The New Jersey Devils have had a number of all-time greats don a Devils sweater, but find out the top seven skaters that should have retired as a Devil.
If you attend a New Jersey Devils game at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, you’ll realize that there are a number of honorable banners hanging high from the rafters, which include five retired numbers, nine division championships, five Eastern Conference championships and three Stanley Cup champion banners.
In 35 seasons, the Devils have compiled a commendable history of winning and have had a number of all-time greats don a Devils sweater. Though, there are more than a handful of notable skaters that either didn’t play their entire careers with the team or didn’t retire as a Devil but probably should have.
Here are the top seven skaters in Devils history that should have retired and ended their careers with New Jersey.
7. Randy McKay
Forward Randy McKay first made a name for himself with Devils as a member of the team’s memorable and productive checking line, the Crash Line (McKay, Bobby Holik & Mike Peluso). McKay was a jack of all trades out on the ice for the Devils and usually came through in the clutch for the team during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
McKay was acquired by the Devils prior to the 1991-92 regular season after the Montreal, Quebec native spent his first three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. No. 21 went on to play parts of his next ten seasons with New Jersey before he was traded during the 2001-02 season in a package deal that sent him and forward Jason Arnott to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Jamie Langenbrunner and Joe Nieuwendyk.
While the trade benefited the Devils, as the team won the Stanley Cup in 2003 with Langenbrunner and Nieuwendyk being key assets, McKay was one of those guys that should have been a Devil for life. In 760 career regular season games with the Devils, McKay recorded 151 goals and collected 171 assists for 322.
In 9 postseasons with New Jersey, the former sixth-round draft pick (1985) had 20 goals and 23 assists for 43 career points in a Devils sweater. But more importantly McKay won two Stanley Cups with the Devils in 1995 and 2000, and in ’95 he found the back of the net eight times and chipped in four assists in 19 games en route to the team’s first ever Stanley Cup. The winger also had two game-winning goals that postseason, too.
The winger ended up playing his final season in 2002-03 and with the Montreal Canadiens.
NEXT: Devil Number 6
6. Bruce Driver
Defenseman Bruce Driver is one of those original Devils. The Toronto, Ontario native was drafted by the franchise in 1981 back when New Jersey was out west and the Colorado Rockies. Driver first took to the ice at the NHL level and with the Devils back in 1983-84 and went on to play his next 11 of 14 seasons with New Jersey.
Driver was one of the few notable Devils that played with New Jersey during the red and green jersey era (1982-1992) in addition to donning the current red, black and white color scheme. The former sixth-round draft pick totaled 399 career points in 702 career games with the Devils while netting 83 goals and collecting 316 assists.
Driver’s 316 career assists are seventh all-time in Devils history and his career year with New Jersey came during the 1987-88 campaign, which saw the defenseman post 55 points while finding the back of the net 15 times and tallying 40 assists.
No. 23 played in seven postseasons with New Jersey and was a key member of the 1995 Stanley Cup team. Though, Driver decided to leave the Devils for the NHL’s unrestricted free agency after that Cup year and for the team’s biggest rival in the New York Rangers. The blueliner played three seasons across the Hudson River with the Broadway Blueshirts before retiring after 1997-98 season.
The six-foot skater recorded 13 goals and had 74 assists for 87 total points in his three seasons at Madison Square Garden. Though, the Rangers only made the playoffs in his first two seasons with the Devils biggest rival.
Like other skaters on this list, Driver was near the end of his career and was so close to just playing his entire career with New Jersey. Still, he’s one of the team’s top skaters that should have retired as a Devil.
NEXT: Devil Number 5
5. Scott Gomez
Yes, another player on this list that ended up leaving the New Jersey Devils for the New York Rangers in free agency. While this one may still sting Devils fans, forward Scott Gomez is one of the top skaters that should have retired as a Devil.
Gomez’s career with the Devils was notable from the get-go. During his rookie campaign in 1999-2000, the Anchorage, Alaska native posted 70 points while recording 19 goals and collecting 51 assists. Gomez went on to the help the Devils win their second Stanley Cup championship that same season and the team’s third and last Stanley Cup in 2003.
