New Jersey Devils

Brian Rolston

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:48:44 GMT

So yeah, it's not often that Devils fans get one of the big name free agents that we've been hoping that Lou will sign. But this year, Brian Rolston returns to NJ. I've seen a bunch of stuff on message boards talking about how he's not what we need, etc. etc. Ok, he's not Marian Hossa, but I for one am thrilled to see him coming back to NJ. In the past few years, every time I would watch a Minnesota Wild game, I'd think to myself that it sucks that NJ let him go in the first place (yeah, I know we got Lemieux back for him and won the Cup, but still).

Anyway, I was playing around on You Tube and found a video that a fan put together. It's a little cheesy, but it gives you some idea of what Wild fans feel like they're losing and what we're getting:

It almost makes me feel bad for the Wild fans, losing such a fan favorite, but hey, we had him first.

And I'm looking forward to seeing that slapshot in NJ:

Penalty Shot Against Luongo

Devils Re-Sign a Handful of Players

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:27:14 GMT

From Tom Gulitti (Devils beat writer)

The Devils have re-signed left wing Jay Pandolfo and defenseman Bryce Salvador, the team announced this morning.

Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello also announced that they have passed on the option on Sergei Brylin's contract for $1.52 million. Lamoriello did not rule out signing Brylin at a later date, but said Brylin will become an unrestricted free agent at noon. Arron Asham will also become an UFA.

The team also re-signed David Clarkson, who would have been a restricted free agent and Barry Tallackson, a potential Group VI UFA, and signed draft picks Matt Halischuk (2007) and Vladimir Zharkov (2006).

Lamorello said the decision came down between Pandolfo and Brylin. "It was a very difficult situation," Lamoriello said.

Salvador received a a four-year contract at $2.9 million per season. His deal does not include a no-movement clause of any kind. I don't have details on Pandolfo's deal, yet.

From TSN

I'm glad to see Salvador back, and I'm really glad that they worked out a deal with Pando, though I'm very curious to know what the terms are. I heard he was looking for $2 million per season. Re-signing Clarkson was a great move, especially since they let Asham go.

It kind of sucks to see Brylin go. There's still a chance he'll be back in NJ, but it's not looking good. We'll miss you Sarge!

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:55:32 GMT

With all the talk of '94 Rangers-Devils series to refreshing to know that SOMEONE still recalls the under appreciated Sabres-Devils series right before it. And yes thank Claude Lemieux for that game 7 winner.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is it possible to distill the life work of a Hall of Fame athlete down to a single game? Is it acceptable to point to one day in a long and distinguished career and suggest it epitomizes what that player was all about?

Certainly not everyone qualifies. No one day rushes to the fore in explaining the value of former Buffalo Bills defensive end Bruce Smith. But I think it works with Jim Kelly, for whom Sept. 10, 1989 in Miami speaks volumes. Kelly led the Bills to two touchdowns inside the final three minutes that Sunday, capping the comeback from an 11-point deficit with a 2-yard TD run as time expired. When I think of Kelly’s defining qualities — leadership, steel will, a gritty defiance — that game says it all.

I feel the same way about Dominik Hasek, who announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday, ostensibly this time for good. The Dominator won six Vezina trophies as the league’s top goaltender, became the first netminder to capture two Hart trophies as the league MVP. He was part of two Stanley Cup championships with the Red Wings and shocked the global hockey community by staking the Czech Republic to Olympic gold in Nagano in ’98.

Although his brilliance spanned more than a decade, Hasek’s career can be summed up with what transpired at Memorial Auditorium on the night of April 27, 1994, and the morning of April 28, with the Sabres down three games to two in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the New Jersey Devils. If a goaltender has ever played a better game in NHL history than Hasek did that night I want to see the tape.

When I heard Hasek had decided to announce his retirement Monday, I rummaged through the basement to find the score sheet and relive the feat one more time. The game began at 7:39

p. m., ended at 1:51 a. m., and for those 6 hours and 12 minutes Hasek was an elite athlete firmly entrenched in “The Zone”. He was Tiger Woods going 18 under at Augusta, Michael Jordan beating the flu and the Jazz.

Hasek made 31 saves in regulation, 39 more before Dave Hannan solved Martin Brodeur with a back-hander at 5:43 of the fourth overtime. On at least six occasions a New Jersey victory seemed inevitable, no more so than when Bobby Holik and Stephane Richer bore down on a two-on-one break in the third period. Holik’s pass left Richer with the open side, but Hasek lunged across the crease and made a preposterous save, keeping the Sabres alive and preserving what would become a shutout for the ages — 1-0 in four overtimes. How long will it be before we see something like that again?

