# 2002–03 New Jersey Devils season

The 2002–03 New Jersey Devils season was the 29th season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on June 11, 1974, and 21st season since the franchise relocated from Colorado prior to the 1982–83 NHL season. After claiming the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference titles, the Devils won their third Stanley Cup championship in a seven-game series against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
In addition to the Devils reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, the other New Jersey team from one of the major professional sports leagues, the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), have reached the NBA Finals where they lost in six games to the San Antonio Spurs.

## Regular season

The Devils tied the Philadelphia Flyers for fewest goals allowed (166) and had the fewest power-play opportunities against (264), the fewest power-play goals against (32) and the best penalty-kill percentage (87.88%). The Devils also tied the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals for fewest short-handed goals allowed, with four. Furthermore, the Devils also had the fewest power-play opportunities for (303), the fewest power-play goals for (36) and the lowest power-play percentage, at 11.88%.
* January 17, 2003: Joe Nieuwendyk scored his 500th career goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in a 2–1 Devils victory. He then recorded his 1,000th career point on February 23 in a win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

### Season standings

Atlantic Division :
| No. | CR | | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | 2 | New Jersey Devils | 82 | 46 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 216 | 166 | 108 |
| 2 | 4 | Philadelphia Flyers | 82 | 45 | 20 | 13 | 4 | 211 | 166 | 107 |
| 3 | 8 | New York Islanders | 82 | 35 | 34 | 11 | 2 | 224 | 231 | 83 |
| 4 | 9 | New York Rangers | 82 | 32 | 36 | 10 | 4 | 210 | 231 | 78 |
| 5 | 14 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 82 | 27 | 44 | 6 | 5 | 189 | 255 | 65 |
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.
Eastern Conference :
| R | | Div | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | P- Ottawa Senators | NE | 82 | 52 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 263 | 182 | 113 |
| 2 | Y- New Jersey Devils | AT | 82 | 46 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 216 | 166 | 108 |
| 3 | Y- Tampa Bay Lightning | SE | 82 | 36 | 25 | 16 | 5 | 219 | 210 | 93 |
| 4 | X- Philadelphia Flyers | AT | 82 | 45 | 20 | 13 | 4 | 211 | 166 | 107 |
| 5 | X- Toronto Maple Leafs | NE | 82 | 44 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 236 | 208 | 98 |
| 6 | X- Washington Capitals | SE | 82 | 39 | 29 | 8 | 6 | 224 | 220 | 92 |
| 7 | X- Boston Bruins | NE | 82 | 36 | 31 | 11 | 4 | 245 | 237 | 87 |
| 8 | X- New York Islanders | AT | 82 | 35 | 34 | 11 | 2 | 224 | 231 | 83 |
| 8.5 |||||||||||
| 9 | New York Rangers | AT | 82 | 32 | 36 | 10 | 4 | 210 | 231 | 78 |
| 10 | Montreal Canadiens | NE | 82 | 30 | 35 | 8 | 9 | 206 | 234 | 77 |
| 11 | Atlanta Thrashers | SE | 82 | 31 | 39 | 7 | 5 | 226 | 284 | 74 |
| 12 | Buffalo Sabres | NE | 82 | 27 | 37 | 10 | 8 | 190 | 219 | 72 |
| 13 | Florida Panthers | SE | 82 | 24 | 36 | 13 | 9 | 176 | 237 | 70 |
| 14 | Pittsburgh Penguins | AT | 82 | 27 | 44 | 6 | 5 | 189 | 255 | 65 |
| 15 | Carolina Hurricanes | SE | 82 | 22 | 43 | 11 | 6 | 171 | 240 | 61 |
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast
P – Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y – Clinched Division; X – Clinched Playoff spot