The 1998 first-round draft pick (27th overall) had an 84 point season in 2005-06, which also saw the center record a career-high 33 goals. Those 84 points from Gomer currently stand as the ninth most points a Devils player has ever recorded in one season. The playmaker also never recorded less than 55 points in a season with New Jersey.
It was after the 2007 season when Gomez walked away from the Devils in order to sign a seven-year deal worth $51 million and change with New York. While the speedy forward eventually returned to the Devils during the 2014-15 season, he ended up playing his final NHL season the following year with the St. Louis Blues and Ottawa Senators.
NEXT: Devil Number 4
4. Brian Rafalski
It may be hard to believe, but defenseman Brian Rafalski was never drafted. He joined the New Jersey Devils as a walk-on prior to the 1999-2000 season. The well-rounded defenseman became one of the Devils’ top blueliners from that point on. His notable rookie campaign was overshadowed by Gomez’s, but the Dearborn, Michigan native is hands down one of New Jersey’s best defenseman of all-time.
He recorded 32 points in 1999-2000 and had an impressive 52-point campaign in 2001 (9G-43A). Rafalski was a key member for both the 2000 and 2003 Stanley Cup champion teams, and you have to wonder if his No. 28 would be in the rafters right now at the Prudential Center if he ended up playing his whole career with the Devils.
After a career-high 55 points in 2006-07, Rafalski joined his fellow buddy in Gomez to walk away from the Devils via unrestricted free agency. Though, luckily for the Devils’ sake, the all-star defenseman didn’t join the New York Rangers.
The right-handed power play specialist signed with his hometown team in the Detroit Red Wings. Devils fans then saw Rafalski have a string of successful years in Hockeytown while making two appearances in the Stanley Cup Final and winning his third Cup in 2008. Rafalski never finished a season with a negative plus/minus rating and ended his career as a plus-100.
The undrafted blueliner is another top skater in Devils history that should have been a lifelong Devil.
NEXT: Devil Number 3
3. John MacLean
Before there was Scott Stevens, Martin Brodeur or Patrik Elias, there was forward John MacLean. Johnny Mac was selected by the New Jersey Devils with the sixth-overall pick at the 1983 NHL Entry Draft and laced up the skates with the Devils for parts of 14 seasons.
No. 15 began his career in 1983-84 and was there for all of the highs and lows that the once labeled “Mickey Mouse organization” experienced prior to winning its first ever Stanley Cup in 1995. MacLean was the team’s all-time leading scorer (701 points) until Elias passed him back on March 17, 2009.
The Oshawa, Ontario native was the team’s leading goal-scorer for a number of seasons, which also includes his career year in 1988-89 when he netted 42 goals and collected 45 helpers for 87 total points. Johnny Mac followed up the career high with back-to-back seasons by recording 70-plus points in 1990 and 1991.
No. 15 is second all-time in Devils history for goals (347) and power-play goals (92), and fourth in assists (354). During the team’s 1995 run to the Stanley Cup Final, MacLean had 18 points in 20 playoff games (5G-13A). MacLean is also remembered for scoring overtime winning goal against the Chicago Blackhawks on the final day of the 1987-88 regular season that saw the Devils clinch a Stanley Cup Playoff berth for the first time in team history.
Unfortunately, MacLean wanted a new contract back in 1997-98 before he would be set to become a UFA, but (then) general manager Lou Lamoriello wouldn’t bite for the amount of money that No. 15 was requesting. MacLean was then traded to the San Jose Sharks and finished out the season with the Teal out in California playing in 51 games.
MacLean fell into the trap of playing for the Rangers after he signed a three-year deal in the summer of 1998 with New York. Johnny Mac played parts of three seasons for the Broadway Blueshirts and was traded to the Dallas Stars during the early stages of the 2000-01 season. He finished his career playing one more season in Dallas.
