50 Fun Facts About New Jersey Devils

Under what name was the Devils franchise founded in 1974?

The name honoured Cyrus Dallin's 'The Scout' statue in Penn Valley Park.

Between Kansas City and New Jersey, the franchise spent six seasons in Denver under which name?

They shared the name with the later baseball club and played at McNichols Sports Arena.

The team's name comes from a legendary creature said to haunt which region?

More than 10,000 fans voted in the 1982 naming contest.

Which colourful coach did the Rockies hire in 1979, only to fire him after a last-place season?

Lanny McDonald was the star forward on that Denver team.

Which sports owner led the group that bought the Rockies in 1982 and moved them to New Jersey?

McMullen also owned baseball's Houston Astros; his wife designed the prototype NJ logo.

Which star famously called the 1983 Devils a 'Mickey Mouse operation' after a 13-4 game?

Devils fans wore Mickey Mouse gear when the Oilers returned in January 1984.

The '334 Club' honours fans who did what?

Only 334 people saw the Devils rally past Calgary 7-5, and each received a lifetime-membership letter.

Lou Lamoriello left which job to become Devils president in 1987?

He appointed himself general manager before the 1987-88 season and ran the club until 2015.

Whose overtime goal on the last day of 1987–88 sent the Devils to their first New Jersey playoffs?

MacLean later became the club's all-time leading scorer and briefly its head coach.

Which Devils coach was suspended in 1988 for telling a referee to 'have another doughnut'?

Officials refused to work the next game in protest, so three off-ice officials were tracked down to referee it.

Which Soviet defenseman, drafted by New Jersey in 1983, was finally allowed to join the club in 1989?

The Soviet government had blocked him for years; his partner Kasatonov followed soon after.

Which 'Miracle on Ice' coach ran the Devils for a single season in 1992-93?

He was replaced by Jacques Lemaire, who delivered the first Cup two years later.

Which defensive system were the mid-1990s Devils credited with popularising?

It made them a defence-first champion and a lightning rod for complaints about boring hockey.

Which Rangers captain guaranteed a Game 6 win over the Devils in 1994, then scored a natural hat trick?

Stephane Matteau's double-overtime goal then ended Game 7 after Valeri Zelepukin had tied it with 7.7 seconds left.

Whom did the Devils sweep to win their first Stanley Cup in 1995?

The 1995 Devils were also the first champions to give each player his own day with the Cup.

Which tradition did the 1994-95 Devils start that every Cup winner has followed since?

Claude Lemieux won the Conn Smythe that spring.

Persistent 1995 rumours had the Devils moving to which city, which got an expansion team in 1998?

New Jersey agreed to fund an arena renovation to keep the club.

Which defending champion did New Jersey beat in six games to win the 2000 Stanley Cup?

Jason Arnott scored the clincher in double overtime in Dallas.

Which Flyers center's Philadelphia career was effectively ended by a Scott Stevens hit in the 2000 conference finals?

The Devils erased a 3-1 series deficit, the first team in conference-finals history to do so.

Which trio made up the Devils' celebrated 'A Line' around 2001?

Arnott and Sykora were traded before 2002-03, bringing in Nieuwendyk, Langenbrunner and Friesen.

Whom did the Devils beat in seven games for their third Stanley Cup in 2003?

Every game of that final was won by the home team.

Which Devils goal-scoring record did Brian Gionta set in 2005-06?

He topped Pat Verbeek's 46 during a season-ending 11-game winning streak, itself an NHL record.

Which Newark mayor threatened to reevaluate the arena deal in 2006 before conceding it would be built anyway?

Prudential Financial bought the naming rights in early 2007.

Whose record for regular-season wins did Martin Brodeur break with his 552nd victory in March 2009?

Roy was Brodeur's boyhood idol growing up in Montreal, along with Ron Hextall.

Which star winger did the Devils get from Atlanta in 2009-10 and sign for 15 years and $100 million?