## Playoffs
### Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

The series opened at Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey, and game one was a defensive battle in an ultimate 2–1 Devils victory behind two goals from Jamie Langenbrunner. New Jersey then took control of the series with a 4–2 victory in Game 2.
Down 2–0 in the series but heading home to FleetCenter, Boston shook things up, replacing Steve Shields, who allowed six goals in the first two games, in favor of Jeff Hackett. The shakeup did not do much, as the Devils shut out in the Bruins in Game 3, 3–0, with goalie Martin Brodeur stopping all 29 shots he faced. In game 4, Ken Daneyko was a healthy scratch and did not play that game. It was the first time in his career that he was a healthy scratch in the playoffs. Not wanting to end their season with a winless postseason and a loss in front of their fans, Boston came out firing by winning the game, 5–1 and knocking out Brodeur after the fifth goal in favor of Corey Schwab, who went six-for-six in net.
Unfortunately for the Bruins and their fans, they had only "stayed their execution" until game five in New Jersey, where Brodeur bounced back from his horrid Game 4 with a 28-save shutout in a 3–0 win as Langenbrunner added two more goals.

### Eastern Conference semifinals

The series opened at Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey, where the Devils scored three third-period goals to break a scoreless tie en route to a 3–0 game one victory with goalie Martin Brodeur posting a 15-save shutout in the process. Game two was a little tenser, with New Jersey rallying from a third-period deficit and winning the game 2:09 into overtime, 3–2, on a goal by Jamie Langenbrunner.
In game three at St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, the Lightning jumped out to a 3–0 first-period lead. Then, Scott Stevens was injured by a puck that hit him in the face from a slapshot by Pavel Kubina. Following that, New Jersey tied the score before scoring in the third period on a goal by Dave Andreychuk to win the game, 4–3 for Tampa. Stevens recovered and returned for game four, and the Devils responded by winning, 3–1, to push the Lightning to the brink. The Devils ended the series with a 2–1 triple-overtime victory in game five, with Grant Marshall scoring the game-winning goal 11:12 into the sixth period.

### Eastern Conference finals

The series opened at Corel Centre in Ottawa, where the Senators took game one in overtime, 3–2, when Shaun Van Allen tipped in a pass from Martin Havlát 3:08 into overtime. New Jersey tied the series, 1–1, with a crucial victory in game two, 4–1. It marked the first time Ottawa goalie Patrick Lalime allowed more than two goals in twelve postseason games.
Game three at the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey saw an amazing defensive battle, but New Jersey won the game, 1–0, on a first-period goal by Sergei Brylin. Martin Brodeur posted a 24-save shutout for the Devils in the process. New Jersey appeared to have the series in control when they broke a 2–2 tie in game four with three third-period goals en route to a 5–2 win, and they led in the series, 3–1. But, it wasn't over yet, as Minnesota (twice) and Vancouver rebounded from 3–1 series deficits earlier in the playoffs.
Ottawa returned home for game five, not wanting to lose in front of their fans. They staved off elimination with a 3–1 victory. The tense action resumed back in New Jersey for game six, as the teams entered overtime tied, 1–1, and all the Devils needed was a goal to knock out the Senators. The death blow did not come in game six, as Chris Phillips scored the game-winning goal 15:52 into overtime in the 2–1 Senators victory. This would be the Devils only home loss of the playoffs.
Determined not to suffer the same misfortunes as Colorado, St. Louis, and Vancouver, the Devils broke through in game seven, winning the game, 3–2, as Jeff Friesen knocked in the series-winning goal with just over two minutes to play to send New Jersey to the Stanley Cup Finals. In the decisive game, the Devils benefited from a two-goal performance by Jamie Langenbrunner, his first goals of the series.

