New Jersey Devils: What We Can Learn From the “334 Club”
By Mike Luci
MSG Networks recently released an online documentary commemorating the New Jersey Devils and night of January 22, 1987 when the infamous “334 Club” was formed. A vicious snowstorm battered the East Coast that day, dropping almost two feet of snow on the Tri-State Area. New Jersey had a home game against the Calgary Flames that night and were expecting a crowd of approximately 11,247, based on the number of tickets sold.
Only 334 fans showed up.
The game was delayed for almost two hours, which the Devils wound up winning 7-5. The New Jersey Devils took down the names of every fan in attendance, who received a letter indoctrinating them into the infamous “334 Club,” along with a t-shirt and official badge. The attendees of New Jersey’s January 22, 1987 bout remain the smallest crowd in NHL history.
While watching this documentary, which comes out over two weeks after the event’s 32nd anniversary, the circumstances and committed fans who showed up made me think about this current situation the Devils are in and what we as fans can learn from that night. This story ties in with the current state of the New Jersey Devils, because it serves as a strong reminder of what one of the true meanings of being a Devils fan, or any sports fan for that matter, is really about—sticking with your team, regardless of the circumstances.
The 1986-1987 New Jersey Devils finished with the second-worst record in the league that season and were yet to make a playoff appearance since relocating to the Garden State. The 334 attendees of that game accounted for only 2.97 percent of the expected crowd—diehard fans who endured multi-hour drives (that normally took 10 minutes) in brutal weather conditions to see their below-subpar team play another regular season matchup. If what those fans did doesn’t exemplify the diehard sports fan persona, then I don’t know what else could.
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Fast-forward to present day, where the New Jersey Devils are poised to miss the postseason for the sixth time in seven seasons. This year’s campaign particularly stings, considering the Devils are coming off an encouraging 2017-2018 season that gave them their first playoff berth since 2012. As we all know, many fans are frustrated (myself included) and are pointing fingers at coaching, management, along with certain players as the causes behind the Devils’ seemingly-regressive step back.
If you consider the outlook many Devils fans presently have about this team, imagine how they’d act if they were rooting for the 1986-87 New Jersey Devils? Now think of the commitments made by the 334 diehard fans, who braved a vicious snowstorm just to see their team play. It may have been one of the worst in the NHL at the time, but it was their team. If 334 Devils fans were passionate enough about this team to brave a snow storm to see them play over 30 years ago, then the tens of thousands of Devils fans we have today shouldn’t see their enthusiasm for this current team fade amidst the current circumstances.
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Things may not be going well right now like they were in 1987, but the commitment from those 334 fans who braved the elements on that cold stormy night indicated their hope and optimism that things would get better for their team—which they most certainly did. That’s definitely something to put in perspective when you think about this current Devils team moving forward.