The NHL had rejected an earlier 17-year version and fined the club and docked draft picks anyway.

Which team beat the Devils in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final?

New Jersey lost the first three games, won two facing elimination, then dropped Game 6.

Which captain left the Devils in 2012 for a 13-year, $98 million contract with Minnesota?

Bryce Salvador took over the captaincy for the lockout-shortened season.

Which two Philadelphia 76ers owners bought the Devils in 2013?

The club had needed to borrow $30 million just to meet payroll that season.

Which 41-year-old signed in 2013 and led the Devils in scoring in 2013-14?

Cory Schneider arrived the same summer, setting up a goalie controversy with Brodeur.

Martin Brodeur finished his career with a seven-game stint for which team?

He is now the Devils' executive vice president of business development.

Which defenseman went to Edmonton in the 2016 trade that brought a future Hart Trophy winner to New Jersey?

Two years later Hall became the first Devil to win the Hart Trophy.

Whom did the Devils select first overall in the 2017 draft?

Two years later they won the lottery again and took Jack Hughes.

Who became the first Devil to win the Hart Memorial Trophy, in 2018?

He had recorded a point in 26 straight games and finished sixth in the league with 93.

Which veteran goalie signed with New Jersey in 2020 but retired without playing a game for them?

Mackenzie Blackwood carried the early-season load before a COVID-19 outbreak sidelined the club for two weeks.

How many points did the Devils record in 2022-23, a franchise record?

Their climb from 63 points was the largest single-season jump by any NHL team in an 82-game schedule.

Which rookie goaltender backstopped the Devils past the Rangers in seven games in 2023?

It was New Jersey's first trip to the second round since 2012.

Which All-Star forward did New Jersey acquire from San Jose in a 2022-23 mid-season trade?

Jack Hughes set the franchise single-season points record with 99 that year.

Where did the Devils beat the Flyers outdoors in February 2024 in front of 70,328 fans?

It was their first game at the Meadowlands since leaving for Newark in 2007.

Before 1992, the Devils' red uniforms were trimmed in which colour, earning the 'Christmas' nickname?

The shade nodded to the Garden State and the Pine Barrens home of the Jersey Devil.

Why did Lou Lamoriello refuse to introduce a third jersey?

The Devils finally unveiled a full-time black alternate, designed by Martin Brodeur, in 2021-22.

Before NJ Devil arrived in 1993, the team's mascot was a giant what?

'Slapshot' was retired after the man in the costume was accused of inappropriate touching.

Why do fans call the Devils' Newark arena 'The Rock'?

Prudential Financial's headquarters is within walking distance of the arena.

Which college basketball program shares Prudential Center with the Devils?

The Pirates had played at the Meadowlands from 1985 to 2007.

Which NBA team played its final home game at Prudential Center in April 2012 before moving to Brooklyn?

Their departure left the Devils as the only major-league team billing itself as solely New Jersey's.

The 'Brodeur rule' restricts goalies handling the puck behind the goal line to a zone of what shape?

The zone runs six feet from each post at the goal line and widens to 28 feet at the end boards; Bobby Clarke was among those pushing for it.

How many regular-season shutouts did Martin Brodeur finish with, an NHL record?

He also holds the records for wins (691), losses (397) and games played (1,266).

How many Stanley Cups did Ken Daneyko win in his 1,283-game career, all with the Devils?

He retired right after the 2003 championship.

Roughly how many people voted in the 1982 contest that chose the name 'Devils'?

The rename became official on June 30, 1982, honouring the legendary creature of the Pine Barrens.

Who was the first forward to have his number retired by the Devils?

Elias spent his whole career in New Jersey and holds the franchise records for goals, assists and points.

Who was the inaugural inductee into the Devils Ring of Honor in January 2017?

The former owner, who brought the team to New Jersey in 1982, was honoured on January 6, 2017; the Ring recognises figures whose numbers were not retired.