### Stanley Cup Finals

For the Devils, this was their fourth Stanley Cup Finals appearance, after making the Finals previously in 1995, 2000, and 2001. As for the Mighty Ducks, it was their first ever Stanley Cup Finals appearance in franchise history after defeating the Detroit Red Wings, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild. The Devils had a strong start in game one at the Meadowlands as they shut out the Ducks 3–0. Game two was pretty much Deja Vu for the Devils as they once again blanked the Ducks 3–0. Down 2–0 in the series, the Ducks responded at home in Anaheim with a 3–2 overtime victory. Then, in game four, Anaheim tied the series at two in a 1–0 overtime win. Back at the Meadowlands, game five was much more competitive and high tempo. While both teams went back and forth with three goals each, the Devils would add three more goals to win 6–3. Facing elimination in game six, the Ducks did not disappoint their fans as they won game six 5–2. However, during that game, Scott Stevens laid a vicious check on Paul Kariya, knocking him to the ground. Kariya quickly recovered and scored the game-winning goal, tying the series at three games apiece. The Devils ended the series with an exclamation mark as they shut out the Ducks 3–0 once more to capture their third Stanley Cup championship in nine seasons. While the Devils did win the cup, Jean-Sébastien Giguère of Anaheim won the Conn Smythe Trophy, making it the first time in sixteen years that a player from the losing team won the Conn Smythe Trophy.

## Schedule and results
### Preseason

2002 preseason :
Preseason: 3–3–2 (home: 1–1–2; road: 2–2–0)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecord
1
T
September 20, 2002
4–4
Pittsburgh Penguins
0–0–1
2
W
September 21, 2002
5–1
@ Philadelphia Flyers
1–0–1
3
L
September 22, 2002
3–4
@ Pittsburgh Penguins
1–1–1
4
W
September 24, 2002
2–1 OT
@ New York Rangers
2–1–1
5
W
September 26, 2002
4–0
Philadelphia Flyers
3–1–1
6
T
September 27, 2002
2–2
New York Rangers
3–1–2
7
L
October 1, 2002
2–5
@ New York Islanders
3–2–2
8
L
October 5, 2002
1–3
New York Islanders
3–3–2 :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Tie (1 point)
  Overtime loss (1 point) :

