What’s new with the New Jersey Devils? That’s what this page is all about.

The Team Spirit Line Change website begins where the Team Spirit books end.

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Take a look at some of the Devils collectibles I have in my home.

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Updates

2022-23 Season

Season Recap: In their first trip to the playoffs in five years, the Devils defeated the arch-rival New York Rangers in a thrilling seven-game series, but ran into the Carolina Hurricanes in the next round and lost 4 games to 1. New Jersey won 52 games during the regular season, led by 22-year-old All-Star Jack Hughes, whose 99 points set a new team record. Young talent made the Devils tough to beat. A wave of young talent, led by Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, and Akira Schmid made the Devils tough to beat and gave fans hope for another Stanley Cup in the near future.

Season Recap—In their first trip to the playoffs in five years, the Devils defeated the arch-rival New York Rangers in a thrilling seven-game series, but ran into the Carolina Hurricanes in the next round and lost 4 games to 1. New Jersey won 52 games during the regular season, led by 22-year-old All-Star Jack Hughes, whose 99 points set a new team record. Young talent made the Devils tough to beat. A wave of young talent, led by Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, and Akira Schmid made the Devils tough to beat and gave fans hope for another Stanley Cup in the near future.

March 25, 2023: Jack Hughes skated the length of the ice to score his 40th goal of the season in a win over Ottawa. He is the first Devil to score 40 goals since Zach Parise in 2009.

Season Preview: Can an NHL team go from missing the playoffs to conference finals in one year? Many are saying the Devils can. Their young team—led by centers Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, winger Jesper Bratt, and defenseman Dougie Hamilton—could create huge problems for opponents come playoff time. To get to the postseason, the Devils will need much better goaltending. This season, they will be banking on newcomer Vitek Vanacek, who played well for the Washington Capitals the last two years.

2021-22 Season

Season Recap: New Jersey fell short of a playoff trip for the fourth season in a row. Among the few bright spots for the team was the play of young center Jack Hughes, who was honored as an All-Star despite knee and shoulder injuries. He was one of four Devils who topped 20 goals—the other three were Yegor Sharangovich, Nico Hirschier, and Jesper Bratt. All are 24 or younger, giving the team a solid core of young players for 2022–23.

November 23, 2021: The Devils unveiled a new sweater with the letters JERSEY across the front. It marked the first time in their history that the team had a third jersey to go with their normal home and road uniforms.

Season Preview: New Jersey fans are becoming impatient with their team, which hasn’t won a playoff series in 10 years. The Devils have more talent on the roster this season, but it may not be enough to produce a winning record. Much will depend on defenseman Dougie Hamilton, goalie Jonathan Bernier, and other talented newcomers. They join former #1 draft picks Jack Hughes and Nico Hirschier.

2020-21 Season

Season Recap: The Devils fell short of a playoff spot in 2021, in part because of a one-week COVID shutdown that forced their young and inexperienced players to play a string of games without enough practice or rest. Jack Hughes was New Jersey’s most exciting player and goalie Mackenzie Blackwood played well under constant pressure. The team used 11 rookies during the season, the best of the bunch being Yegor Sharangovich, with 16 goals.

Season Preview: New Jersey fans have been patient while the team rebuilds. Is this the year the young talent pushes the club into playoff contention? New coach Lindy Ruff has future superstars Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes and Ty Smith ready to blossom, with goalie McKenzie Blackwood primed for another solid season. Veterans PK Subban and Kyle Palmieri provide great leadership.

2019-20 Season

Season Recap: The Devils’ season ended when the NHL stopped play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were three wins short of making it to the playoffs. Kyle Palmieri led the club with 25 goals and Nikita Gusev was the top playmaker with 31 assists. Mackenzie Blackwood, just 23, took over in goal for New Jersey and played very well.

October 19, 2019: Jack Hughes, the top pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, scored his first goal at the age of 18.

Season Preview: If the Devils want to keep their best player, Taylor Hall—who becomes a free agent after this season—they will need to make a serious run in the playoffs. They have added star defenseman P.K. Subban along with forwards Nikita Gusev and Wayne Simmonds. New Jersey’s top draft choice, Jack Hughes, looks NHL-ready at age 19. With steady goaltending, the Devils could take a big step toward another Stanley Cup.

2018-19 Season

Season Recap: The Devils’ season began to crumble in December when superstar Taylor Hall injured his knee in practice. Hall played in just 33 games and New Jersey did not recover, losing 41 games and missing the playoffs. Kyle Palmieri, who replaced Hall in the All-Star Game, led the club with 27 goals and 50 points. At eh age of 20, Nico Hischier led the Devils in assists with 30.

December 21, 2018: Taylor Hall scored the 200th goal of his NHL career.

