New Jersey Devils 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 Devils have won the Stanley Cup three times , in 1995 , 2000 , and 2003 . 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 17 out of the last 19 seasons , including each of the last 10 . Since their move to New Jersey , the Devils have played their home games at the Continental Airlines Arena . This season , the team switched arenas to the Prudential Center , which finished construction in the city of Newark . The first game at the new arena took place on October 27 , 2007 against the Ottawa Senators , whom the Devils played against in the last home game at Continental Airlines Arena . They have rivalries with their trans - Hudson neighbor , the New York Rangers , and with the Philadelphia Flyers , as either the Devils or Flyers have won the Atlantic Division title every season since 1995 . Franchise history . Kansas City and Colorado . In 1974 , the NHL ended its first expansion period by adding teams in Kansas City , Missouri and Washington , D . C . The Kansas City franchise was to be called the Mohawks , since the Kansas City metropolitan area includes portions of Missouri and Kansas . However , the Chicago Black Hawks objected to the similarity . The team was renamed the Scouts after a statue in the city . 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 was almost $ 1 million in debt . They finished with only 41 points . Due to these on - and off - ice disappointments , the franchise moved to Denver and was renamed the Colorado Rockies . The team made a fresh start in Colorado , winning its first game 4 - 2 over Toronto . They picked up momentum and looked like a possible playoff contender , but things collapsed in February , and the Rockies finished the 1976 – 77 season with a record of 20 - 46 - 14 . 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 . 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 , but despite these moves , the Rockies posted the worst record in the league . They played the next two seasons with the possibility of moving until May 27 , 1982 , when New Jersey shipping tycoon John McMullen purchased the team and announced that the long - expected move to New Jersey would finally come to pass . The team would now be playing right in the middle of the New York – New Jersey – Connecticut tri - state area , home to the three - time defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders , as well as the New York Rangers . The Devils had to compensate the Islanders , Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers for " invading " New Jersey . New Jersey . 1982 – 1993 . The team was renamed the New Jersey Devils on June 30 , 1982 . Over 10 , 000 people voted in a contest held by local newspapers to select the name , which is influenced by the legend of the Jersey Devil , an ominous cryptozoological creature supposed to inhabit the Pine Barrens of New Jersey . The Devils ' first game ended in a 3 - 3 tie to the Pittsburgh Penguins . Their first win , a 3 - 2 victory , came in New Jersey at the expense of their new trans - Hudson rivals , the New York Rangers . The team finished with a 17 - 49 - 14 record , putting them three points above last place in the Patrick Division . In the following season , the Devils were publicly humiliated by Wayne Gretzky after they were blown out 13 - 4 by his team , the Edmonton Oilers . Gretzky was upset that former teammate Ron Low played for what he considered an inferior team , and in a post - game interview said : Later , Gretzky publicly admitted that his comment went too far , but privately maintained that his comment was accurate . In response , many Devils fans wore Mickey Mouse apparel when the Oilers returned to New Jersey . In the 1983 – 84 season , the Devils hosted the annual NHL All - Star Game at the Brendan Byrne Arena . Glenn " Chico " Resch was the winning goaltender , and Devils defenseman Joe Cirella tallied a goal as the Wales Conference beat the Campbell Conference 7 - 6 . However , the team did not achieve much success . Head coach Bill MacMillan was fired midway through the season and replaced with Tom McVie , and the Devils won only 17 games . After the season , McVie was replaced by Doug Carpenter . Meanwhile , 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 . 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 , screaming obscenties and screaming , " Have another doughnut , you fat pig ! " The incident resulted in a suspension for Schoenfeld , which the franchise appealed to the New Jersey Superior Court . This unprecedented appeal to authority outside the NHL gave the Devils a preliminary stay of the coach ' s suspension . In protest , referee Dave Newell and the assigned linesmen boycotted the next game . After more than an hour ' s delay , amateur officials were tracked down in the stands and worked the game wearing yellow practice sweaters . To resolve the incident , the NHL suspended Schoenfeld for the next game . Schoenfeld later admitted he regretted his comments . The following 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 would not allow Fetisov , who was an army officer as well as a member of the Soviet National Team , to leave the country . Shortly after , the Devils signed Fetisov ' s defense partner , Alexei Kasatonov . The team changed coaches midway through each of the next two seasons . Schoenfeld was replaced with John Cunniff in 1989 – 90 , and Tom McVie was re - hired midway through the 1990 – 91 season and helmed the team through its third - straight first - round elimination in 1991 – 92 . Herb Brooks , who coached the 1980 " Miracle on Ice " team , was brought in for the 1992 – 93 season , but when the team yet again was eliminated in the first round , he was fired and replaced with former Montreal Canadiens coach Jacques Lemaire . 