New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional hockey team based in Newark , New Jersey , that competes in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . They are members of the league ' s Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference . The club was founded in Kansas City , Missouri as the Kansas City Scouts in 1974 , moved after two seasons to Denver , Colorado as the Colorado Rockies , and then established itself in New Jersey in 1982 . The franchise had been poor to mediocre in the eight years before moving to New Jersey . The pattern continued in its first five years in New Jersey as they failed to make the playoffs and never finished higher than fifth in their division . However , under the guidance of president and general manager Lou Lamoriello , hired in 1987 and who still holds these positions today , the Devils have made the Stanley Cup playoffs all but three times between 1988 and 2012 , including thirteen berths in a row from 1997 to 2010 . They finished with a winning record every season from 1992 – 93 to 2009 – 10 . They have qualified for five Stanley Cup Finals in their history , winning in 1994 – 95 , 1999 – 00 and 2002 – 03 , only one Cup short of the Detroit Red Wings ( with four ) as the most since 1990 . For their first 25 seasons in New Jersey , the Devils were based in East Rutherford and played their home games at Brendan Byrne Arena / Continental Airlines Arena . Prior to the 2007 – 08 season , the Devils relocated to Newark to play their home games at the newly constructed Prudential Center . The Devils were known for their defense - first approach throughout their years of Cup contention , but have moved towards a more offensive style . The Devils have a rivalry with their cross - Hudson River neighbor , the New York Rangers , as well as a rivalry with the Philadelphia Flyers . Since the division ' s creation in 1993 , the Devils had won the Atlantic Division season title nine times , most recently in the 2009 – 10 season . However , the Devils moved to the newly created Metropolitan Division as part of the NHL ' s realignment for the 2013 – 14 season . Since the departure of the Nets to Brooklyn in 2012 , the Devils are the only major professional sports team to explicitly brand itself as a New Jersey franchise . Although the New York Giants , New York Jets and New York Red Bulls are headquartered , train and play in New Jersey , these three teams still brand themselves as being from New York City . 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 . On October 9 , 1974 , the Scouts hit the ice for the first time at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto and lost 4 – 2 to the Maple Leafs . Due to a rodeo being held in Kansas City ' s brand - new Kemper Arena , the Scouts were forced to wait nine games before making their home debut . Although they lost that game to the Black Hawks 4 – 3 , the next night they beat their expansion brethren , the Washington Capitals , 5 – 4 . Like most expansion teams , the Scouts were terrible , garnering only 41 points in their inaugural season . The next season , they won only 12 games ( including only one win in their last 44 games ) — still the worst in franchise history . The Scouts failed to make the playoffs in either season in Kansas City and won only 27 of 160 games . Although they were better than the Capitals ( who won only eight games in their inaugural season ) , the Scouts began to suffer from an economic downturn in the Midwest . For their second season , the Scouts sold just 2 , 000 of 8 , 000 season ticket s and were almost $ 1 million in debt . The Scouts ' owners did not have the resources or the patience to handle such massive losses , and decided to get out after only two years . After the 1975 – 76 season , the franchise was 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 ; good for 54 points . The next season , they seemed to regress , finishing with only 59 points and 21 games under . 500 , the sixth - worst record in the league . However , the Smythe Division was so weak that year ( only the Black Hawks finished above . 500 ) that the Rockies were able to edge out the Vancouver Canucks for second place in the division by two points . In those days , the division runners - up were guaranteed a playoff spot . They didn ' t last in the playoffs long , though ; the Philadelphia Flyers eliminated them in a two - game sweep . 