Season Preview: Taylor Hall surprised the experts last season by winning the Hart Trophy as league MVP. The Devils surprised everyone by making the playoffs. Now they have to prove they are for real. Fans will be watching the defense closely—last year it was below average and the team did not make big moves to improve it over the summer. Top draft pick Ty Smith should be a star on the blue line for the Devils, but it may be a year or two before he makes an impact.

2017-18 Season

Season Recap: Devils fans had a surprisingly fun season, as many of the team’s young players stepped into key roles and performed like veterans. The team won 10 of its final 13 games to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Taylor Hall turned in a 93-point season and rookie Nico Hischier was every bit as good as expected.

October 19, 2017: Nico Hischier, the #1 overall pick in the 2017 draft, scored the first two goals of his NHL career in a 5–4 victory over Ottawa.

Season Preview: The silver lining in the Devils’ dark 2016–17 season is that they got the #1 draft pick, center Nico Hischier. Though still a teenager, he already skates and passes like an All-Star—and could make a big difference as a rookie. Newcomer Marcus Johansson will also help the team’s offense.

2015-16 Season

Season Recap: The Devils won just twice more than they lost, but made strides in working young players into the mix. Forwards Kyle Palmieri and Reid Boucher and defenseman Damon Severson teamed with veterans Mike Cammalleri, Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique to give the Devils a solid core. While the defense was solid, New Jersey’s goal-scoring needs to improve before it becomes a playoff contender.

Season Preview: The Devils decided to make 2015–16 a rebuilding year. Goalie Cory Schneider is good enough to win some games by himself, but defensemen Adam Larsson and Andy Greene will have to log a lot of ice time to keep opponents from scoring. If the Devils have a chance to pick up a young scorer through trades or the draft, that will instantly make them a better team.

2014-15 Season

Recap: The Devils missed the playoffs for the third year in a row despite good seasons from forward Mike Cammalleri and Cory Schneider, who took over in goal from Martin Brodeur. Schneider held opponents to 2.26 goals per game, but the Devils never found their scoring touch. Cammalleri was the only player to score more than 20 goals, and only two others scored more than 15.

January 3, 2015: Jaromir Jagr became the oldest player in NHL history to score a hat trick. The old record belonged to Gordie Howe, he scored three goals at age 41.

January 3, 2015: Patrik Elias scored his 1,000th point as a Devil.

November 21, 2014: Former devil Martin Brodeur saw his first team record fall when goalie Cory Schneider started his 20th game in a row to begin the 2014–15 season.

Season Preview: The Devils need to score more goal this year, and that job will fall to old-timers Patrik Elias and Jaromir Jagr, rising star Adam Henrique, and new arrival Mike Cammalleri. Another addition to the team is Martin Havlat, who could add scoring punch to New Jersey’s lineup. All eyes, of course, will be on Cory Schneider, who takes over from Martin Brodeur as the full-time goalie.

2013-14 Season

March 1, 2014: Jaromir Jagr became the 7th member of the 700-goal club. The first six were Wayne Gretzky (894), Gordie Howe (801), Brett Hull (741), Marcel Dionne (731), Phil Esposito (717), and Mike Gartner (708). He also moved into a tie with Dionne on the all-time assist list with 1,040.

December 18, 2013: Jaromir Jagr scored the game-winning goals against the Ottawa Senators. It was the 122nd game-winner of his career, the most in NHL history.

Season Preview: The Devils will rely on a balanced roster to keep the pressure on opponents in 2013–14. Tjhere are a lot of new faces on the club, but as usual no superstars—except for ageless goalie Martin Brodeur. He will be backed up this year by Cory Schneider, picked up in a trade with the Canucks. That gives New Jersey the best goaltending in the league. Building from there around veterans Patrik Elias, Travis Zajac, and Jaromir Jagr—and up-and-coming players like Adam Henrique and Andrei Loktinov—they should be able to survive the loss of stars Ilya Kovalchuk (who retired) and David Clarkson (traded to Toronto).

More Go-To Guys

Chico Resch was a big memorabilia collector. I met him a couple of times in card shop in Hackensack. (Author’s Collection)

Bruce Driver was one of those players whose valuable contributions are easy to forget. He was not a superstar, but he played his best in big games and rarely made a mistake. (Topps, Inc.)

Jamie Langenbrunner loves to sign this picture of himself with the Stanley Cup. Every player on the winning team gets to take the trophy home for a few days. (Author”s Collection)

  • Barry Beck — Defenseman
    Born: 6/13/1957
    Played for Team: 1977–78 to 1979–80
    Barry Beck was the team’s most talented player during its time in Colorado. He set a record for goals by a rookie defenseman and was runner-up to Mike Bossy of the Islanders for the Calder Award in 1978. Beck was traded to the Rangers early in his third year with the Rockies. After the club moved to New Jersey, Beck’s fine play was a constant reminder that the team probably should have held on to him.

