Devils of the New Jersey

The Devils of the New Jersey are a professional frankness from Hockey based with Newark in the New Jersey. They are members of the National league of hockey and plays in the conference Is (division Atlantique), in company of the Flyers of Philadelphia, the Penguins de Pittsburgh, the Islanders of New York and other team New York ease, the Rangers.

The frankness was founded with Kansas City in the Missouri in 1974 then it moved towards Denver in the Colorado after only two seasons, to finish in the New Jersey in 1982. Under the direction to manage it general Lou Lamoriello, Devils took down a place in eliminatory Séries with each of the ten last seasons and eighteen times in twenty seasons.

Since their arrival in the New Jersey, Devils played their home matches in the skating rink of the Continental Airlines Arena. Today, the team plays her home matches with the Prudential Center, and this since the season 2007-2008. Devils have a strong competition with their neighbor of in addition to-Hudson, the Rangers of New York, and with the Flyers of Philadelphia. Flyers and Devils shared the whole of the titles of better team of Atlantique division since 1995.

History

The first times

Scouts

June 8th, 1972, the town of Kansas City receives the right to have a team of the LNH within the framework of a period of extension and the first choice of name is Mo-Hawks in order to try to join together in the name the name of the two States on which the city is located (States of the Missouri and the Kansas). But the Blackhawks of Chicago are opposed then to this name and the second choice, the Scouts , is then adopted in reference to a statue of the city.

The October 9th 1974, Scouts return on the ice for the first time to Toronto against the Maple Leafs and lose 6-2. Because of a rodeo taking place in the complex new whole of the city, the Kemper Arena, Scouts were forced to await nine matches before being able to make their beginnings with residence. Nevertheless, they will lose this match against Blackhawks on the score of 4-3. The following night, they beat the newcomers of the Capitals of Washington 5-4. Scouts failed in their attempts to qualify for the eliminatory Séries at each season in Kansas City and gained only 27 matches out of 160.

Although they were not in a situation as horrible as that of Capitals of Washington, the team suffered from the economic crisis in the Midwest . At the time of their second season, Scouts only sold: 2000 of: 8000 subscriptions at the year available and had almost 1 million Dollars of debt. Because of these disappointments on the ice and outwards, the frankness is transferred to Denver and will be famous the Rockies of Colorado.

Rockies

The team carries out a refreshing departure in Colorado, gaining its first match 4-2 against Toronto. They enter a positive spiral and seem a candidate for a place in series. In February the hopes crumble and Rockies finish the season 1976-77 with a record of 20-46-14. The following season, even if they finish with some victories in less, they manages to tear off with the Canucks of Vancouver the last place of the series with just two point in advance, but is quickly eliminated by the Flyers from Philadelphia as of the first turn.

Before the beginning of the season 1978-79, the owner Jack Vickers sells the team with Arthur Imperatore, which announces that he wants to transfer the team in the meadowlands in the New Jersey. The LNH poses its veto relating to this movement, requiring of the team to remain in Denver until the end of the construction of the Brendan Byrne Arena. In 1979, the team engages Don Cherry as trainer and acquires of one of the high-speed motorboats of Maple Leafs, Lanny McDonald. But in spite of these movements, Rockies carry out the worst season of the league and always play the two following seasons with a transfer of the frankness in the field from the possibilities. This wobbly situation finishes on May 27th, 1982, dates to which the business man of New Jersey, specialized in export, John Mc Mullen buys the team and announces that the transfer awaited so much towards the New Jersey finally will become a reality.

This transfer seemed having very little direction: the team will have to play crossroads of the three-States, territories of triple champions of the Coupe Stanley, the Islanders of New York, just like that of the Rangers of New York. Mc Mullen has to even compensate financially Islanders, Rangers and Flyers “to have invaded” their territory.

New Jersey

See also: Seasons of Devils of the New Jersey

1982-1993

The team is renamed Devils of the New Jersey, on June 30th, 1982. More: 10000 people voted in a contest organized by a local newspaper to choose this name, which is influenced by the legend of the Devil of Jersey, a disaster supposed paleontological creature to live the Pine Barrens (marshes) of the New Jersey.

The first match of Devils is finished on a tie 3-3 against the Penguins de Pittsburgh. Their first victory, 3-2, will come in the context from a match with the rival on other side from Hudson, Rangers of New York. The team finishes with a card of 17 victories and 49 defeats, which places them three points at the top of the last place of Patrick.
division At the time of the following season, Devils were publicly humiliated by Wayne Gretzky after they were swept 13-4 by its team, the Oilers d' Edmonton: Gretzky, disturbed that its former fellow-member Ron Low plays for a team which it considered of lower level, declares during an interview of after-match: Well, it is time that all the team is put at it together. They are discrediting the very whole league. They should stop making function this organization of Mickey Mouse and put a true team on the glace.