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 ) , 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 New Jersey trucking tycoon Arthur Imperatore , who announced that he wished to move the team to the New Jersey Meadowlands . The NHL vetoed the move since the Brendan Byrne Arena was still being built , and there was no suitable temporary facility in the area . In 1979 , the team hired Don Cherry as head coach and traded for Maple Leafs star Lanny McDonald . Despite these moves , the Rockies still posted the worst record in the NHL . They played the next two seasons with the possibility of moving until May 27 , 1982 , when Imperatore sold the Rockies to another New Jersey millionaire , shipping magnate John McMullen ( who also owned Major League Baseball ' s Houston Astros ) . McMullen ' s first act was to announce 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 very popular New York Rangers . The Devils had to compensate the Islanders , Rangers and Flyers for " invading " New Jersey . New Jersey . 1982 – 1993 : Building the foundation . On June 30 , 1982 , the team was renamed the New Jersey Devils , after the legend of the Jersey Devil , an ominous cryptozoological creature supposed to inhabit the Pine Barrens of South Jersey . Over 10 , 000 people voted in a contest held by local newspapers to select the name . The team began play in East Rutherford , New Jersey at the Brendan Byrne Arena , later renamed the Continental Airlines Arena and now the Izod Center , where they would call home through the 2006 – 07 season . The Devils were placed in the Patrick Division , where their 1974 expansion brethren , the Washington Capitals , were also playing . 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 was " blown out of proportion " . 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 . 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 , with stable ownership at last in place , the Devils began a slow journey to respectability . They assembled a nucleus of young players ; John MacLean , Bruce Driver , Ken Daneyko , Kirk Muller and Pat Verbeek all complemented the veteran leadership of Resch . The team ' s record improved each season between 1984 and 1987 . However , playing in a division where the same three teams — the Flyers , Capitals and Islanders — made the playoffs every year for six years running 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 14 - 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 two more wins , sending them to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history as the New Jersey Devils . The team made it all the way to the conference finals , but lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games . In that series , head coach Jim Schoenfeld verbally abused referee Don Koharski after the third game , screaming obscenities . During the exchange , Koharski slipped and fell against the wall . He immediately claimed that Schoenfeld had pushed him , but Schoenfeld retorted that Koharski had fallen down . As Koharski snapped that Schoenfeld was " gone , " Schoenfeld replied , " Good , ' cause you fell , you fat pig . Have another doughnut ! " League disciplinarian Brian O ' Neill ordered Schoenfeld to sit out game four . The Devils demanded a hearing , but O ' Neill refused . Claiming their rights as well as Schoenfeld ' s had been violated , the Devils appealed to New Jersey Superior Court judge James F . Madden — an unprecedented appeal to authority outside the league . Forty minutes before game time , Madden ordered the suspension overturned pending a formal league hearing . In his order , Madden pointed out that the NHL ' s investigation consisted of two phone calls — one to Koharski and one to Schoenfeld — and criticized O ' Neill for not reviewing the videotape . In protest , referee Dave Newell and linesmen Gord Broseker and Ray Scapinello refused to work the game . After more than an hour ' s delay , three off - ice officials — Paul McInnis , Jim Sullivan and Vin Godleski — were tracked down to work the game . McInnis served as the referee , while Sullivan and Godleski worked the lines wearing yellow scrimmage sweaters . Notably , league president John Ziegler was away on personal business and could not be contacted , leaving Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz , as chairman of the league ' s board of governors , to give the order to play the game with backup officials . Ziegler conducted a hearing on May 10 , and suspended Schoenfeld for game five and fined him $ 1 , 000 ; the Devils were fined $ 10 , 000 . Schoenfeld later admitted he regretted his comments . Nonetheless , Devils fans and broadcasters claimed that the officials shortchanged them for several years afterward . The next season , the Devils once again slipped below . 500 and missed the playoffs . Lamoriello made several postseason player changes , notably signing of two Soviet stars : Viacheslav Fetisov and Sergei Starikov . The Devils drafted Fetisov years earlier in the 1983 entry draft , but the Soviet government did not allow Fetisov , who was an Army officer as well as a member of the national team , to leave the country . 