Sheer luck? Try sheer preparation and determination. Hasek was renowned for his attention to detail. He’d beat himself up after a bad day of practice, sometimes refusing to leave the ice until he’d managed contentment. That save on Richer? He’d perfected it 24 hours earlier, anticipating the moment.

“All their best shooters are right-handed,” Hasek said postgame. “I knew that’s a save I might have to make. I worked on it yesterday at practice.”

The Sabres lost Game Seven to the Devils, never secured a Cup before Hasek leveraged a retirement threat into a trade to Detroit in the summer of 2001. They were left at the altar in 1999, when Brett Hull’s controversial goal in the Game Six finals lifted the injury-ravaged Dallas Stars to a championship-clinching triple overtime victory.

Hasek walks away having visited the game’s pinnacles and set award standards goaltenders may never match. But Game Six against the Devils is the feat I’ll always remember, the night The Dominator played to a level never seen before or since.

victory parade in detroit

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:47:58 GMT

As you may or may not know I live in Detroit and today was the Red Wings Victory parade and two times during the telecast they noted that the Devils had their parade in a parking lot. I must know once and for all was it true and how many people showed up? Even Brian Rafalski said it's much better than the parking lot when he was interviewed. It got me so upset because if the Wings are the best and if we measure by them the Devils have a looooooooooong way to go.

Kevin Smith's NHL Blog

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:58:45 GMT

If anyone is interested, Kevin Smith is writing a blog for NHL.com. He's a Devils fan, so it might be fun for Devils fans to read. My favorite line was:

"there were so many pipes hit last night, I thought I was watching “New Jack City.”

So, here's the link for anyone interested:
http://fans.nhl.com/members/Kevin_Smith11/blogs/10855

Daneyko Autograph Signing in Bridgewater, NJ on Saturday, April 19th

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:13:13 GMT

Ken Daneyko Signing on Saturday, April 19th.

Clarkson Vs. Guerin and Asham Vs. Spiller

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:46:43 GMT

The Asham Spiller "fight" starts at about 1:55. I don't know what's better, the one punch take-down, or Weekes' reaction to it.

Tix anyone?

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:04:36 GMT

i know this is prolly useless, but ...

Anyone have tix for Wednesdays Dev/Rags game that they can't use and want to sell?
A friend of mine from work wants to buy some.
let me know

Mostly for Devils / Blues fans

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:58:57 GMT

Since I posted the info on Janssen from Tom Gulitti's blog yesterday, I figured I'd post the Salvador "article" that he posted today.

Salvador looking forward to getting started

Although Bryce Salvador said it was difficult to say goodbye to the only organization he's every played for, the newest Devil is also thrilled to have a chance to play for a team that is leading the Eastern Conference and headed to the playoffs.

"It was tough leaving, but on the other hand, I'm really excited to come to the Devils," the 32-year-old defenseman said in a conference call this morning. "You look at their roster and they have a lot of players who have come through their system like I did and that's important to me."

Salvador played 11 seasons in the Blues organization, seven in the NHL, before he was traded to the Devils on Tuesday morning for enforcer Cam Janssen. He didn't arrive in his hotel in New Jersey until after 10 p.m onTuesday. He underwent his physical this morning and met with general manager Lou Lamoriello. Salvador won't get a chance to practice with his new teammates until Thursday because the Devils have today off following three games in four days.

Salvador said he was told he was traded about 8:30 a.m. St. Louis time (9:30 Eastern).

"We were prepared for a possible trade, but never really expected it to happen," he said. "It's tough when you've been with an organization for (11) years."

Salvador is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and was in contract talks with the Blues, but when they re-signed Barret Jackman on Monday night (and with two years left on defenseman Jay McKee's contract at $4 million per), that sealed his fate.

"We were just talking back and forth. There was an atmosphere to get something done," he said. "The only deadline i had for the Blues was July 1. Sometimes what you want doesn't always happen. At some point, the business side has to take over."

Salvador said he is not thinking about whether he will re-sign with the Blues this summer and there has been no discussion with Lamoriello about whether the Devils want to sign him to an extension.

"My first goal is to come in here and make a seamless transition and not make a distraction to the team that is here right now," he said. "I'm just really looking forward to meeting the guys tomorrow."

Salvador, a physical, stay-at-home defenseman, was paired this season with Eric Brewer in a duo the Blues matched against the opposition's top lines. His plus-12 defensive rating was the best on the team.