### Regular season

2002–03 regular season :
October: 6–2–0–0 (home: 3–1–0–0; road: 3–1–0–0)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordPointsRecap
1WOctober 10, 20022–1@ Ottawa Senators (2002–03)1–0–0–02Recap
2WOctober 12, 20023–2Columbus Blue Jackets (2002–03)2–0–0–04Recap
3WOctober 18, 20023–2 OTNashville Predators (2002–03)3–0–0–06Recap
4LOctober 19, 20021–3@ Carolina Hurricanes (2002–03)3–1–0–06Recap
5WOctober 23, 20022–1@ Atlanta Thrashers (2002–03)4–1–0–08Recap
6WOctober 25, 20022–1@ Buffalo Sabres (2002–03)5–1–0–010Recap
7WOctober 26, 20025–1Tampa Bay Lightning (2002–03)6–1–0–012Recap
8LOctober 29, 20021–2Carolina Hurricanes (2002–03)6–2–0–012Recap :
November: 7–4–1–1 (home: 4–3–1–0; road: 3–1–0–1)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordPointsRecap
9WNovember 2, 20025–1Chicago Blackhawks (2002–03)7–2–0–014Recap
10LNovember 5, 20022–3Calgary Flames (2002–03)7–3–0–014Recap
11WNovember 7, 20021–0@ Philadelphia Flyers (2002–03)8–3–0–016Recap
12LNovember 9, 20023–6Edmonton Oilers (2002–03)8–4–0–016Recap
13WNovember 12, 20023–2 OTMighty Ducks of Anaheim (2002–03)9–4–0–018Recap
14WNovember 15, 20025–1Montreal Canadiens (2002–03)10–4–0–020Recap
15LNovember 16, 20021–3@ Montreal Canadiens (2002–03)10–5–0–020Recap
16WNovember 19, 20024–3 OTBuffalo Sabres (2002–03)11–5–0–022Recap
17TNovember 21, 20024–4 OTNew York Rangers (2002–03)11–5–1–023Recap
18LNovember 23, 20021–3Tampa Bay Lightning (2002–03)11–6–1–023Recap
19OTLNovember 27, 20022–3 OT@ Detroit Red Wings (2002–03)11–6–1–124Recap
20WNovember 29, 20022–1@ Nashville Predators (2002–03)12–6–1–126Recap
21WNovember 30, 20025–4 OT@ St. Louis Blues (2002–03)13–6–1–128Recap :
December: 7–4–1–2 (home: 4–1–0–1; road: 3–3–1–1)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordPointsRecap
22WDecember 2, 20021–0 OT@ Philadelphia Flyers (2002–03)14–6–1–130Recap
23OTLDecember 4, 20022–3 OTVancouver Canucks (2002–03)14–6–1–231Recap
24WDecember 6, 20023–1Pittsburgh Penguins (2002–03)15–6–1–233Recap
25LDecember 7, 20020–1@ Toronto Maple Leafs (2002–03)15–7–1–233Recap
26WDecember 10, 20022–0St. Louis Blues (2002–03)16–7–1–235Recap
27LDecember 12, 20022–4@ Columbus Blue Jackets (2002–03)16–8–1–235Recap
28OTLDecember 14, 20023–4 OT@ Ottawa Senators (2002–03)16–8–1–336Recap
29LDecember 18, 20020–3Ottawa Senators (2002–03)16–9–1–336Recap
30WDecember 19, 20023–1@ Pittsburgh Penguins (2002–03)17–9–1–338Recap
31WDecember 21, 20025–3Dallas Stars (2002–03)18–9–1–340Recap
32TDecember 23, 20022–2 OT@ New York Rangers (2002–03)18–9–2–341Recap
33LDecember 27, 20022–3@ Washington Capitals (2002–03)18–10–2–341Recap
34WDecember 28, 20022–1 OTWashington Capitals (2002–03)19–10–2–343Recap
35WDecember 30, 20021–0@ Boston Bruins (2002–03)20–10–2–345Recap :
January: 11–2–1–1 (home: 7–1–0–0; road: 4–1–1–1)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordPointsRecap
36LJanuary 1, 20031–2Florida Panthers (2002–03)20–11–2–345Recap
37WJanuary 3, 20032–0Toronto Maple Leafs (2002–03)21–11–2–347Recap
38LJanuary 4, 20031–2@ Toronto Maple Leafs (2002–03)21–12–2–347Recap
39WJanuary 7, 20033–2Montreal Canadiens (2002–03)22–12–2–349Recap
40WJanuary 10, 20032–1@ Florida Panthers (2002–03)23–12–2–351Recap
41TJanuary 11, 20033–3 OT@ Tampa Bay Lightning (2002–03)23–12–3–352Recap
