New Jersey Devils Are Ready To Party Like It’s The Year 2000

The New Jersey Devils have given fans little to celebrate in what was supposed to be a bounce-back year for the franchise. Say what you will about the organization’s on-ice product, but the Devils have been top notch in celebrating anniversaries and jersey retirements. On Saturday, February 1st, the Devils will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their second Stanley Cup championship which created so many fond memories for Devils fans.

If you are a fan of the New Jersey Devils, this championship holds a very special moment in your life. Whether it was your first memory as a hockey fan, created a special memory with a loved one, or shed light during a tough moment in life; this championship touched so many people for a variety of reasons.

If you ask Devils fans their favorite memory from the season, you will get a variety of answers. For some; it was Elias’s game-winning goal against the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals or Jason Arnott‘s series-clinching goal against the defending champion Dallas Stars. It could also be Ken Daneyko jumping for joy after scoring a goal in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, John Madden‘s shorthanded goal in Game 4 of the Finals, or Scott Stevens delivering a ferocious hit on Eric Lindros in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Devils were often scrutinized for their brand of hockey; beginning when the team first won the Stanley Cup in 1995. As Devils fans, we’ve heard it all from those envious of the success the team had. The Devils have been called ‘boring,’ all they did was ‘clutch and grab,’ and the Devils couldn’t win unless it was a shortened lockout season. Well, the 2000 Devils proved all of their doubters wrong.

The Devils stayed true to their style of hockey and identity. No name on the back of the Devils’ jersey was bigger than the logo on its chest. What people don’t remember or choose to forget is that the Devils not only excelled on defense, but the Devils were one of the league’s premier offensive teams. The Devils were the highest scoring team in the Eastern Conference and second in the league, only to the Detroit Red Wings.

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The Devils’ foundation was built in net, starting with franchise goaltender Martin Brodeur and stalwarts on defense anchored by the likes of Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Ken Daneyko. The ‘A-Line,’ consisting of Patrik Elias, Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora became one of the most dynamic offensive lines in all of hockey. Rookie phenoms Scott Gomez, John Madden, Brian Rafalski and Colin White injected exuberance in the team while Sergei Brylin, Jay Panolfo, Bobby Holik, Randy McKay and Sergei Nemchinov perfectly complimented the team as role players.

Devils architect and then General Manager Lou Lamoriello pulled an ace out of his sleeve once again with his in season acquisition of elite goal scorer Alexander Mogilny from the Vancouver Canucks. Many rumblings suggested that the Devils were looking to deal for Mogilny’s teammate Mark Messier, but Lamoriello shrewdly acquired Mogilny instead. While Mogilny didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard during the playoffs, his presence was always felt with Gomez on the second line. Perhaps one of the boldest moves was trading away Brian Rolston to Colorado for former Devil and Conn Smythe trophy winner Claude Lemieux. Lamoriello also acquired veteran defenseman Vladimir Malakhov as an insurance for the defense.

It is not to say that the 2000 Devils did not face any adversity. Since winning their first championship in 1995, the Devils suffered many early-round playoff defeats at the hands of far worse teams. The Devils fired head coach Robbie Ftorek nine games before the 2000 postseason. They struggled towards the end of the regular season and also overcame a 3-1 deficit in the Eastern Conferense Finals to their heated rivals the Philadelphia Flyers. In spite of the adversities bestowed upon them, like any true champion the Devils persevered.

In what has been a difficult season for the franchise and fans alike, it’ll be a unique opportunity to see 1999-2000 team on the ice together once again. This will be a fun week to reminisce the many joys the team has given this fan base through highlights and stories of their Stanley Cup run. ‘It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right. I hope you had the time of your life’ is a lyric of the song ‘Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) from the band Green Day. This lyric epitomizes what the 1999-2000 Devils mean to so many fans.