"Just basically whatever it takes to help the team win is what I try to bring," he said. "Most importantly, I want to bring a presence where I'm tough to play against, I outwork you and keep you off the board."

For those of you who were asking, Salvador will wear No. 24. "There's no significance to the number," he said. "It was given to me."

http://njmg.typepad.com/devilsblog/2008/02/salvador-lookin.html#more

A lot of Devils fans were kind of puzzled about the trade, since we now have 9 defenseman, none of which are a real #1 guy. But the more I hear/read about him, I think we're going to like Salvador in NJ. His team-leading +12 certainly stands out. And I think we can use another guy like him that won't take any shit.

Janssen Traded to Blues for Bryce Salvador

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:52:38 GMT

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=230605&hubname=nhl

The New Jersey Devils have bolstered their defence for the stretch run, acquiring defenceman Bryce Salvador from the St. Louis Blues.

Salvador, 32, has 11 points and 43 penalty minutes in 56 games this season.

"We feel that Cam's style of play will bring energy and grit to our lineup and being from St. Louis, feel that he will be an instant fan favorite here," said team president John Davidson in a statement.

"Our depth at defense enabled us to make this move. We admire and respect Bryce as a player for what he did on and off the ice in St. Louis and thank Bryce and his wife April for their contributions as members of our family."

Janssen, 23, was born in St. Louis and played for the St. Louis Sting (NAHL) in 2000-01. He was the first St. Louisan to play in the Ontario Hockey League when he played for Windsor in 2000-01. He was New Jersey's 4th round choice (117th overall) in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-0, 210-pound winger played in 47 games during his rookie season (2005-06) in the NHL and followed that up with 48 games played in 2006-07.

Oddly, it doesn't say in the headline that the Blues got Janssen, but if you read the article, it's pretty clear.

From a Devils fan's perspective, we really just didn't need Janssen anymore. I like the guy, but I think Clarkson kind of stepped into his role as the energy guy willing to drop the gloves with just about anyone. And Clarkson has a lot more offensive talent. Plus, as JD said, Janssen's playing in his hometown now, so that should be good for him.

I don't know much about Salvador, but at first glance, he doesn't really seem to be what we needed. But then, In Lou We Trust.

discounts

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:28:35 GMT

Rutgers Devils Nights
Devils vs. Islanders – Saturday, February 23, 2008, 1 p.m.
Devils vs. Lightning – Friday, March 7, 2008, 7 p.m.
Prudential Center, Newark, NJ

Join other Rutgers alumni and friends at one or both of the Rutgers Devils Nights this season. Take advantage of special Rutgers ticket pricing! Tickets are only $35 for balcony seating! To purchase hockey tickets at a discounted rate for the February 23 game use code: ru022308; for the March 7 game, code: ru030708.

Leap Year Pack

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:46:39 GMT

in case you didn't know... Buy discount lower level tickets (granite) to four games in Feb and get the Caps game FREE!
(only $250 total)

http://devils.nhl.com/tickets/leapyearplan.htm

I think this is a pretty good deal...

Gionta / Chara

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:17:40 GMT

discount tix????

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:53:32 GMT

Anyone have a code for the Buffalo game on December 28th???

Well, that's going to suck

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:23:32 GMT

Bill tacks 5 percent on tickets to The Rock
by Dunstan McNichol
Monday December 10, 2007, 12:39 PM

Hockey fans and the patrons of other events at the new Prudential Center in Newark would be hit with a special 5 percent tax on their tickets under legislation speeding through the state Legislature today.

The measure, designed to raise funds from sports fans and concertgoers to offset traffic control and security costs, won approval today from the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The endorsement comes less than two weeks after the bill authorizing the surcharge, (S-2971), was introduced on Nov. 29.

Separately, committee members deferred consideration of a companion measure (S-2891) that would let Newark, Elizabeth and Jersey City impose a 7 percent surcharge on parking fees for arena events to pay for municipal services associated with the arena.

Both measures were introduced after the November elections, and will die unless they are approved by both the Senate and Assembly before the current session ends Jan. 8.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/12/bill_tacks_5_percent_on_ticket.html

Help.

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:48:23 GMT

I'm looking for a clip of that "thru the legs" dump in Parise made last night. I think it was in the second period?