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 Stéphane Richer , John MacLean , Bobby Holik , and Claude Lemieux , and goaltenders Chris Terreri and Martin Brodeur , who was honored as the league ' s top rookie with the Calder Memorial Trophy . The Devils ' first 100 - point season earned them the NHL ' s second - best record behind the New York Rangers . However , due to the NHL ' s new playoff format , the Devils were seeded third in the East , behind the 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 the Devils ' Stephane Richer scored the game winning goal in the second overtime . 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 Stéphane Matteau . 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 1994 – 95 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 . 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 came amid constant rumors that the team would move for the third time in its history to Nashville , but the club remained in New Jersey . 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 series . This was both the first time in Devils playoff history and in NHL Conference Finals history that a 3 - 1 deficit was surmounted . Team captain Scott Stevens was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy , and assisted on Jason Arnott ' s Stanley Cup clinching goal in double - overtime of Game 6 in Dallas . Shortly before this victory , McMullen sold the team to Puck Holdings , an affiliate of YankeeNets , for $ 175 million . The owners wanted to use the Devils and the New Jersey Nets ( also a tenant at CAA ) for programming on the YES Network and move both teams to a new arena in Newark . ( Neither of these proposals would become reality under Puck Holdings ' ownership . ) The new owners largely left the Devils ' operations in Lamoriello ' s hands . For the start of the next season , Lamoriello was appointed CEO of both the Devils and Nets . He would remain at the helm of the basketball team until it was sold with the intention of moving it to Brooklyn . 2001 – 2004 . Led by the Elias - Arnott - Sykora line and the stellar play of goaltender Martin Brodeur , the Devils reached the 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 . The team finished the season as the 3rd best team in the Atlantic Division , with 95 points . The Devils entered the playoffs as a 6 seed , but lost in the first round to the number 3 seed Carolina Hurricanes . In 2003 , the Devils finished first in the Atlantic Division with 108 points , earning the number 2 seed in the East . Their playoff run included a seven game conference final series victory , decided in the final three minutes on a goal by newly accquired 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 , 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 . 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 would take home the Vezina Trophy again . That season , the Devils finished 2nd in the Atlantic Division with 100 points , earning the 6th seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs . Like in 2002 , the team bowed out in the first round , losing to the Philadelphia Flyers 4 games to 1 . In March of 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 . Vanderbeek was a strong proponent of the proposed arena in Newark , which first received funding from the city council during Puck Holdings ' ownership in 2002 . After legal battles over both eminent domain and the city ' s financial participation in the arena project , the final deal was approved by council in October 2004 , and the groundbreaking occurred almost exactly a year later . Nonetheless , in January 2006 financial issues threatened to halt the deal , as the Devils did not provide the city with a required letter of credit until the last possible day . Though construction was well underway , in late summer 2006 , Cory Booker , who had recently taken office as Mayor of Newark , promised to reevaluate the deal and considered backing out . In October Booker conceded there would be " a first - class arena built in the city of Newark , whether we like it or not " , and soon after the Devils struck a deal including both property and monetary givebacks that appeased city officials . The arena , which was named the Prudential Center when Newark - based Prudential Financial purchased naming rights in early 2007 , is scheduled to open for the start of the 2007 – 08 season , with the first game scheduled for October 27th . 2004 – present . During the 2004 - 05 NHL lockout , many Devils players played in European leagues and in the hockey world championships . Patrik Elias , who was playing in the Russian Superleague , contracted hepatitis A by eating poorly cooked fish . 