You’d have to think that if MacLean just found a way to sign a deal with the Devils in 1998 that he would have ended up retiring as a lifelong Devil and probably would have been the first player to ever have his number retired by the team as well. He probably would have another Stanley Cup ring, too.
NEXT: Devil Number 2
2. Scott Niedermayer
Most New Jersey Devils fans probably never would have thought that all-star defenseman Scott Niedermayer would have donned a purple Mighty Ducks of Anaheim sweater. Well, that happened and to makes matters worse, the 2004 Norris Trophy winner went on to win a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2006-07.
One could probably make the argument that Niedermayer was the most skilled Devils player in franchise history, and No. 27 never failed to meet expectations as he’s one of five Devils skaters to win all three Cups with the team.
The Edmonton, Alberta native was selected by New Jersey with the third-overall selection at the 1991 NHL Entry Draft and laced up with the skates with the Devils for parts of 14 seasons. The smooth skating defenseman was an assistant captain for a majority of his tenure in Jersey and was even the lone player to ever wear the captain’s letter “C” during the Scott Stevens era back in 2003-04.
The 6-foot-1 skater played in 892 games with the Devils while scoring 112 goals and collecting 364 assists for 476 total points. Niedermayer had a career year with the Devils back in 1997-98 when he recorded 57 points (14G-43A), and managed to have a similar season in 2003-04 (54PTS) when the Devils needed him most; after Stevens missed a majority of the season due to a concussion injury.
Niedermayer was everything and more that one could ask for and was the ideal Devil during his time with the team. Though, Niedermayer made the decision to leave New Jersey and wanted to play alongside with his brother, Rob, in Anaheim with the Ducks. The Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman signed a four-year deal with the Ducks during the 2004 offseason and retired as a Duck after the 2010 season.
One of the greatest Devils of all-time to not finish his NHL career with New Jersey is ranked in the top 10 for a number of all-time leader categories in team history such as games played (sixth), assists (second), points (fifth) and others.
NEXT: Devil Number 1
1. Martin Brodeur
This one should have never happened and was almost unimaginable, but it did. But we can all look back on this situation and just thank the heavens above that it wasn’t in Ranger blue …
Martin Brodeur, the greatest NHL goaltender of all-time, somehow found a way not to end his illustrious career in a New Jersey Devils sweater. After spending 20-plus seasons between the pipes with the Devils, Brodeur decided to move on and wanted to continue his NHL career somewhere else after the 2013-14 season.
No. 30 is the NHL’s all-time leader in regular season wins with 691, and boy it would have been great to see him get 700 and end his career with New Jersey. The nine-time Devils all-star won all three Cups with the team, won four Vezina Trophies, has two Olympic Gold Medals (2002 & 2010) and five William M. Jennings Trophies. Marty won at least 30 games or more for 12 straight seasons with New Jersey and helped carry the team to 13 straight Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.
Everyone knows the story and how many records Brodeur has broken and that the Montreal, Quebec native was the backbone of the New Jersey Devils during the team’s glory days.
It seemed that after all of those awards and successful years being the face of the Devils that there was no doubting Brodeur would retire as a Devil. Yet, it was in 2013-14 when the team acquired goaltender Cory Schneider from the Vancouver Canucks that put a damper on Brodeur’s mood in the Garden State.
The greatest of all-time still felt as though he should have been receiving more playing time that year and didn’t seem to see eye to eye with (then) head coach Peter DeBoer. There were in rumors that Brodeur requested a trade to a playoff contender that year, as the Devils were going to miss out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs for second straight season.
Once Brodeur’s contract expired after the 2014 season, the legend waited patiently for a team to offer him a contract. It wasn’t until November of 2014 when the St. Louis Blues inked Brodeur to a one-year deal after the team had multiple goaltenders go down with injuries.
So, Brodeur’s final seven games of his NHL career came in a Blues jersey. Brodeur went 3-3 in St. Louis and even notched another shutout onto his Hall of Fame resume. Marty eventually retired after spending one month with the team and immediately stepped into a front office role with the Blues.