrik Elias, 2006–07
  • Jamie Langenbrunner, 2007– present


This list does not include the former captains of the Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies.

Head coaches

  • Bill MacMillan, 1982–83
  • Tom McVie, 1983–84
  • Doug Carpenter, 1984–88
  • Jim Schoenfeld, 1988–89
  • John Cunniff, 1989–91
  • Tom McVie, 1991–92
  • Herb Brooks, 1992–93
  • Jacques Lemaire, 1993–98
  • Robbie Ftorek, 1998–00
  • Larry Robinson, 2000–02
  • Kevin Constantine, 2002
  • Pat Burns, 2002–05
  • Larry Robinson, 2005
  • Lou Lamoriello, 2005–06
  • Claude Julien, 2006–07
  • Lou Lamoriello, 2007
  • Brent Sutter, 2007–present


This list does not include the former coaches of the Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies.

Broadcasters

Television: MSG Plus

Radio: WFAN

See also

References

General

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "New Jersey Devils History". CBS Sportsline. Retrieved on 2006-11-19.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Newark Breaks Ground for Devils Arena". New Jersey Devils (2005). Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
  3. ↑ "Devils visit rival Rangers for first time in '06–07". Associated Press (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-14.
  4. ↑ "Final Standings:1990s". NHL.com (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-13.
  5. ↑ "Final Standings:2000s". NHL.com (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-13.
  6. ↑ "National Hockey League (NHL) Expansion History". Rauzulu's Street. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "History of the Kansas City Scouts". Sports E-Cyclopedia. Tank Productions. Retrieved on 2006-03-25.
  8. ↑ "History of the Colorado Rockies". Sports E-Cyclopedia. Tank Productions. Retrieved on 2006-03-25.
  9. ↑ Duhatschek, Eric et al. (2001). Hockey Chronicles. New York City: Checkmark Books. ISBN 0816046972. 
  10. ↑ "The Jersey Devil". Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
  11. ↑ Mifflin, Lawrie; Katz, Michael (1982-06-30). "SCOUTING; 'Jersey Devils' Wins Name Poll", The New York Times. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Dates in Devils History" (PDF) (2005). Retrieved on 2006-03-25.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "a History of the NJ Devils Hockey Team". Kat's Devils Den. Retrieved on 2006-03-25.
  14. ↑ "New Jersey Devils Team Biography". Couchpotatohockey. Retrieved on 2007-07-06.
  15. ↑ http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nhl/nj/njdevils.html New Jersey Devils on SportsEcyclopedia
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Fischler, Stan (1999). Cracked Ice: An Insider's Look at the NHL. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Masters Press. ISBN 1570282196. 
  17. ↑ "Jim Schoenfeld: The Koharski Incident". HockeyDraftCentral.com.
  18. ↑ http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/spot_oneononep200101.htm One On One with Viacheslav Fetisov
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "New Jersey Devils history". Sports E-Cyclopedia. Tank Productions (March 25, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-03-25.
  20. ↑ "NHL Calder Trophy Winners". Stats Hockey. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  21. ↑ Keller, Susan (May 27, 1995). "New Jersey Daily Briefing; Suing Over Meadowlands Lease", The New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  22. ↑ Bowen, Les (2000-05-27). "God Bless 'Em Anyway". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.
  23. ↑ "NHL Conn Smythe Trophy Winners". NHL.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  24. ↑ Ozanian, Michael (2004-11-29). "Ice Capades", Forbes. Retrieved on 2006-08-31. 
  25. ↑ "[http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/157436p-138260c.html Lou will leave Nets, stay on as top Devil]", New York Daily News (2004-01-23). Retrieved on 2006-08-31. 
  26. ↑ Eliot, Darren (2002-04-14). "Devil of a surge: New Jersey looking good to come out of the East". CNN/Sports Illustrated. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
  27. ↑ "Veteran Daneyko sees first action in last game". USA Today (2003-06-10). Retrieved on 2006-11-27.
  28. ↑ "Who will win the Conn Smythe?". CBC Sports (2003-06-06). Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  29. ↑ Beaton, Rod (2003-06-09). "Trophy, stats no consolation for Giguere". USA Today. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  30. ↑ "Wall Street Executive to Buy Devils", The New York Times (2004-03-03). Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  31. ↑ Brennan, John (2002-10-17). "Newark approves $200M for arena", The Record (Bergen County). 
  32. ↑ Brennan, John (2004-10-07). "Newark arena for Devils 'a done deal'", The Record (Bergen County). Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  33. ↑ Everson, Darren (2006-01-25). "At deadline, Devils finally realize Newark arena goal", New York Daily News. Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  34. ↑ Brennan, John (2006-06-20). "Newark mayor-elect sees no need for 2 arenas", The Record (Bergen County). Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  35. ↑ Burton, Cynthia (2006-08-16). "A new light in Newark", The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  36. ↑ Brennan, John (2006-10-20). "Devils arena will go forward, Booker says", The Record (Bergen County). Retrieved on 2006-10-21. 