Later, Gretzky admitted publicly that it had gone too far with its comment, but maintained into private that its comment was adapted. In answer, many supporters of Devils carried ears of Mickey Mouse when Oilers played New Jersey.

At the time of the Season LNH 1983-1984, Devils accommodated the 36 {{E}} Match of the Stars of the LNH in Brendan Byrne Arena. Glen “Chico” Resch was the victorious guard and the defender of Devils, Joe Cirella, collected a goal in the victory of the Wales conference over the conference Campbell (7 goals with 6). There however, the team did not carry out many successes this season. The trainer as a chief Bill MacMillan is congédié with semi-course and is replaced by Tom McVie. Devils then start the worst master key of their history, finishing with 17 victories and 56 defeats. After the season, Mc Life is replaced by Doug Carpenter.

While waiting, Devils started to build a core of young players. John MacLean, Kirk Muller and Pat Verbeek will supplement the command of the veteran Glenn Resh. The card of the team will improve each season between 1984 and 1987. However, the presence of powerful Islanders, Flyers and of Capitals in Patrick Division implies that Devils are found in a battle lost in advance against Rangers and Penguins de Pittsburgh for the last place in series of division.

Hoping to light a flame in this team, Mc Mullen engages the trainer and the sport director of the Providence College in the person of Lou Lamoriello. It is placed as a president of the in April 1987 team. Lamoriello indicates itself to manage general little time before the season 1987-88. This decision involves a wave of shock in the league. Although Lamoriello was a university trainer during 19 years, it forever played, involved or chaired in the LNH.

The season 1987-88 makes it possible Devils to gain the first record in this 13 years old frankness and this at the time of the last day of the regular season, whereas they are with equality with Rangers for the last qualificative place of the eliminatory series of Patrick division. After New York had beaten the Nordiques of Quebec 3-0, all the eyes were turned towards Devils, which played against the Blackhawks of Chicago. Devils were led 3-2 to half of the third period when John MacLean equalized, and with two minutes in prolongation, it added the goal of the victory. Although Devils and Rangers finished the season with 82 points, Devils, with a victory moreover, gained their place for the series and the second time of the history of the frankness.

The team cuts through a path until the final of conference but loses against the Bruins of Boston in seven matches. In this series, the trainer as a chief, Jim Schoenfeld, attacked verbally the referee Don Koharski, shouting of the obscenities and suggesting to him going “to take another Donut”. The incident have for consequence the suspension of Schoenfeld, suspension disputed by the frankness which called upon the superior court of the New Jersey. The call without precedent with an authority external with the LNH gave in preliminary judgment the right to Devils to cancel the suspension of its trainer. In protest, the referee Dave Newell and his referees of lines boycotted the next match of series envisaged between New Jersey and Boston. Two referees of lines of the minor leagues were found with haste to arbitrate this match with yellow behaviors of drive. To solve this problem, the LNH suspended Schoenfeld for the following match. Later, he admitted its error and regretted its comments. The players had as a trainer their general manager, Lou Lamoriello, which involved there for the first time a team of LNH.

The following season, Devils pass once more in lower part of the bar of the 50% of victories and miss the series. Lamoriello makes several transfers at the time of the after-season, in particular the signature of the first two Soviet high-speed motorboats to play in the LNH: Viacheslav Fetisov and Sergueï Starikov. Devils had fished out Fetisov a few years before (in 1983), but the Soviet government had not made it possible Fetisov, which was a military officer at the same time as a member of the national team, to leave its country. Little time after, Devils signs with the partner of Fetisov in defense, Alexei Kasatonov.

The team started her reputation of “consumer” of much of trainers and during the two following seasons the movements behind the bench follow one another: Schoenfeld is replaced by John Cunniff in 1989-90, Tom Mc Life takes again service during the season 1990-91. He guides the team towards his third elimination of following the first turn of the series in 1992. Herb Brooks, celebrates trainer of the team of the “Miracle on ice” of 1980, is brought for the season 1992-93, but when the team is again eliminated with the first turn, it is returned and immediately replaced by the old one attacking Canadian of Montreal, Jacques Lemaire.