42WJanuary 13, 20036–2Florida Panthers (2002–03)24–12–3–354Recap
43WJanuary 15, 20035–0New York Islanders (2002–03)25–12–3–356Recap
44WJanuary 17, 20032–1@ Carolina Hurricanes (2002–03)26–12–3–358Recap
45WJanuary 18, 20035–2Carolina Hurricanes (2002–03)27–12–3–360Recap
46WJanuary 22, 20035–4 OT@ San Jose Sharks (2002–03)28–12–3–362Recap
47WJanuary 24, 20033–1@ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (2002–03)29–12–3–364Recap
48OTLJanuary 25, 20031–2 OT@ Los Angeles Kings (2002–03)29–12–3–465Recap
49WJanuary 28, 20031–0Detroit Red Wings (2002–03)30–12–3–467Recap
50WJanuary 30, 20035–1Philadelphia Flyers (2002–03)31–12–3–469Recap :
February: 6–4–3–0 (home: 3–3–1–0; road: 3–1–2–0)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordPointsRecap
51WFebruary 4, 20034–1Buffalo Sabres (2002–03)32–12–3–471Recap
52WFebruary 5, 20034–1@ Washington Capitals (2002–03)33–12–3–473Recap
53LFebruary 7, 20032–4Atlanta Thrashers (2002–03)33–13–3–473Recap
54WFebruary 9, 20033–2Minnesota Wild (2002–03)34–13–3–475Recap
55LFebruary 11, 20031–3@ Colorado Avalanche (2002–03)34–14–3–475Recap
56WFebruary 12, 20033–0@ Phoenix Coyotes (2002–03)35–14–3–477Recap
57LFebruary 15, 20031–4Pittsburgh Penguins (2002–03)35–15–3–477Recap
58TFebruary 18, 20032–2 OT@ Philadelphia Flyers (2002–03)35–15–4–478Recap
59LFebruary 19, 20033–5Ottawa Senators (2002–03)35–16–4–478Recap
60WFebruary 21, 20033–2Boston Bruins (2002–03)36–16–4–480Recap
61WFebruary 23, 20034–3@ Pittsburgh Penguins (2002–03)37–16–4–482Recap
62TFebruary 25, 20033–3 OTNew York Rangers (2002–03)37–16–5–483Recap
63TFebruary 27, 20033–3 OT@ New York Islanders (2002–03)37–16–6–484Recap :
March: 8–4–2–1 (home: 4–2–0–0; road: 4–2–2–1)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordPointsRecap
64WMarch 1, 20032–1 OTWashington Capitals (2002–03)38–16–6–486Recap
65LMarch 4, 20032–3@ Minnesota Wild (2002–03)38–17–6–486Recap
66OTLMarch 5, 20034–5 OT@ Calgary Flames (2002–03)38–17–6–587Recap
67WMarch 8, 20034–2@ New York Islanders (2002–03)39–17–6–589Recap
68LMarch 11, 20032–3Atlanta Thrashers (2002–03)39–18–6–589Recap
69LMarch 13, 20033–4@ Boston Bruins (2002–03)39–19–6–589Recap
70WMarch 15, 20033–1New York Rangers (2002–03)40–19–6–591Recap
71LMarch 17, 20032–4Philadelphia Flyers (2002–03)40–20–6–591Recap
72WMarch 18, 20031–0@ Montreal Canadiens (2002–03)41–20–6–593Recap
73WMarch 21, 20033–1Pittsburgh Penguins (2002–03)42–20–6–595Recap
74WMarch 22, 20034–2@ New York Islanders (2002–03)43–20–6–597Recap
75WMarch 24, 20034–1@ Florida Panthers (2002–03)44–20–6–599Recap
76TMarch 27, 20032–2 OT@ Tampa Bay Lightning (2002–03)44–20–7–5100Recap
77TMarch 28, 20031–1 OT@ Atlanta Thrashers (2002–03)44–20–8–5101Recap
78WMarch 30, 20036–0New York Islanders (2002–03)45–20–8–5103Recap :
April: 1–0–2–1 (home: 0–0–1–1; road: 1–0–1–0)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordPointsRecap
79OTLApril 1, 20032–3 OTToronto Maple Leafs (2002–03)45–20–8–6104Recap
80TApril 3, 20031–1 OTBoston Bruins (2002–03)45–20–9–6105Recap
81WApril 4, 20032–1@ New York Rangers (2002–03)46–20–9–6107Recap
82TApril 6, 20032–2 OT@ Buffalo Sabres (2002–03)46–20–10–6108Recap :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Tie (1 point)
  Overtime loss (1 point) :

