From Mickey ... to Stanley
The History of the NJ Devils
On May 27,1982, it became official - New Jersey hockey fans finally got their very own NHL club. Dr. John McMullen, along with John C. Whitehead, and former New Jersey governor Brendan T. Byrne, purchased the Colorado Rockies and received NHL approval to shift the franchise to New Jersey.
But the New Jersey Rockies - that would never do. The home team needed a new name, so a contest was held. From mediocre suggestions such as Generals, Colonials and Mosquitoes a winner emerged - Devils. New Jersey's team would be called the Devils after the mythical creature that haunts the Pine Barrens in the south central part of the state. Since this legendary devil is reputed to be a puckish sort of fellow, the choice was most appropriate.
Colors for the new club were chosen - green for the Garden State and red for the team's devilish unofficial mascot. Rumors that the colors were chosen because Mrs. McMullen's favorite holiday is Christmas are thus far unsubstantiated.
Over the summer, the ragtag Rockies moved into their new home with three vans loaded with cardboard boxes and a losing record. They had finished 21 out of 21 teams. New Jersey fans knew that the road ahead would be a tough one, and so did the Devil s' first general manager and coach, Billy McMillan.
He chose three players from the draft that first year - Rocky Trottier, brother of NY Islander, Bryan Trottier, Pat Verbeek and Devils' iron man of defense, Ken Daneyko - to add to the core of players he brought with him from Denver. Don Lever was named the first captain.
Training camp opened on September 13, 1982, at Ice World in Totowa, and on the 17, the Devils won their first game, an exhibition, beating the Washington Capitals 3-1. The auspicious start didn't last very long. Four days later the cross-river neighbors - the New York Rangers - came calling, and handed the Devils their first loss (3-2) in a most unneighborly fashion. But the local boys fared better in their home opener for the 1982-83 season, they tied the Penguins in a 3-3 knot.
The Devils finished their first season sinking to 5th place in the Patrick (Atlantic) division with 48 points and a-not-so-great-record of 17-49-14. The Holy Grail, Lord Stanley's Cup, remained hidden in the distant mists of dreams, but the first tottering steps had been taken on that long road to hockey heaven.
The 1983-84 season brought with the CHALLENGE and the slur that will live forever in the hearts of Devils' fans. On November 19, 1983, the club dragged their 2-17-0 record into Northlands Coliseum, then suffered a 13-4 drubbing at the hands of Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers. Though well on the way to earning his Great One moniker, Gretzky was still an innocent babe when it came to sparring with the press. When asked for a comment on the game, he answered without giving much thought to where his words would land.
"Well, it's time they got their act together," he said. "They're ruining the whole league. They had better stop running a Mickey Mouse organization and put somebody on ice."
What? Mickey Mouse! Our beloved, though beleaguered hockey club? New Jersey fans reacted. When Oilers came to visit two months later, they came out in force. Bearing signs slamming the Great One, and wearing mouse ears to remind Wayne of his indiscretion, they filled the arena to the rafters and cheered as their team rallied from a 5-2 deficit to 5-4. Unfortunately, the home team failed to get the tying goal, but it was a moral victory, nonetheless. Goofy Gretzky, as one sign proclaimed him, failed to score a goal and had to settle for 3 assists and a permanently tarnished reputation in the Garden State.
Max McNab replaced Billy McMillan as General Manager, and Tom McVie took over as the team's second coach. The changes at the top, brought no changes in the status at the bottom. Over the next four years the Devils still failed to make the playoffs.
Mel Bridgeman replaced Don Lever as captain. Doug Carpenter replaced Tom McVie as coach. And in 1987 Lou Lamoriello replaced Bob Butera as President. The revolving door continued to turn. Out went Doug Carpenter - in came Jim Schoenfeld, and a glimmer of hope.
On the last day of 1988 season the Devils were tied with the New York Rangers for the final playoff spot. The Rangers had Quebec coming into the Garden, and a good chance to win their final game. The Devils traveled to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks.
The Rangers quickly dispatched the listless Nordique, then sat back to watch as their playoff hopes rested in Chicago's hands. If The Devils beat Chicago they would earn the playoff spot and the Rangers could break out the golf clubs because, though the teams would both end the season with 82 points, the Devils held the first tie breaker - more wins.
Ken Daneyko broke a scoreless tie at 11:07 in the second period, but the Blackhawks refused to play dead. They swarmed on the attack and scored twice in 35 seconds to take the lead. With just 8 seconds remaining, Pat Verbeek knotted the score when he knocked in a rebound. Chicago struck again near the 10 minute mark of the third period. Devils' fans held their breaths. Ranger fans held their breaths.
Devils' fans sighed in relief as John MacLean tied the score again at 11:57 of the third. As the clock ticked down to sudden death, the Devils' players and their fans knew that a tie would do them no good. They had to win or the Rangers were in, and the Devils were out - again.
With the clock at 2:21 of the overtime period, John MacLean caught a rebound on his stick. Knowing the season was in his hands he gave it his best shot - and he beat Blackhawks goaltender Darren Pang with the game winner. New Jersey's team was headed for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
With memories of their dynasty years still fresh in their mind, the Islanders looked like a formidable foe. The Devils were definite underdogs, but they possessed a secret weapon - character. They adopted a never-say-die attitude and held it proudly - an admirable standard for any knight to follow. Joe Cirella nailed it, when he said, "We've always had to do everything the hard way. Nothing is ever easy for us." That could be the motto carved on the Devils crest.
It took six brutal, punishing contests, but the Devils sent the Islanders home for an early vacation. Bring on the Capitals.
This round took seven games that proved to be just as grueling as the first, but the Devils prevailed again and headed for Boston to take on the Bruins in round 3.
And then came the infamous Doughnut incident ...
The Devils rode the crest of their victories over the Islanders and the Capitals into Boston Garden and came away with a split. They returned home to New Jersey hoping to move up 2 games to one, but the Bruins had other ideas. They took a healthy 5-1 lead into the beginning of the third period, but Devil's Coach Jim Schoenfeld felt that referee Don Koharski gave them a helping hand by calling some questionable penalties against the Devils. The Bruins defeated the Devils by a score of 6-1, but Jim Schoenfeld had only begun his war with Koharski.
Schoenfeld waited for the referee to leave the ice. In the cramped corridor under outside the dressing rooms, the two began their shouting match. At one point Koharski lost his balance and slipped. He thought the coach had pushed him, and he shouted, "Oh, you're gone now! You're gone. You won't coach another ..."
Shoenfeld launched his own salvo, "You fell and you know it. You know you fell. I didn't touch you ... you fell you fat pig." Then he fired the phrase heard 'round the hockey world - "Have another doughnut."
To be continued ...