  • Chico Resch — Goalie
    Born: 7/10/1948
    Played for Team: 1980–81 to 1985–86
    Glenn “Chico” Resch joined the team in Colorado and moved with it to New Jersey. There he became one of the state’s most popular sports figures. Resch got his nickname because he grew a mustache that made him look like the lead char5acter in the 1970s sitcom Chico and the Man.

  • Mel Bridgman — Center
    Born: 4/28/1955
    Played for Team: 1983–84 to 1986–86
    During the Devils’ early struggles in New Jersey, Mel Bridgman was a steadying influence and a dependable playmaker for the club. He played great defense and stood up for the younger players when opponents tried to intimidate them.

  • Bruce Driver — Defenseman
    Born: 4/29/1962
    Played for Team: 1983–84 to 1994–95
    Bruce Driver was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 1981 and joined the team after its move to New Jersey. During the early 1990s, the Devils looked more and more to Driver for his skill and leadership skills. He was the man who ran the team’s power play, and a big part of their 1995 championship.

  • Brendan Shanahan — Left Wing
    Born: 1/23/1969
    Played for Team: 1987–88 to 1990–91 & 2008–09
    The Devils took Brendan Shanahan with the second overall pick in the 1987 Draft and threw him right into the lineup as a teenager. By the age of 20, he was an accomplished scorer. Shanahan left New Jersey as a restricted free agent in 1991 and joined the St. Louis Blues. As compensation, St. Louis had to send the Devils draft picks, but the team had already traded away its high draft choices. Instead, they sent Scott Stevens to the Devils—and he led them to three Stanley Cups!

  • Slava Fetisov — Defenseman
    Born: 4/20/1958
    Played for Team: 1989–90 to 1994–95
    Slava Fetisov was one of the greatest stars in Russian hockey when he arrived in new Jersey. His skill and experience helped the Devils win their first Stanley Cup. Later, as an assistant coach, he helped the team win its third.

  • Jamie Langenbrunner — Right Wing
    Born: 7/24/1975
    Played for Team: 2001–02 to 2010–11
    Jamie Langenbrunner had the best season of his career when the Devils needed it most. He scored 33 goals in 2002–03, his first full year with new Jersey after being traded by the Dallas Stars. That spring he led all players with 11 goals and 18 points as the Devils rolled to the Stanley Cup.

  • Nico Hischier — Center
    Born: 1/4/1999
    First Season with Team: 2017–18
    Nico Hischier was the #1 pick on the NHL Draft in 2017 and was on the ice with the Devils soon after. He had 52 points as a rookie and helped the team make the playoffs. In the years that followed, Hischier became one of the league’s best “two-way” players, performing as well on defense as he does on offense.

More Fun Facts

Bryce Salvador played many years for the St. Louis Blues before the Devils got him in a trade. He is one of the most respected, hard-working players in the NHL. (Courtesy of NJ Devils)

  • MAKIN’ MUSIC
    In 2008, the Devils teamed two young forwards—Zach Parise and Travis Zajac—with old-timer Jamie Langenbrunner. They called their line ZZ Pops.

  • DOUBLE DUTY
    In 2013, the Devils were purchased by a company that also owned the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. The team hired sports executive Scott O’Neil to run both teams.

  • THREE AND COUNTING
    In 2013, the Devils named veteran defenseman Bryce Salvador team captain. Salvador was just the third person of color to captain an NHL club. The first two were Dirk Graham of the Blackhawks and Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames.

League Leaders

Kevin Stevens signed this photo, which gives you an idea of how solid and muscular he was. No one enjoyed getting checked by Stevens. (Author’s Collection)

  • GOALS
    No Devil has led the NHL in goals

  • ASSISTS
    2003–04 — Scott Gomez — 56*

    * Tied with another player

  • POINTS
    No Devil has led the NHL in points

  • GOALS-AGAINST
    1996–97 — Martin Brodeur — 1.88

  • PLUS/MINUS
    1993–94 — Scott Stevens — + 53
    2000–01 — Patrik Elias — + 45*

    * Tied with another player

In the Stanley Cup Finals

You can’t win ’em all…this program is from one of the two Stanley Cup Finals that New Jersey failed to win. (NHL)

SEASON OPPONENT RESULT
1994–95 Detroit Red Wings Won 4–0
1999–2000 Dallas Stars Won 4–2
2000–01 Colorado Avalanche Lost 3–4
2002–03 Anaheim Mighty Ducks Won 4–3
2011–12 Los Angeles Kings Lost 2–4

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