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 would finish the season on the ice . In July 2005 , the team announced that head coach Pat Burns would not return for the 2005 – 2006 season after being diagnosed with cancer for the second time in little more than a year . Assistant coach Larry Robinson , the team ' s head coach from 2000 to 2002 , was promoted to start the season . The Devils struggled early in the 2005 – 06 season , ending the 2005 calendar year with a 16 - 18 - 5 record . Robinson resigned as head coach on December 19 , and Lamoriello moved down to the bench . Once Elias returned from his bout with hepatitis , the team quickly turned around , finishing 46 - 27 - 9 after a season - ending eleven - game winning streak capped with a dramatic 4 - 3 win over the Montreal Canadiens . During that final victory , which clinched the Devils ' sixth division title , Brian Gionta set a new team record for goals in a season with 48 , topping Pat Verbeek ' s 46 . The win streak to close the year was also an NHL record . On April 29 , 2006 , the Devils won their first round Stanley Cup playoff series against the New York Rangers four games to none , extending their winning streak to fifteen games and marking the first time the Devils defeated their cross - river rival in a playoff series . The team ' s season ended in the next round with an 4 - 1 Game 5 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes , who would go on to win the Stanley Cup . In the offseason , the Devils hired former Montreal Canadiens coach Claude Julien to replace Lamoriello behind the bench . However , in the last week of the 2006 – 2007 Devils season , with just three games left , Julien was fired , and Lamoriello once again reprised his coaching role . The move is reminiscent of Robbie Ftorek ' s firing with eight games left in the 1999 – 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 Continental Airlines Arena . The early playoff exit has led to some speculation that this is the " end of an era " for the Devils . 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 Predators defenseman Vitali Vishnevski on July 10 . Devils ' Zach Parise , Patrik Elias , and Paul Martin all signed six year deals each , later that month also . 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 . Style of play . The Devils have been known as a defense - first team since [ [ Jacques Lemaire ] ] ' s tenure , when he implemented a system commonly called the " [ [ neutral zone trap ] ] " . This system is designed to force teams to turn over the puck in the neutral zone leading to a counterattack . This style of play , coupled with poor attendance and television ratings , led the team to be chastised by the media and hockey fans for " making the NHL boring " . Nevertheless , the Devils were successful using this style of play , and Devils coach Larry Robinson asserted that the Montreal Canadiens ( who also won the Cup many times ) he played on in the 1970s used a form of the trap , though it did not have a name . Under Jacques Lemaire , the team adopted less of a trap and more of a transitional , " run and gun " style of play . Players such as [ [ John Madden ( hockey ) | John Madden ] ] , who excels at shorthanded goals , have led the team in placing a greater emphasis on speed and forechecking for the puck . Likewise [ [ Brian Gionta ] ] and [ [ Patrik Elias ] ] are known as strong playmakers on the offensive side of the ice . Newcomers [ [ Zach Parise ] ] and [ [ Travis Zajac ] ] emphasize speed and solid puck handling . Team colors and mascot . [ [ Image : OldDevils . png | right | thumb | 300px | The old green style jerseys used from 1982 to 1992 ] ] [ [ Image : NewDevils . png | right | thumb | 300px | The current jerseys used since 1992 . ] ] 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 season , the black circle and outline were green . The current team colors are red , black and white , and they can be seen on both the home and road jerseys . The New Jersey Devils home jersey is red shirts , black shorts , and red sockst , The road jersey is white shirts , black shorts , and white socks . The current mascot is " NJ Devil " , a 7 - foot 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 . Prior to 1993 , the mascot was " Slapshot " , a large Devils [ [ hockey puck ] ] that would also interact 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 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 " 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 2008 – 2009 season " Players . Honored members . [ [ Image : Stevens retire . JPG | thumb | 225px | Stevens ' number is raised to the rafters . ] ] " Retired Numbers " : The Devils have retired two numbers , both in 2006 . 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 " : Three Devils players have been inducted into the [ [ Hockey Hall of Fame ] ] . 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 . [ [ 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 . Scott Stevens was inducted in 2007 , his first year of eligibility . 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 . [ [ Herb Brooks ] ] ( 1992 – 1993 ) , who led the 1980 U . S . Olympic team to victory in the " [ [ Miracle on Ice ] ] " , was inducted in 2006 . Leaders . Team captains . < br clear = " all " > " This list does not include the former captains of the [ [ Kansas City Scouts ] ] and [ [ Colorado Rockies ( NHL ) | Colorado Rockies ] ] . Head coaches . < br clear = " all " > " This list does not include the former coaches of the [ [ Kansas City Scouts ] ] and [ [ Colorado Rockies ( NHL ) | Colorado Rockies ] ] . External link . < br > [ [ Category : Established in 1982 ] ] [ [ Category : New Jersey Devils ] ] [ [ Category : American ice hockey teams ] ] [ [ Category : National Hockey League team ] ] [ [ Category : National Hockey League teams ] ]