### Playoffs

2003 Stanley Cup playoffs :
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. (7) Boston Bruins – Devils win 4–1
GameResultDateScoreOpponentSeriesRecap
1WApril 9, 20032–1Boston BruinsDevils lead 1–0Recap
2WApril 11, 20034–2Boston BruinsDevils lead 2–0Recap
3WApril 13, 20033–0@ Boston BruinsDevils lead 3–0Recap
4LApril 15, 20031–5@ Boston BruinsDevils lead 3–1Recap
5WApril 17, 20033–0Boston BruinsDevils win 4–1Recap :
Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. (3) Tampa Bay Lightning – Devils win 4–1
GameResultDateScoreOpponentSeriesRecap
1WApril 24, 20033–0Tampa Bay LightningDevils lead 1–0Recap
2WApril 26, 20033–2 OTTampa Bay LightningDevils lead 2–0Recap
3LApril 28, 20033–4@ Tampa Bay LightningDevils lead 2–1Recap
4WApril 30, 20033–1@ Tampa Bay LightningDevils lead 3–1Recap
5WMay 2, 20032–1 3OTTampa Bay LightningDevils win 4–1Recap :
Eastern Conference Finals vs. (1) Ottawa Senators – Devils win 4–3
GameResultDateScoreOpponentSeriesRecap
1LMay 10, 20032–3 OT@ Ottawa SenatorsSenators lead 1–0Recap
2WMay 13, 20034–1@ Ottawa SenatorsSeries tied 1–1Recap
3WMay 15, 20031–0Ottawa SenatorsDevils lead 2–1Recap
4WMay 17, 20035–2Ottawa SenatorsDevils lead 3–1Recap
5LMay 19, 20031–3@ Ottawa SenatorsDevils lead 3–2Recap
6LMay 21, 20031–2 OTOttawa SenatorsSeries tied 3–3Recap
7WMay 23, 20033–2@ Ottawa SenatorsDevils win 4–3Recap :
Stanley Cup Finals vs. (W7) Anaheim Mighty Ducks – Devils win 4–3
GameResultDateScoreOpponentSeriesRecap
1WMay 27, 20033–0Anaheim Mighty DucksDevils lead 1–0Recap
2WMay 29, 20033–0Anaheim Mighty DucksDevils lead 2–0Recap
3LMay 31, 20032–3 OT@ Anaheim Mighty DucksDevils lead 2–1Recap
4LJune 2, 20030–1 OT@ Anaheim Mighty DucksSeries tied 2–2Recap
5WJune 5, 20036–3Anaheim Mighty DucksDevils lead 3–2Recap
6LJune 7, 20032–5@ Anaheim Mighty DucksSeries tied 3–3Recap
7WJune 9, 20033–0Anaheim Mighty DucksDevils win 4–3Recap :
Legend:
  Win
  Loss :

## Player statistics
### Scoring

* Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left wing; RW = Right wing
* † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Devils only.
* ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Devils only.
| No. | Player | Pos | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| No. | Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM |
| 26 | Patrik Elias | LW | 81 | 28 | 29 | 57 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 26 |
| 15 | Jamie Langenbrunner | RW | 78 | 22 | 33 | 55 | 17 | 65 | 24 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 11 | 16 |
| 23 | Scott Gomez | C | 80 | 13 | 42 | 55 | 17 | 48 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 2 |
| 12 | Jeff Friesen | LW | 81 | 23 | 28 | 51 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 6 |
| 25 | Joe Nieuwendyk | C | 80 | 17 | 28 | 45 | 10 | 56 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −2 | 4 |
| 11 | John Madden | C | 80 | 19 | 22 | 41 | 13 | 26 | 24 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 10 | 2 |
| 28 | Brian Rafalski | D | 79 | 3 | 37 | 40 | 18 | 14 | 23 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 8 |
| 27 | Scott Niedermayer | D | 81 | 11 | 28 | 39 | 23 | 62 | 24 | 2 | 16 | 18 | 11 | 16 |
| 14 | Brian Gionta | RW | 58 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 5 | 23 | 24 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 6 |
| 24 | Turner Stevenson | RW | 77 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 7 | 115 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 26 |
| 4 | Scott Stevens | D | 81 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 41 | 24 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 14 |
| 18 | Sergei Brylin | LW | 52 | 11 | 8 | 19 | −2 | 16 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −4 | 8 |
| 20 | Jay Pandolfo | LW | 68 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 12 | 23 | 24 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 2 |
| 10 | Oleg Tverdovsky | D | 50 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 22 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 3 | −4 | 0 |
| 5 | Colin White | D | 72 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 19 | 98 | 24 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 29 |
| 19 | Jim McKenzie | LW | 76 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 88 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 14 |
| 9 | Jiri Bicek | RW | 44 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 0 |
| 17 | Christian Berglund | LW | 38 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | Ken Daneyko | D | 69 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 33 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 16 | Mike Rupp | C | 26 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 6 | Tommy Albelin | D | 37 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 21 | Pascal Rheaume† | C | 21 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −2 | 13 |
| 29 | Grant Marshall† | RW | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −3 | 7 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 8 |
| 22 | Mike Danton | C | 17 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Steve Guolla | C | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | Richard Smehlik† | D | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | −1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 2 |
| 9 | Craig Darby | C | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Raymond Giroux | D | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Andrei Zyuzin‡ | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 30 | Martin Brodeur | G | 73 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 10 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 1 | | 6 |
| 35 | Corey Schwab | G | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 |