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 : A championship franchise . Under Lemaire , the team roared through the 1993 – 94 regular season with a lineup including defensemen Scott Stevens , Scott Niedermayer and Ken Daneyko , forwards Stephane Richer , John MacLean , Bobby Holik and Claude Lemieux , and goaltenders Chris Terreri and Martin Brodeur , the latter goaltender being 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 Atlantic Division champion Rangers and Northeast Division champion 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 Rangers , but were up for the challenge , after Richer scored the game - winning goal in the second overtime of Game 1 . Going into Game 6 , the Devils led the series 3 – 2 after having dominated Game 5 in Madison Square Garden . 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 7 , the Devils ' Valeri Zelepukin tied the game with 7 . 7 seconds remaining , but the Devils were defeated in double overtime , on a goal by Stephane Matteau . Devils fans , however , claimed that Esa Tikkanen was in the crease , and the goal should have been wiped out . Nonetheless , the series is viewed by many hockey fans as one of the best playoff series in NHL history . Despite the setback , the team returned to the Eastern Conference Finals during the lockout - shortened 1995 season and defeated the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two . They swept the heavily favored Detroit Red Wings to win New Jersey ' s first - ever Stanley Cup , and the first major professional sports championship in the state ' s history , as they brought the Stanley Cup across the Hudson River from " the Garden to the Garden State , " with the Rangers having won the Stanley Cup the year before . Claude Lemieux was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP . The Devils established an NHL record by posting 11 road victories in one playoff season . The success also came amid constant rumors that the team would move for the third time in its history to Nashville ( which eventually gained their own NHL expansion team ) . Scared at the embarrassing thought of losing the reigning champions , the state agreed to fund a renovation of the soon after renamed Continental Airlines Arena . 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 . For most of the remainder of the decade , the Devils failed to live up to expectations . Despite annually having one of the best regular season records in the league , 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 . During the 1999 – 2000 season , New Jersey was in the midst of a late - season swoon . Despite having one of the best records in the league , Lamoriello feared another early playoff collapse and made the controversial decision to fire head coach Robbie Ftorek and replace him with assistant Larry Robinson . The move paid off , as New Jersey defeated the Florida Panthers , the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers to make the Stanley Cup Finals . In the Finals , the Devils reached the top again , defeating the defending champion Dallas Stars in six games to win the Stanley Cup for the second time . Stevens , Holik , 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 three straight games and the series . This was both the first time in Devils playoff history and in NHL Conference Finals history that a 3 – 1 deficit was surmounted . This series was also remembered for the hit that captain Scott Stevens laid on Flyers center Eric Lindros , effectively ending Lindros ' career in Philadelphia . 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 Continental Airlines Arena ) for programming on what eventually became the YES Network and move both teams to a new arena in Newark . Neither of these proposals became reality under Puck Holdings ' ownership . The new owners largely left the Devils ' operations in Lamoriello ' s hands . For the start of the next season , Lamoriello was appointed CEO of both the Devils and Nets . He remained at the helm of the basketball team until it was sold with the intention of moving it to Brooklyn . 2001 – 2007 : A third Cup and the lockout . Led by the Elias - Arnott - Sykora line ( The A Line ) , Bobby Holik , and the goaltending of Martin Brodeur , the Devils reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight year in 2001 . They lost the series to the Colorado Avalanche despite leading 3 – 2 and having Game 6 on home ice ; Brodeur had a subpar series , with a save percentage under 90 % , and was bested by Colorado Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy . 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 , and they finished the season as the 3rd best team in the Atlantic Division , with 95 points . The Devils entered the playoffs as a 6 seed , but lost in the first round to the number 3 seed Carolina Hurricanes . In 2003 , the Devils finished first in the Atlantic Division with 108 points , earning the number 2 seed in the East . Their playoff run included a seven - game conference final series victory , decided in the final three minutes on a goal by newly acquired forward Jeff Friesen , over the Ottawa Senators , who won the President ' s Trophy that season . In the Stanley Cup Finals , the Devils and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim had a back and forth battle , with both teams winning only their home games . This was the first time since 1965 that all the games in a Stanley Cup Final were won by the home team . The Devils brought the Stanley Cup to New Jersey a third time , defeating the Mighty 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 not being able to complete their Cinderella run , 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 . The New Jersey Nets were in their finals at the same time the Devils won this Stanley Cup , but lost to the San Antonio Spurs in six , which denied the state of New Jersey from having both NBA and NHL championships in the same year . In the 2003 – 04 season , Martin Brodeur took home the Vezina Trophy again . Despite the permanent loss of long time team captain Scott Stevens the Devils finished second in the Atlantic Division with 100 points . With the sixth seed in the Stanley Cup playoffs , the Devils lost to the Philadelphia Flyers four games to one . In March 2004 , near the end of the season , Lehman Brothers executive Jeff 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 . Like Puck Holdings / YankeeNets , Vanderbeek largely left the Devils in Lamoriello ' s hands . 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 , opened shortly after the start of the 2007 – 08 season . 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 . Faced with Elias ' indefinite recovery timetable , plus the loss of defensive stalwarts Scott Niedermayer to free agency and Scott Stevens to retirement , Lamoriello signed veteran defenseman Dan McGillis and two former Devils — winger Alexander Mogilny and defenseman Vladimir Malakhov , none of whom finished the season on the ice . In July 2005 , the team announced that head coach Pat Burns did not return for the 2005 – 2006 season after being diagnosed with cancer for the second time in little more than a year . 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 a 4 – 1 Game 5 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes , who eventually won the Stanley Cup . In the offseason , the Devils hired former Montreal Canadiens coach Claude Julien to replace Lamoriello behind the bench . However , in the last week of the , 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 – 2000 season , after which the Devils won the Stanley Cup . Lamoriello defended the move saying , " I don ' t think we ' re at a point of being ready both mentally and [ physically ] to play the way that is necessary going into the playoffs . " The Devils went on to win their seventh Atlantic Division title and earn the second seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins by two points . They defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the first round , but struggled against the fourth - seeded Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Semi - Finals and lost to them in five games . Their final loss of the series on May 5 , 2007 , marked the final game of the Devils ' 25 - year history at the Continental Airlines Arena . 2007 – 2013 : Move to Newark and Return to the Finals . During the move to Newark , the Devils lost a few prominent members . On July 1 , 2007 , long - time Devils Scott Gomez and Brian Rafalski left the team as unrestricted free agents ; Gomez to the rival Rangers , and Rafalski to his hometown Detroit Red Wings . Back - up goalie Scott Clemmensen went to Toronto , and local favorite , forward Jim Dowd , signed with Philadelphia . The Devils , however , were able to sign Buffalo forward Dainius Zubrus and Rangers defenseman Karel Rachunek . On July 5 , the Devils signed Rangers goalie Kevin Weekes as a backup to Brodeur , as well as Nashville Predators defenseman Vitali Vishnevski on July 10 . On July 13 , 2007 , Brent Sutter was named the 14th head coach of the team . Previous coach Larry Robinson was named to aide John MacLean as the second assistant coach . On August 7 , 2007 , the Devils signed former Islander Arron Asham . As the Devils preseason came to an end , 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 . In a dramatic last game of the season against their rivals the New York Rangers , the Devils won in a shootout , giving them home ice advantage over the Rangers in the playoffs , though the Devils lost the series against the Rangers 4 – 1 , losing all three games at home . Brodeur did win the Vezina Trophy for the fourth time in five years for his performance in the regular season . For the 2008 – 09 season , the Devils signed Brian Rolston , Bobby Holik , Brendan Shanahan , Mike Rupp and Scott Clemmensen , all making their second stints with the team . The Devils ' season looked to be in jeopardy after Brodeur tore a biceps tendon in November and was sidelined for four months , but strong play by scoring leader Zach Parise and backup goalie Clemmensen kept the Devils atop the NHL standings . Brodeur would return strong and make history . On March 17 , 2009 , before a sellout home crowd , Brodeur broke Patrick Roy ' s record for regular season wins with his 552nd victory , while Patrik Elias became the franchise ' s all - time leading scorer with his 702nd point . In the opening round of the playoffs , the Devils suffered two losses to the Hurricanes within the final minute of regulation play . In Game 4 , the Devils overcame a 3 goal deficit , only to lose on a goal with 0 . 