1993-2000

Under Lemaire, the team will howl during the season 1993-94 with in her manpower of the players like the defenders Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer, the attackers Stephan Richer, John MacLean, Bobby Holik or Claude Lemieux. The goals of the team are kept by Chris Terreri and Martin Brodeur which receives this year the Trophée Calder of best the recruit of the saison.
The team finishes for the first time of her history with more than 100 points what enables him to be second with the classification behind the Rangers of New York. However, because of a new format of the series, Devils are placed in third position of the series of the East. The rivals finally meet conference Is, which will go in seven handles. Valeri Zelepukin will equalize in decisive the seventh match whereas there remain 7,7 seconds to be played, but Devils will lose after two additional periods.

In spite of disappointment, the team finally turns over conference during the following season, season shortened by the strike of the leaders, and beat the Flyers of Philadelphia four handles with two. Finally, they will sweep the archi-favorites, the Red Wings de Détroit to gain the first Coupe Stanley of their history. This title is also the first title of a professional team of the State of the New Jersey. Claude Lemieux is rewarded by the Trophée Idiot Smythe, allotted to the player more deserving series. Devils established this year the record of the greatest number of victories outside during a phase of series with 11 victories. This immense success arrives at the same time as the constant rumors counting on a third removal of its history of the frankness towards Nashville.

Devils miss the series the following season and do not reach the level of their hopes during the remainder of the decade. They left to the second turn the series in 1997 by Rangers and eliminated with the first turn of the series during the two following years.

But in 1999-00, they reach the top again, beating the Stars of Dallas, the champions in title, six matches to gain their second Stanley cut. Stevens, Holik, Lemieux, Niedermayer and Brodeur, all integral part of the team of 1995, were helped this time by new players acquired during the five former seasons: Patrik Eliáš, Petr Sýkora, Jason Arnott, Alexander Mogilny and the recruits Brian Rafalski, John Madden and gaining it of the trophy Calder, Scott Gum. One of the key periods of this second victorious adventure will be the completely unhoped-for victory finally of conference where they returned by far. Indeed, carried out in their series against Flyers of Philadelphia three handles to one, they rebounded to gain this series. It is the first time of the history at the same time of Devils but as of the LNH as finally by conference a deficit of 3-1 is overcome. The captain emblematic of the team, Scott Stevens, was named the most useful player of the series and thus gained the trophy Conn Smythe, followed by Jason Arnott, which was the author of the goal of the final victory at the time of the second additional period during the sixth match with Dallas.

Little time before this victory, Mc Mullen sells the team with a financial group, “Puck Holdings”, subsidiary of YankeeNets, for 175 million Dollars. The owners wanted to use Devils in their program on the Yes network and to move the team in a new complex with Newark. None the proposals was application for the period of control by Puck Holdings, the new owners leaving the operations related to Devils between the hands of Lou Lamoriello. For the departure of the following season, Lamoriello is engaged as an Senior officer (CEO) at the same time of Devils and the Nets. It will remain with the head of the team of tennis shoe until her sale to be moved towards Brooklyn.

2001-2004

Guided by the Eliáš-Arnott-Sýkora line and the impressive performances of its Martin Brodeur guard, Devils reach the final for the second consecutive year. They lose the series against the Avalanches of Colorado although they carried out series 3-2 by playing the sixth home match.

The following season, they is awaited like favorites once more, but is surprised as of the first turn by the Hurricanes of the Caroline.

In 2003, Devils bring back for the third time the Coupe Stanley to the New Jersey, beating the Mighty Ducks d' Anaheim four matches with three. Their course of series includes a final of conference in seven handles against the Senators d' Ottawa, victorious of the Trophée President this season. Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko and Sergueï Brylin gained all their third cut, and after this series, Daneyko, the pet of the supporteurs for a very long time, announced his retirement. The trophy Conn Smythe is given to the goalkeeper of Anaheim Jean-Sebastien Giguère, which guided its team, seventh of the Western conference, in a course surprised until finally. Giguère was the first player not forming part of the champion team to being appointed player more deserving series since Ron Hextall in 1987. That disappointed the supporteurs of Devils, especially by taking account of the fact that Brodeur gained his duel against Giguère finally, making a success of three besides Blanchissage S. Certains specialized journalists speculated that no player of New Jersey gained because they were too numerous with being able to gain it and that led to dispersed votes of the sports correspondents charged to designate the winner. However, Brodeur was rewarded by the Trophée Vézina as a better guard for the regular season for the first time for his career, and it will ramenèra this trophy again the following season.

This season, Devils are once again eliminated from the series as of the first turn, losing against Flyers of Philadelphia. It is at the same period as the owner of the company Lehman Brothers , Jeffrey Vanderbeek, which was minority shareholder since the sale of 2000, launches out in a control of interest on the company Puck Holdings . He resigns of Lehman Brothers to assume full-time the role of owner of the frankness.

