New food at New Jersey Devils games this season
The Devils kick off their home hockey season on Oct. 16. See the new additions to the concession lineup here.
Four trips to the Stanley Cup Final, five retired numbers, and a move to Newark headlined the past 25 years for the New Jersey Devils.
The start of the 21st century saw the Devils say goodbye to its franchise-defining icons and has been capped off with the team’s next generation of greats.
Despite some of the franchise’s all-time greats playing at the start of the century, consideration for this list required five seasons in New Jersey beginning with the 2000-01 season. The only exceptions for consideration are players currently on the Devils roster.
Here is The Record and NorthJersey.com’s Devils All-Quarter Century Team:
FORWARDSFirst line: Patrik Elias (LW); Scott Gomez (C); Brian Gionta (RW)
Known as the “EGG Line” when they played together, the trio of Elias, Gomez and Gionta saw all three players average a point per game in the 2005-06 season. Elias remains the franchise leader in goals (408) and had 914 of his team-record 1,025 points in this quarter century. After winning the Calder Trophy in the 1999-2000 season, Gomez finished his eight seasons in New Jersey with the third-most assists (335) in team history. Gionta set a team record with 48 goals in 2005-06 and had 30 game-winning goals across seven seasons in New Jersey.
Second line: Jesper Bratt (LW); Travis Zajac (C); Jamie Langenbrunner (RW)
Since being discovered in the sixth round of the 2016 draft, Bratt has 150 career goals and is already in the team’s Top 10 all-time in assists with 297. Zajac is one of four players to skate in 1,000 games for the Devils, earning 202 goals and 348 assists across 15 memorable seasons. Langenbrunner was traded to the Devils in 2002 and ended up playing more games in New Jersey (564) than any other team.
Third line: Zach Parise (LW); Nico Hischier (C); Kyle Palmieri (RW)
Before heading home to Minnesota, Parise spent his first seven seasons in New Jersey, recording 194 goals and 216 assists in 502 games. The Devils endured lean seasons until Palmieri joined New Jersey in 2015. Palmieri was a fan favorite until he was sent to the Islanders in April 2021. Only three players in franchise history had more power play goals than Palmieri’s 53. Hischier’s selection as the No. 1 pick in 2017 ushered in a new era for the Devils, and the Swiss center has embraced the state, becoming the current captain. Hischier is already 7th all-time in goals scored for the Devils before turning 27.
Fourth line: John Madden (LW); Jack Hughes (C); Dainius Zubrus (RW)
Madden took plenty of shots − over 1,500 in his Devils career, holding the franchise record for shorthanded goals and having as many even-strength goals as Jesper Bratt does for the franchise. At the risk of playing anyone out of position, Zubrus gets the nod for 87 goals and 137 assists across eight seasons after joining the club in 2007 at age 29. Imagine Zubrus feeding pucks to Hughes, who sinks to the fourth line simply to keep familiar lines in tact, and because Hughes is only 24 years old. Hughes projects to be an all-time great for the franchise when all is said and done, and has made enough of an impact despite not being born yet at the start of the quarter century.
DEFENSEMENTop pair: Andy Greene (L) and Dougie Hamilton (R)
Greene earned a permanent spot on the Devils roster during the team’s 2007 Stanley Cup playoff run and was a fixture from then on with 923 games played as a Devil. Greene was named captain in 2015 until he was traded in 2020. Hamilton was the first big free-agent signing to say ‘yes’ to New Jersey, changing the way the franchise looked instantly in 2021. Hamilton has scored 45 goals in 228 games across the four years since and remains one of the franchise’s most recognizable names currently.
Second pair: Paul Martin (L) and Damon Severson (R)
Martin was drafted in 2000 and finished in the top 10 in Calder Trophy voting in 2004. Martin had more than 1,000 minutes of ice time in the playoffs for the Devils during his six seasons. Martin played 400 games in New Jersey before becoming a free agent in 2010. Severson debuted in 2014 and played 647 games across nine seasons. Severson averaged more than one block per game while in New Jersey and laid out 628 hits with the Devils.
Third pair: Colin White (L) and Brian Rafalski (R)
Rafalski was named to the All-Rookie team in the 1999-2000 season and received All-Star honors four times in seven seasons with the Devils. Rafalski is one of six Devils with a career plus-minus of at least 100. Named to the All-Rookie team one season after Rafalski, White spent 11 productive seasons in New Jersey. White’s career plus-minus (+79) ranks 8th all-time in franchise history.
GOALIESStarter: Martin Brodeur
Broduer is the obvious choice as he remains the defining player in franchise history and innovated the NHL so much that rules were changed because of his success. Brodeur played with the Devils until 2014 and owns every goalie record for the franchise, as well as still holding some NHL records to this day.
Backup: Cory Schneider
The latter half of the quarter century featured a few goaltenders tasked with replacing the legendary Brodeur. Brodeur remains the standard for a Devils goalie, but Schneider ranks second on many of those lists. Schneider’s acquisition during the 2013 NHL Entry Draft in New Jersey made him a popular player until his contract was bought out in 2020.
HEAD COACHPat Burns
Four coaches had more wins from the Devils’ bench than Burns, but the Devils lifted the Stanley Cup most recently under the late head coach. Burns was never fired, but resigned after his cancer diagnosis in 2005. He holds the franchise record for the best win percentage for any coach with a tenure longer than one season.