2 seconds left in the game in which Brodeur claimed he was interfered with . The team was eliminated in a Game 7 loss in which the Hurricanes scored 2 goals in the last one minute and twenty seconds of the game to erase a 3 – 2 Devils lead . On June 9 , 2009 , the New Jersey Devils announced that head coach Brent Sutter was stepping down from his position , citing personal and family reasons . However , in a controversial move three days later , Sutter was introduced as the new head coach of the Calgary Flames . A month later , the Devils named former head coach Jacques Lemaire head coach of the New Jersey Devils . Assistant Coach John MacLean was named head coach of the Lowell Devils . After the free agency period opened on July 1 , 2009 , career - long Devils John Madden and Brian Gionta left to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens , respectively . Scott Clemmensen signed with the Florida Panthers and Mike Rupp signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins . All four had won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey . After several weeks of fruitless contract negotiations late in the season , the Atlanta Thrashers traded star left wing Ilya Kovalchuk , along with defenseman and former Devil Anssi Salmela , to the Devils on February 4 , 2010 , for defenseman Johnny Oduya and forwards Niclas Bergfors , young prospect Patrice Cormier , and a first round draft pick in the 2010 draft . The Devils finished the season in first place in the Atlantic Division , second in the Eastern Conference . Their seeding matched them up against Philadelphia in the first round , who eliminated the Devils 4 games to 1 . Kovalchuk was held to two goals in the series . After head coach Jacques Lemaire retired from coaching , the Devils announced that the team ' s all - time leading scorer , John MacLean , would become their new head coach . Former team head and assistant coach , Larry Robinson and former NHL all - star Adam Oates joined MacLean as assistants . During the offseason , the Devils signed Ilya Kovalchuk to a seventeen - year contract , keeping him in New Jersey until the conclusion of the 2026 – 27 season . The contract was the longest contract ever held by an NHL player , beating out Rick DiPietro ' s fifteen - year contract with the New York Islanders . The NHL rejected Kovalchuk ' s 17 - year contract for allegedly circumventing the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement and Kovalchuk became a free agent for two months before the NHL officially accepted a fifteen - year contract worth $ 100 million . John MacLean led the team to a record of 9 – 22 – 2 , and sitting in last place in the NHL on December 23 he was removed in favor of Jacques Lemaire , coming out of retirement for his third stint as head coach of the Devils and second in less than two seasons . During the tumultuous season , the Devils lost superstar Zach Parise to a meniscus tear in November and he finally returned in March for just one game in which the Devils were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention . Adding to the team ' s woes , goaltender Martin Brodeur suffered two multi - game injuries , an elbow injury in November and a minor knee sprain in February . Following the trade of captain Jamie Langenbrunner to the Dallas Stars , the Devils managed an astonishing turnaround with an impressive run of 26 – 7 – 3 . They saw a dramatic increase in offensive production , in addition to the outstanding performance of backup goaltender Johan Hedberg . On March 12 , the Devils found themselves just six points out of a final playoff spot . The other major trade of the season was Jason Arnott to the Washington Capitals for center David Steckel and a second round draft pick . During their astonishing late winter run the players did not talk about any playoff aspirations and maintained the motto of " one game at a time . " Jacques Lemaire also refused to talk about the team ' s playoff potential and told reporters to ask him about the Devils ' chances once they were five points back . The Devils ultimately came within one point of Lemaire ' s benchmark but were eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens on April 2 , 2011 , thus missing out on the playoffs for the first time since the 1995 – 96 season . After winning their last game of the season , Jacques Lemaire announced that he would not return as head coach for another season with the Devils . Overall , this was the first losing season for the Devils since 1990 – 91 . In the 2011 offseason , Lemaire was replaced by former Florida Panthers head coach Peter DeBoer . After winning the 2011 NHL Entry Draft lottery , the Devils drafted defenseman Adam Larsson 4th overall along with several other key prospects . In addition to drafting and later signing Larsson the Devils traded away veteran forward Brian Rolston while signing former Devils A - Line star Petr Sykora to a one - year contract . The Devils team continued to grow and develop during the regular season , while the Devils ' offense came out strong in Deboer ' s new system . Led by Kovalchuk , Elias and Parise , they posed a significant offensive threat during the year , bearing seven 40 point scorers by the season ' s end . The Devils ' special teams was also notably exceptional , breaking an NHL record for the best regular season penalty kill since before the Expansion Era . Important late season acquisitions such as Defenseman Marek Zidlicky ( who was traded for 3 players and 2 draft picks ) and Winger Alexei Ponikarovsky ( who was traded for a player and a draft pick ) became valuable assets during the later months and the post - season , with Zidlicky becoming the Devils key offensive Defenseman on the power play . Kovalchuk and Elias both finished as top ten point scorers during the regular seasons , with 83 and 78 points , respectively . Forwards Kovalchuk , Parise and David Clarkson all scored over 30 goals during the regular season while rookie forward Adam Henrique totaled 51 points and earned a Calder Trophy nomination for Rookie of the Year . The Devils finished the regular season as the 6 seed in the East with 102 points . Returning injured center Travis Zajac led the team ' s offense as they then proceeded to knock the Florida Panthers out of the playoffs in 7 games , winning game 6 in overtime with a goal from Zajac and another in double overtime in game 7 from Henrique . They moved on to play their division rivals , the Philadelphia Flyers , in the conference semifinals and were considered heavy underdogs in the series . They faced some early setbacks against the Flyers including a Game 1 overtime loss and the injury of all - star Ilya Kovalchuk . However the Devils rallied in Game 2 without their star forward , winning the game by a score of 4 - 1 . Kovalchuk returned strong for Game 3 with a goal and two assists , including the game - winning assist to Alexei Ponikarovsky in overtime . The streak continued as the Devils would win 4 in a row to eventually defeat the Flyers and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2003 . The Devils would play the New York Rangers in the Conference Finals , a rematch of the 1994 series that resulted in a heartbreaking Game 7 overtime loss during Brodeur ' s rookie season . The series was highly publicized by the New York media and was a tough back - and - forth battle for the first four games , leaving the series split 2 - 2 . The Devils ' fourth line , which had been very successful throughout the playoffs , came through in Game 5 to help give the Devils a 3 - 2 lead in the series . The line consisted of players Ryan Carter , Stephen Gionta and Steve Bernier , all of which had been dropped from a professional roster at some point during the season . Emerging as playoff heroes , they tallied an impressive 19 points in the first three rounds . Despite constant comparisons to the 1994 series , the Devils and Brodeur rewrote history and claimed victory on May 25 , 2012 , as Henrique scored another series clinching overtime goal in Game 6 to advance the Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Los Angeles Kings . The Devils dropped the first two games in overtime in Newark , then were shutout in Game 3 as Los Angeles took a 3 - 0 series lead . The Devils won Games 4 and 5 to become only the third team in NHL history to force a Game 6 in the Finals after being behind three games to none , but Los Angeles eliminated the Devils in Game 6 to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history . Martin Brodeur , their longtime goalie signed to the team for two additional years , and ended speculation that his career was over . He will enter his 21st season , after turning 40 on May 6 , 2012 , during the Stanley Cup Playoffs second round , game 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers . The 2012 off season was a busy one . On July 4 , 2012 , Zach Parise signed a 13 year , $ 98 million contract with the Minnesota Wild , leaving the Devils after one season as team captain . On