Vanderbeek is a keen partisan of the project of the skating rink with Newark, which was initially to receive the financing by the council of the city of the time of the negotiations with Puck Holdings in 2002. After a legal battle in connection with the financial participation of the city and the use of this complex, a final agreement is approved by the Council in October 2004, and work can then start but one year later. Nevertheless, the financial problems threaten to put a term at this agreement, and Devils must provide a letter of credit rating required by the city. This letter arrives in the last possible days in January 2006, whereas constructions are quite advanced. Towards the end of the summer 2006, Cory Booker, which has just been elected mayor of Newark, promises to revalue the last agreement. Following this revaluation, he states to support the project and in October he declares that “a skating rink of first class built in the town of Newark, that likes or not”, and few times ago after Devils conclude an agreement including at the same time the property from the skating rink but also the possible losses to come. This agreement makes it possible to alleviate the town councilors. The skating rink of Newark is planned to open at the beginning of the season 2007-08.

Since 2004

During the '' lockout '' 2004-05, several players of Devils played in the European leagues and the Championnat of the world of hockey. Patrik Eliáš, which chooses to evolve/move in the Russian championship, contracts the virus of the Hépatite has by eating fish badly prepared. Vis-a-vis the hypothetical return of Eliáš, at the beginning as a free agent of Scott Niedermayer and with the retirement of Scott Stevens, Lamoriello signs precipitately the defender veteran daN Mc old Gillis and two Devils: the winger Alexander Mogilny and the defender Vladimir Malakhov, none them will finish the season on the ice.

In July 2005, the team announces that its trainer as a chief Pat Burns will not return for the season 2005-06 after having diagnosis a Cancer for the second time in very little time. The trainer assisting Larry Robinson, the trainer as a chief of 2000 to 2002, is promoted to begin the season. Devils are with the sorrow at the beginning of the season, finishing the year 2005 with a record of 16-18-5, figures very far from the standards awaited by the frankness. Robinson resigns of its station on December 19th and Lamoriello takes in hand for the season time of its history the team as trainer-temporary.

Once Eliáš given on foot of its hepatitis, the team finds her automatisms very quickly, finishing 46-27-9 after an end of season of 11 matches without defeat, including one spectacular victory 4-2 acquired against Montreal. During this last victory of the regular season, Devils tear off with their rivals the sixth title of division. Brian Gionta establishes a new record of frankness in terms from many goals with 48 goals, exceeding the 46 goals of Pat Verbeek.

April 29th, 2006, Devils gain their first turn of series against Rangers of New York by an impressive performance. 4 handles with 0. They had never to gain a series against Rangers. That makes it possible to prolong their series of victory. The season finishes with the following turn at the time of a defeat 4à 1 at the time of the fifth match against the Hurricanes of the Caroline, which will go until their first cut Stanley this year there.

With the intersaison, Devils engage the former trainer of the Canadians of Montreal, Claude Julien to replace Lou Lamoriello behind the bench but the April 2nd, Julien finally is transfered and replaced by Lamoriello. Devils lose with the second turn of the series against the Senators d' Ottawa.

Style of play

Devils are known for their concept of defense above all since the mandate of Jacques Lemaire, when it implemented in the system of the team what one called the “trap in the neutral zone”. This system is there to force the opposing team to lose the metal disc in the neutral zone, bringing many counter-attacks. This style of play, coupled to a weak multitude and a weak TV rating, led the team to be criticized by the media and the fans of the losers teams against New Jersey and according to them “to make LNH something the tedious one”.
Nevertheless, Devils were crowned success by using this system, and the trainer of the team Larry Robinson declared that Canadians of Montreal (with which it gained many trophies in the years 1970) used in time a similar form of system but it did not have the same name.

Since Jacques Lemaire, the team adopted less this system of trap but functions more one play of transition, a style of play “runs and draws”. Players like John Madden, which excels to mark goals in numerical inferiority, carried out the team while playing with many passion, speed and folds defensive to recover the metal disc as soon as possible and to obstruct the unfavourable attacks. In the same way, Scott Gum, Brian Gionta and Patrik Eliáš is known to be serious creators concerning the offensive aspect of the play. Small new the Zach Parise and Travis Zajac is in this same school combining defensive rigor, speed and offensive quality.

At the time of the season 2006-07, Devils dissociate other teams of the LNH on two points. It is team which has the most American players of the league (thirteen players including one great number are member of the national team) and rarer in this modern league, only five players does not come from the seraglio of the frankness (namely Brad Lukowich, Richard Matvichuk, Jamie Langenbrunner, Erik Rasmussen and Jason Wiemer). All the others made their first season LNH with Devils, the major part having been fished out with the various turns of round or recovered as a free agent directly in Europe (like Brian Rafalski, John Madden or lately Johnny Oduya). This concept of internal promotion and work with the young people is a specificity of this frankness since the arrival from Lou Lamoriello.