### Goaltending

| No. | Player | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| No. | Player | GP | W | L | T | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI | GP | W | L | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI |
| 30 | Martin Brodeur | 73 | 41 | 23 | 9 | 1706 | 147 | 2.02 | .914 | 9 | 4374 | 24 | 16 | 8 | 622 | 41 | 1.65 | .934 | 7 | 1491 |
| 35 | Corey Schwab | 11 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 223 | 15 | 1.47 | .933 | 1 | 614 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 | 0 | 28 |

## Awards and records
### Awards

Martin Brodeur was also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy and John Madden was runner-up for the Frank J. Selke Trophy.
| Type | Award/honor | Recipient |
| League (annual) | NHL First All-Star Team | Martin Brodeur (Goaltender) |
| League (annual) | Vezina Trophy | Martin Brodeur |
| League (annual) | William M. Jennings Trophy | Martin Brodeur |
| League (in-season) | NHL All-Star Game selection | Martin Brodeur |
| League (in-season) | NHL All-Star Game selection | Scott Stevens |
| League (in-season) | NHL Player of the Week | Martin Brodeur (January 20) |
| Team | Devils' Players' Player | Joe Nieuwendyk |
| Team | Hugh Delano Unsung Hero | Jay Pandolfo |
| Team | Most Valuable Devil | Martin Brodeur |
| Team | Three-Star Award | Martin Brodeur |

### Milestones

| Milestone | Player | Date | Ref |
| First game | Mike Rupp | January 13, 2003 | |
| 1,000th point | Joe Nieuwendyk | February 23, 2003 | |

## Transactions

The Devils were involved in the following transactions from June 14, 2002, the day after the deciding game of the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 9, 2003, the day of the deciding game of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals.

### Trades

| Date | Details | Details |
| July 6, 2002 (2002-07-06) | To New Jersey Devils Maxim BalmochnykhJeff FriesenOleg Tverdovsky | To Anaheim Mighty Ducks Mike CommodoreJean-Francois DamphoussePetr SykoraRights to Igor Pohanka |
| January 24, 2003 (2003-01-24) | To New Jersey Devils Steve Kariya | To Vancouver Canucks Mikko Jokela |
| February 24, 2003 (2003-02-24) | To New Jersey Devils Pascal Rheaume | To Atlanta Thrashers Conditional draft pick in 2004 |
| March 10, 2003 (2003-03-10) | To New Jersey Devils Grant Marshall | To Columbus Blue Jackets Conditional draft pick in 2004 |
| March 10, 2003 (2003-03-10) | To New Jersey Devils Richard SmehlikNew Jersey's conditional draft pick in 2004 | To Atlanta Thrashers 4th-round pick in 2003 |

### Players acquired

| Date | Player | Former team | Via |
| July 8, 2002 (2002-07-08) | Corey Schwab | Toronto Maple Leafs | Free agency |
| July 12, 2002 (2002-07-12) | Alex Brooks | Jokerit (Liiga) | Free agency |
| July 12, 2002 (2002-07-12) | Craig Darby | Montreal Canadiens | Free agency |
| July 12, 2002 (2002-07-12) | Raymond Giroux | New York Islanders | Free agency |
| July 12, 2002 (2002-07-12) | Mike Matteucci | Minnesota Wild | Free agency |
| August 26, 2002 (2002-08-26) | Dave Roche | New York Islanders | Free agency |
| August 26, 2002 (2002-08-26) | Ken Sutton | New York Islanders | Free agency |
| October 1, 2002 (2002-10-01) | Joe Hulbig | Worcester IceCats (AHL) | Free agency |