July 17 , 2012 , the Devils announced former defenseman and team captain Scott Stevens will return to the team as an assistant coach as well as Matt Shaw , who worked for the San Jose Sharks , who will serve as the offensive assistant coach , running the power play unit . The Devils entered the lockout - shortened season with Bryce Salvador as its new captain . However , the Devils failed to repeat the performance of the year past , finishing 19 - 19 - 10 in 48 games , missing the playoffs . Injuries to Brodeur and Kovalchuk only made the season tougher , with the Devils losing 10 games in a row at their lowest point . Goalie Johan Hedberg and rookie goalie Keith Kinkaid were used when Brodeur was injured however neither of them preformed well enough to help the Devil put anything together . During the offseason , the Devils acquired goalie Cory Schneider from the Vancouver Canucks for their 9th overall draft pick . Lou Lamoriello stated that Brodeur would still remain the starter , but that Schneider would get significant ice time . David Clarkson was lost in free agency and Henrik Tallinder via trade , but Lamoriello managed to bring in Jaromir Jagr , Ryane Clowe , and Michael Ryder from the Bruins , Rangers , and Canadiens , respectively . Matt Shaw was replaced by Mike Foligno as power - play coach , and Patrik Elias resigned for 3 - years and $ 16 . 5 million . However , weeks later , Kovalchuk shocked the Devils community by announcing his retirement from the NHL and his intention to play for the KHL in his native Russia . 2013 – present : the Harris – Blitzer era . The Devils ' longtime financial struggles worsened during the 2013 season , and at one point the team needed to borrow $ 30 million to meet their payroll . This prompted owner Jeff Vanderbeek to sell the team . Andrew Barroway , the attorney who loaned the team the $ 30 million , was one potential buyer . Ultimately , the team was sold to Josh Harris , owner of the NBA ' s Philadelphia 76ers , and David S . Blitzer , for over $ 320 million . The sale was formally announced on August 15 , 2013 . The sale allowed the Devils organization to clear all of the debt from its books ( about $ 200 million ) . On March 6 , 2014 , the NHL announced that it had decided to partially reverse the penalties against the Devils for the signing of Ilya Kovalchuk in 2010 , whose contract was ruled to have circumvented the NHL salary cap . The penalties , which stipulated that the Devils had to forfeit a third - round draft pick in 2011 , a first - round pick in one of the next four drafts , and pay a $ 3 million fine , was reduced to a $ 1 . 5 million fine and saw the Devils get their first round pick back . The Devils drafted 30th overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft , which they used to select John Quenneville . The Devils played their first outdoor game on January 26 , 2014 , against the New York Rangers , as part of the 2014 NHL Stadium Series . The game was played at Yankee Stadium with almost 50 , 000 spectators in attendance . Season - by - season record . Last six seasons : " Note : GP = Games played , W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties , OTL = Overtime Losses , Pts = Points , GF = Goals for , GA = Goals against " Team identity . Logo . 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 lies on a field of white in the middle of the chest on both uniforms . Before the Devils ' move from Colorado in 1982 , then - owner John McMullen ' s wife designed a prototype logo , which was then modified by a professional graphic design and marketing firm , and became the green - and - red logo used by the team for the first ten years in New Jersey . Fans . The Devils have a group of fans that has become known as the " Devils Army . " According to a Huffington Post article in August 2013 , the Devils were the NHL ' s most social team , a distinction based on their interactions with fans on various social media outlets . Jerseys . The current team colors are red , black and white , and they can be seen on both the home and road jerseys . The home jersey , which was the team ' s road jersey until the NHL swapped home and road colors in 2003 , is dominantly red in color . There are three black and white stripes , one across each arm and one across the waist . The road jersey ( the team ' s former home jersey ) is white in color with a similar design , except that the three stripes are black and red . The shoulders are draped with black on both uniforms . Before the 1992 – 93 season , the uniforms were green and red with slightly different striping leading some fans to affectionately refer to them as " Christmas colors " . The Devils have yet to introduce a third jersey and are one of only two NHL teams ( Detroit is the other ) never to have worn one . GM Lou Lamoriello has stated that he does not ever intend to introduce a