5 Players That Rocked New Jersey Devils When They Departed
Earlier this week, the New Jersey Devils traded Taylor Hall to the Arizona Coyotes for a package of prospects and draft picks. Some folks were sad, some mad and others glad. Regardless of how you feel about Hall now, this could not have been the ending we envisioned for him and the Devils entering this season. Sadly, losing good players has become an all too familiar reality for fans of this franchise. The former league MVP is just the latest and he joins a long list of star players to leave the Garden State behind for greener pastures.
As frustrating as it is to lose a player like Taylor Hall, his departure does not compare to the exodus of other former Devils. I have assembled my own personal list of five players that rocked the franchise with their departures.
Bobby Holik
Bobby Holik played 11 seasons with the Devils and was part of the famed “Crash Line” along with Randy McKay and Mike Peluso. The trio rock and rolled New Jersey onto a shocking Stanley Cup run in 1995. Holik had four consecutive 20+ goals seasons with the Devils from 1996 to 2000 and later won a second Cup with the team in 1999-00.
The 6’ 4”, 240lb. Czech was a bruising force that endeared himself to the New Jersey faithful, but he all but eradicated any and all goodwill and forever vilified himself to the fanbase when he bolted from Jersey to sign a mega-deal with the hated New York Rangers prior to the 2002-03 season. In a somewhat shocking turn of events, Holik returned to the Devils for the 2008-09 season, it would be his last. He retired that summer following an 18-year NHL career.
When Holik decided to join the Rangers is sent shockwaves through the fanbase. He had become such an integral part of the Devils’ identity that seeing him wearing the enemy’s sweater was both gut-wrenching and sickening. I’m sick just writing this.
Scott Niedermayer
Scott Niedermayer was drafted third overall by New Jersey in the 1991 NHL Draft, and he seemed destined to become a Devils’ player for life. His slick skating and off-the-charts hockey IQ made him a dynamic talent. His claim to fame came very early on in his career when he took the puck end-to-end in game two of the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals and beat Mike Vernon to the tie the game. That goal is considered the defining moment of that series and a major factor in the surprising sweep of the mighty Red Wings.
When Scott Niedermayer left the Devils to join his brother in Anaheim following the 2003-04 season it was not a huge surprise. Niedermayer and the Devils had a history of contract disputes, but they always found a way to come to terms. It was well known that the Niedermayer brothers had a strong desire to play together, but many of us believed it would be in the swamps of New Jersey and not under the Southern California sun. When he hit free agency in the summer of 2005, Niedermayer shunned a lucrative offer from New Jersey and signed a lesser deal with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The brothers were reunited and the Devils were left standing alone at the altar once again.
Niedermayer won three Stanley Cups with the Devils and would lift a fourth alongside his brother with the Ducks. The former Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe winner helped strengthen two franchises on his way to being named one of the NHL’s 100 greatest players. He’s since been inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame and had his jersey retired by both the franchises he played for. The mark he left in New Jersey in undeniable, but his departure still leaves a sour taste in my mouth to this day.
Ilya Kovalchuk
Perhaps the strangest of all tenures with the Devils, Ilya Kovalchuk came in like a lion and went out with a wham – to our faces. In 2010, Kovalchuk was in the final year of his contract with the Atlanta Thrashers. The Russian sniper turned down several extension offers before the Thrashers eventually traded him to the Devils. It was a similar situation to the Devils and Hall this season sans the offers – allegedly. Kovalchuk made an immediate impact in New Jersey, collecting 27 points (10g 17a) in his first 27 games as a Devil. The Devils officially had a bonafide sniper – the first since Alexander Mogilny donned the horned NJ on his chest.
That summer would be a record-setter for both the Devils and the NHL. Kovalchuk fielded several offers from other teams before accepting a massive 17-year $102 million deal from New Jersey. That blockbuster pact was vetoed by the league for circumventing the salary cap. After many trials and tribulations (and subsequent league punishment), a deal was finalized. The Devils inked the Russian star to a massive 15-year $100 million deal. Kovalchuk would be a Devil for life.
Kovalchuk scored more than 30 goals in each of his first two full seasons while helping the Devils advance to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final. The following season he scored just 11 goals in a lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. While the NHL and NHLPA played ping pong with our hearts, Kovalchuk was granted permission to play for SKA of the KHL and the table was set for what would come next.
In July of 2013, Kovalchuk shocked fans in New Jersey and beyond by retiring from the NHL. The ink on his new four-year deal with SKA was dry long before our tears of bitter disappointment were. As expected “Kovy” was vilified by NHL fans – as he should be. Kovalchuk was the star Devil fans were hungry for. His electrifying goal-scoring and enthusiastic goal celebrations made him a hit, but the way he left the Devils high and dry ruined his legacy as an NHLer. Two seasons ago he returned to the NHL, signing a three-year deal with the L.A. Kings and less than halfway through that deal his contract was terminated. What goes around comes around.
Zach Parise
This one stings. Zach Parise was drafted 17th overall in 2003, just weeks after the Devils raised their last Stanley Cup. His arrival signified a passing of the torch and was supposed to usher in another successful decade of Devils hockey. A hardworking, hard skating winger with a nose for the net – he was a perfect fit with the Devils.
The American born winger scored more than 30 goals in five of his seven seasons in the Garden State. Parise had a career year in 2008-09, scoring 45 goals and 94 points in 82 games. For a stretch, he was easily the Devils’ biggest offensive threat and was named team MVP from 2008-2010. Parise was named captain before the start of the 2011-12 season. Once again he eclipsed the 30-goal mark and had a career playoff-high 15 points (8g 7a) during the Devils run to the Cup Final later that season. Despite his expiring contract, many of us did not expect that to be his last hurrah in the Devils organization.
That summer Parise returned home to Minnesota, signing matching 13-year $98 million contracts with his best buddy Ryan Suter to play for the Wild. He grew up rooting for the North Stars, the team his father J.P. once played for and a return to the North Star State seemed fitting.
Parise failed to replicate the success he found with the Devils. He’s been plagued by injuries, never playing more than 74 games in a single season with the Wild. His offense dipped too, reaching the 30-goal mark just once in seven seasons.
Scott Gomez
Perhaps the most controversial addition to my list, Gomez was a player I could not leave out. The Alaskan born center made a name for himself by winning the Calder Trophy in 1999-00. He collected 70 points (19g 51a) in his rookie year and added 10 more (4g 6a) in 23 playoff games en route to the franchises second Stanley Cup win. Known as a crafty playmaker with good speed and a flashy smile, Gomez soon found himself as a go-to guy in Jersey.
In 2005-06 Gomez posted career highs in goals (33) and points (84). The following season he eclipsed the 60-point mark for the sixth time in seven seasons, setting up what was to come next – a massive free-agent payday. That summer Gomez signed a seven-year $51.5 million deal with those hated ones across the Hudson. Once again another mainstay and multi-Cup winner jumped ship for the Blue Shirts. Devils’ fans already had a love/hate relationship with Gomer – now they just hated him. As if to rub salt in the wounds, Gomez took a few shots on the way out of town saying both he and the organization were ready to “move on” from each other.
Gomez lasted just two seasons in New York before winding up in Montreal for several seasons. His career petered off from their playing for five different teams in his final five seasons, including a ho-hum return to New Jersey in 2014-15.
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Taylor Hall was a Devil for three and half seasons and while his MVP season will not be forgotten, his impact on the franchise and ultimate departure fail to compare to those that came before him. And just as we did with all the players that came before him – we will move on and have our hearts ripped out by Jack Hughes when he signs a lucrative contract with the Rangers someday.