Colors of the team and the mascot

The logo

The logo of Devils is a monogram made up of the letters NR and J, returned with two horns of Diable S at the top of the J and a pointed tail with the bottom of this same letter. Red with black contours, the monogram is surrounded by a black circle. The logo is placed on white zone right in the middle of the chest. Before the season 1992, the black circle outside was green

Contrary to a great number of franknesses from the LNH which has as a tendency to rather often change logo (or to even have some several), Devils have carried for their first season the same logo and only the color of the circle changed. In the same way, they do not have an alternative logo.

The shirt

The current shirt is used since 1992 (arm-band JM is carried only since the season 05-06, to commemorate the memory of John Mc Mullen deceased the previous year).
The current colors of the team are the red, black and white and these colors can be seen at the same time on the shirt residence T on that of outside. The shirt in residence, which was the shirt of the matches outside until 2004, year when LNH decided to exchange the shirts residences/external, is with strong red predominance color. There are three black and white bands, one through each arm and one around the size. The shirt for the matches outside is the old shirt of the home matches, of white color with the same design, except the bands are black and red colors. The shoulders are draped of black on the two uniforms. Before 1993, the shirts were green and red with some differences on the level of the bands in colors.

The mascot

The current mascot is called “NJ Devil”, a devil of 2,13 meters, which plays the main role in the myth of the devil of Jersey. NJ Devil keeps impassioned crowd, sign of the autographs, takes part in plays during the periods, patinates on the ice and traverses the alleys of the skating rink to type in the hand of the fans.

Before 1993, the mascot was “Slapshot”, a large metal disc of hockey to the color of New Jersey which also interacted him with the supporters. However, the man inside the costume, Brad Patrick Ebben, was licensié after having incorrectly touched three women with his costume. To avoid any legal proceeding, Slapshop was withdrawn and returned never again since.

Players as trainers

Current players

The list below shows the players currently forming part of the manpower of Devils.
Foot-note: for the guards, G wants to say that they catch left hand and D of the right-hand side. For the players of fields, which they launch of the left hand or the right-hand side. The letter has, after the name of the player designates the assistant captain and C, the captain. Lastly, for the stations, C wants to say center, AD right winger and left AG winger.

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Attacker

Players of the past

See also: List of players of Devils of the New Jersey

Captains

Here the list of the captains of Devils during their history.

With the Temple of Famous the

This section introduces the important players in the history of Devils who acquired one of most beautiful rewards in the LNH, the access to the Temple of re-elected hockey. To be allowed with the Temple of the fame, the file of each petitioner will have to pass in front of eighteen members of the committee and to receive at least the three-quarters of the votes (fifteen members). Each year, are allowed to the maximum:
  • four players ,
  • two builders . This category corresponds to the people who do not play directly hockey but have a significant impact on hockey. It can be a question trainers, presidents, owners of franknesses or of personalities of the media.
  • a referee or line judge.
For the players, the referee or line judge, the person must have taken his retirement of his career in ice for at least three years. In the past, there were exceptions for the players equipped with an exceptional talent which, according to the committee, deserved to be established before the three regulatory years. That was the case for ten players.

The players who form today part of the temple of famous and who will have really marked the spirits of Devils are:

  • Viacheslav Fetisov . It is one of the first two players of the Soviet Union up to date in North America by the will of managing director of Devils in 1989. It is allowed with the temple of famous in 2001.
  • Peter Šťastný. He plays for Devils during four seasons even if he leaves them, the season before their first title.

Choice of first round

This section presents the first choices of fishing out of Devils, the row to which they were selected, the team and the minor league in which they evolved/moved the season before the fishing out.

Better pointers of Devils

Here statistics of the best players of the history of Devils. These statistics relate to only the matches played under the colors of Devils and at the time of the seasons régulières.
Note: PJ = Left played, B = Goals, has = Aides, Pts = Points Eliáš being always in activity its statistics can thus further increase.

Withdrawn numbers

At present, two former players of Devils saw their number withdrawn. These two numbers were withdrawn during the season 2005-06.

Trainer-chiefs of the history of Devils

The list below shows the whole of the trainers of Devils since their creation.

See too

References

Internal bonds

External bonds

Official sites and not-official on the team
  • Official site of Devils of the New Jersey
  • not-official Site of Devils of the New Jersey
external Bonds on the history of the team
  • Sports E-Cyclopedia.com

Be-X-old: Нью-ДжэрсіДэвілз Simple: New Jersey Devils

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