third jersey for the Devils , saying , " I don ' t believe in it , " Lamoriello said . " I strongly believe that you have to have one identity as a team . We want to create a feeling that our home and away jerseys are special and that it means something special to wear one . " Unlike most teams , the team kept the same uniform design when the NHL switched to the Rbk EDGE jerseys for the 2007 – 08 NHL season . On August 20 , 2009 , Lamoriello announced that the Devils would wear their classic red , white and green jerseys on their Saint Patrick ' s Day 2010 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins . Lamoriello stated , " The original red , green and white jerseys are a part of our history here in New Jersey . We have always been an organization that takes great pride in its tradition . This is something we believe our fans will enjoy for that one special night . " The Devils defeated the Penguins , 5 – 2 . Martin Brodeur wore a special replica helmet of the one from his first NHL game . They wore the retro jerseys again on March 18 , 2011 , against the Washington Capitals ; a road game was scheduled on St . Patrick ' s Day that year . The Devils lost 3 – 0 . They wore them a third time on March 17 , 2012 , losing 5 – 2 to the Penguins . The throwbacks were used again in a 7 – 3 loss to the Rangers in the 2014 NHL Stadium Series at Yankee Stadium on January 26 , and on March 18 in a 4 – 2 loss to the Boston Bruins . Mascot . The current mascot is " NJ Devil " , a 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 , throws T - shirts , 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 interacted with the fans . However , the man inside the costume resigned after he was accused of touching three women inappropriately 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 . Style of play . The Devils have been known as a defense - first team since Jacques Lemaire ' s first tenure , although the Devils have twice led the Eastern Conference in goals scored , once leading the NHL in goals scored ( 295 goals for in 2000 – 2001 ) . Lemaire gave the Devils their defensive mantra 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 led the team to be chastised by the media and hockey purists 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 Brent Sutter , the team adopted less of a trap and more of a transitional , aggressive forechecking style of play which also emphasized puck possession and instilled the cycle to start the 2007 – 2008 season . This led to many high scoring games early in the 07 – 08 season for New Jersey . New Jersey went on to score 244 goals in the ' 08 – 09 season , the most the team had scored in eight seasons . However , with the return of Jacques Lemaire as head coach , the Devils resumed a more defense - oriented playing style , scoring just 222 goals and allowing only 191 , an NHL best in the 2009 – 10 season , earning Martin Brodeur his fifth William M . Jennings Trophy . Lemaire has since re - entered retirement , and was replaced by former Florida Panthers coach Peter DeBoer on July 19 , 2011 . The team showed greater offensive prowess during the 2011 – 12 season , employing a more aggressive forecheck . Unlike Sutter ' s system , DeBoer ' s system still relies heavily on solid defense to be equally as prevalent as the offense , not favoring one side of the ice over another . Players and personnel . Honored members . Retired numbers . The Devils have retired three numbers thus far , all of whom were key players on their three Stanley Cup - winning teams in the late 1990s and early 2000s . Hall of Famers . Nine members of the Hockey Hall of Fame have had experience with the Devils upon election ; six players , one coach , and one executive . One broadcaster has been honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame . Team captains . " This list does not include the former captains of the Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies . Head coaches . " * President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello took over as interim head coach twice in the middle of the season : after Larry Robinson resigned for health reasons in 2005 , and after Claude Julien was fired in 2007 . " " * * Jacques Lemaire took over as interim head coach in the middle of the season : after John MacLean was fired . " " This list does not include the former coaches of the Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies . These are the top - ten point - scorers in franchise history . Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season . Franchise records . " = current Devils player " Home arenas . Prudential Center is the current home arena of the team . Former arenas . " This list does not include the former arenas of the Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies . " Television and radio . Television : MSG , MSG Plus , MSG 2 Radio : WFAN