### Players lost

| Date | Player | New team | Via |
| July 1, 2002 (2002-07-01) | Bobby Holik | New York Rangers | Free agency (III) |
| July 1, 2002 (2002-07-01) | Mike Rucinski | | Contract expiration (VI) |
| August 7, 2002 (2002-08-07) | Joel Bouchard | New York Rangers | Free agency (UFA) |
| August 10, 2002 (2002-08-10) | Valeri Kamensky | | Retirement (III) |
| August 18, 2002 (2002-08-18) | Stephane Richer | | Retirement (III) |
| August 23, 2002 (2002-08-23) | Sylvain Cloutier | Houston Aeros (AHL) | Free agency (VI) |
| August 23, 2002 (2002-08-23) | Stanislav Gron | HC Vitkovice (ELH) | Free agency (II) |
| September 18, 2002 (2002-09-18) | Richard Rochefort | Assat (Liiga) | Free agency (VI) |
| September 19, 2002 (2002-09-19) | Frederic Henry | Pont-Rouge Caron & Guay (QSPHL) | Free agency (UFA) |
| October 14, 2002 (2002-10-14) | Bruce Gardiner | HC Lada Togliatti (RSL) | Free agency (UFA) |
| October 15, 2002 (2002-10-15) | Andreas Salomonsson | Washington Capitals | Waivers |
| October 2002 (2002-10) | Sergei Nemchinov | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (RSL) | Free agency (III) |
| November 2, 2002 (2002-11-02) | Andrei Zyuzin | Minnesota Wild | Waivers |
| April 17, 2003 (2003-04-17) | Ken Sutton | ERC Ingolstadt (DEL) | Free agency |

### Signings

| Date | Player | Term | Contract type |
| July 12, 2002 (2002-07-12) | Chris Hartsburg | | Entry-level |
| July 12, 2002 (2002-07-12) | Anton Kadeykin | | Entry-level |
| July 12, 2002 (2002-07-12) | Matus Kostur | | Entry-level |
| July 12, 2002 (2002-07-12) | Krisjanis Redlihs | | Entry-level |
| July 15, 2002 (2002-07-15) | Patrik Elias | 3-year | Re-signing |
| July 23, 2002 (2002-07-23) | Jay Pandolfo | 2-year | Re-signing |
| September 9, 2002 (2002-09-09) | Rob Skrlac | | Re-signing |
| September 13, 2002 (2002-09-13) | Jamie Langenbrunner | | Re-signing |
| September 14, 2002 (2002-09-14) | Scott Gomez | 2-year | Re-signing |
| September 18, 2002 (2002-09-18) | Scott Clemmensen | | Re-signing |
| April 9, 2003 (2003-04-09) | David Hale | | Entry-level |

## Draft picks

The Devils' draft picks at the 2002 NHL entry draft at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
| 1 | 20 | No first-round pick | No first-round pick | No first-round pick | No first-round pick |
| 2 | 51 | Anton Kadeykin | D | Russia | Elemach Elektrostal (Vysshaya Liga) |
| 2 | 53 | Barry Tallackson | RW | United States | University of Minnesota (WCHA) |
| 3 | 64 | Jason Ryznar | LW | United States | University of Michigan (CCHA) |
| 3 | 84 | Marek Chvatal | D | Czech Republic | Oceláři Třinec (Czech Extraliga) |
| 3 | 85 | Ahren Nittel | LW | Canada | Windsor Spitfires (OHL) |
| 4 | 117 | Cam Janssen | RW | United States | Windsor Spitfires (OHL) |
| 5 | 154 | Krisjanis Redlihs | D | Latvia | Liepājas Metalurgs (Latvian Hockey League) |
| 6 | 187 | Eric Johansson | C | Canada | Tri-City Americans (WHL) |
| 7 | 218 | Ilkka Pikkarainen | RW | Finland | HIFK (SM-liiga) |
| 8 | 250 | Dan Glover | D | Canada | Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL) |
| 9 | 281 | Bill Kinkel | LW | United States | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) |

## Media

Television coverage was carried on Fox Sports Net New York with Mike Emrick and Chico Resch with the play-by-play calling while Matt Loughlin served as the color commentator. The radio broadcasts were on WABC–AM 770, with John Hennessy handling the play-by-play duties with Randy Velischek color commentating.