  37. ↑ Brennan, John (2006-10-31). "Newark, Devils OK arena deal", The Record (Bergen County). Retrieved on 2006-10-31. 
  38. ↑ New Jersey Devils (2007-01-08). "Devils ... and Prudential ... Announce Naming-Rights Deal ...". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
  39. ↑ Rotstein, Gary (2006-07-31). "$290M in funding tight, but doable, for arena", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  40. ↑ "NHL All-Time Goalie Wins Leaders". Stats Hockey (2006-04-20). Retrieved on 2006-09-03.
  41. ↑ "NHLers in Europe". TSN. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
  42. ↑ Harrison, Doug (May 3, 2006). "Elias a determined Devil", CBC Sports. Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  43. ↑ "Dan McGillis". Rogers Sportsnet. Retrieved on 2006-11-16.
  44. ↑ "Alexander Mogilny". Rogers Sportsnet. Retrieved on 2006-11-16.
  45. ↑ "Vladimir Malakhov". Rogers Sportsnet. Retrieved on 2006-11-16.
  46. ↑ "Devils' Burns battling cancer again, won't coach next year", CBC Sports (2006-07-08). Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  47. ↑ "The Contenders: Eastern Conference". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
  48. ↑ "Lamoriello to finish season behind bench", Canadian Press (2006-02-22). Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  49. ↑ "Devils snare division title with three-goal flurry in third", CBS SportsLine (April 18, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 "25th Anniversary Most Memorable Moments Countdown". newjerseydevils.com (2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
  51. ↑ Frankston, Janet (June 13, 2006). "Devils Hire Claude Julien As Coach", Associated Press. Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  52. ↑ "Julien out, Lamoriello in as Devils prepare for playoffs", Associated Press (April 2, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-04-02. 
  53. ↑ Canavan, Tom (May 6, 2007). "Elimination by Senators marks ends of an era for Devils", Associated Press. Retrieved on 2007-05-09. 
  54. ↑ Kreiser, John (November 2003). "Unlocking the Trap — defense — Industry Overview", Hockey Digest. Retrieved on 2006-09-03. 
  55. ↑ Kreiser, John (January–February 2004). "Caught in a trap: almost every team in the NHL has implemented a "system," but what exactly does that mean?", Hockey Digest. Retrieved on 2006-09-03. 
  56. ↑ Anderson, Chris (January 2001). "Boring is beautiful: the Devils' defense-first style may be hell to watch, but it's hard to argue with the results", Hockey Digest. Retrieved on 2006-09-03. 
  57. ↑ Yorio, Kara (2004-09-20). "Scrap the trap—please", The Sporting News. Retrieved on 2006-09-03. 
  58. ↑ "Devils trying to love pressure", SNY.tv (September 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-14. 
  59. ↑ Karol, Kristofer (January 27, 2003). "NHL 'quacked' up with hockey jersey switch". State News. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
  60. ↑ "Every well dressed hockey fan wears a sweater". Epinions.com (2001-05-01). Retrieved on 2008-03-09.
  61. ↑ Dan Rosen (2008-11-18). "NHL Insider: Third jerseys getting first-rate reviews". NHL.com. Retrieved on 2008-11-23.
  62. ↑ Hradek, EJ (2003-10-22). "Lou knows how to develop Devils". ESPN The Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
  63. ↑ "NJ Devil — The Official Mascot of the New Jersey Devils". New Jersey Devils (2003). Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
  64. ↑ Hart, Jon (November 29, 2001). "Former Eagles mascot Dean Schoenewald is still crazy after all these years". Retrieved on 2006-08-30. 
  65. ↑ "Devils to retire numbers of Stevens, Daneyko". CBC Sports (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-13.
  66. ↑ "Starry night at Hockey Hall". NHL.com (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-13.
  67. ↑ "Peter Stastny". HHOFlegendsclassic.com (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-13.
  68. ↑ "Messier leads star-studded Hockey Hall of Fame class". ESPN.com (2007-06-28). Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
  69. ↑ "NHL.com". NHL.com (2008). Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  70. ↑ "Hockey Hall of Fame—Members". Hockey Digest (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-13.

External links

New Jersey Devils
Kansas City Scouts • Colorado Rockies • Players • GMs • Award Winners • Seasons • Records • Draft Picks • Continental Airlines Arena • Prudential Center • NJ Devil
Important Figures
Ken Daneyko • Kirk Muller • John MacLean • Pat Verbeek • Brendan Shanahan • Scott Stevens • Claude Lemieux • Scott Niedermayer • Martin Brodeur • Mike Emrick • Patrik Eliáš • John Madden • Jamie Langenbrunner • Brian Gionta
Head Coaches
MacMillan • McVie • Carpenter • Schoenfeld • Cunniff • Brooks • Lemaire • Ftorek • Robinson • Constantine • Burns • Lamoriello • Julien • Sutter
Atlantic Division titles
1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2005-06, 2006-07
Eastern Conference titles
1994-95, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03
Stanley Cups
1995, 2000, 2003
Retired Numbers
3 • 4 • 99 (league-wide)
Affiliates
Lowell Devils (AHL), Trenton Devils (ECHL)