Brodeur Autograph Signing Tomorrow in Freehold

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:50:50 GMT

MARTIN BRODEUR Signing Autographs at BC Sports in the Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold, NJ!
Where: BC Sports in the Freehold Raceway Mall
When: Thursday, November 29th, 2007
Time: 6:00-7:30 PM
Phone: (732) 761-8929

AUTOGRAPH TICKET FOR: TICKET PRICE: QUANTITY:
Pucks or Photos $75.00 In Store Only
Jerseys, Numbers, Sticks, or Equipment $100.00 In Store Only

LINK

Just Passing on the Savings...

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:00:45 GMT

Devils Ticket Discount Codes:

November 28th Vs. Dallas Stars

AAA112807 - $65 seats for $32

BCBS112807 - $65 seats for $40

DFM112807 - $65 seats for $35 for

November 30th Vs. Montreal Canadians

NJEA113007 - $65 seats for $30

December 2nd Vs. Atlanta Thrashers

AAA120207 - $65 seats for $32

DFM120207 - $65 seats for $35

Devils vs Bruins Dec. 5th

gonwk120507 - $65 for $28 for college students

Devils vs. Flyers

se121607 - $65 for $32 for NJ state employees

Dec. 15 Vs. Phoenix
YH121507 $65 tix for $28

January 4th Vs. Philly
$65 seats for only $35 each Code: com010408

Devils Vs. PanthersFriday, January 18th 7:00 PM

dfc011808 - $65 tickets for $38

Jan. 24 vs. Canadiens
$65 for $35 code: njs012408

January 29th Vs. Pittsburgh
$65 seats for only $35 each Code: com012908

Congratulations to Scott Stevens!

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:54:41 GMT

Check out TSN's website for some clips on the induction. One clip has segments from the players' speeches. Stevens is towards the end, and again he's gushing about his wife. He almost got choked up again! It sucks that he seems to be overshadowed by Messier. That guy annoys me. But still, Scotty's a Hall of Famer now!

And here's a Scott Stevens tribute that someone put up on You Tube.

More Tickets..... Vs. Flyers...

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:30:44 GMT

Get a $65 ticket for $35

Devils vs Flyers
Thursday November 8th, 7 PM
Prudential Center

Offer Code: DFM110807

https://www.njdevilsticketprograms.com/index.php

NJ Devils Vs Montreal Canadiens November 30, 2007

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:03:27 GMT

Ticket Offer for Candaiens game

NJ Devils vs. Montreal Canadians

Friday, November 30, 7:00pm

Prudential Center, Newark

Get $65 tickets for only $30!

http://www.njdevilsticketprograms.com
offer code njea113007

I haven't seen this posted here yet probably because you have to get the NJEA newspaper. It's gotta be good for something right? :) Enjoy!

Ticket Offer for Stars game...

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:58:59 GMT

NJ Devils vs. Dallas Stars

Wednesday, November 28, 7:00pm

Prudential Center, Newark

get a $65 for only $32 !!!

www.njdevilsticketprograms.com
offer code aaa112807

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 18:48:12 GMT

I wasn't impressed and I'm still not impressed now. THIS TEAM HAS NO OFFENSE! Madden is our leading scorer. That should never happen, no disrespect to him. All last year it was Gionta or Gomez. If it wasn't for Gomez we wouldn't have scored in the last game against Ottawa. My God Lou are you watching the same players we are?? It shouldn't all be on Elias's shoulders but face it there is NO ONE else. Parise, Zajac, Gionta and Elias are the offense. 4 guys! Good teams have about 10 scoring threats.

And another thing the goals that we get have to be reviewed which means that they BARELY were goals. Once the tape-to-tape goals happen I'll be more optimistic.

Discount Codes for Devils Games

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 18:13:54 GMT

www.njdevilsticketprograms.com or ticketmaster.com to use codes.

October 31st Vs. Tampa Bay Lightning AA103107 - $65 seats for $32

November 2nd Vs. Toronto Maple Leafs BSA110207 - $65 seats for $32

November 5th Vs. Pittsburgh Penguins SE110507 - $65 seats for $32

November 16th Vs. New York Islanders AAA111607 - $65 seats for $32

November 28th Vs. Dallas Stars AAA112807 - $65 seats for $32

December 2nd Vs. Atlanta Thrashers AAA120207 - $65 seats for $32

Interactive Maps

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:26:31 GMT

Here are links to 2 interactive maps, one of the Prudential Center and one of Downtown Newark.

Interactive Arena Map

Interactive Downtown Newark Map

They take a minute to two to load. The Downtown Newark one isn't that interesting, but I work right near there on the weekend, so I guess I'm used to seeing the area. The arena one is pretty cool.