We all know the story. It’s been written in Devils franchise lore since the start of the 1982-83 regular season. The Colorado Rockies cease to exist (in hockey anyway) and became the New Jersey Devils. What you might not know is the franchise had to compensate the three existing teams in the region – the Rangers, Islanders, and Flyers – for encroaching on their territory.
The New Jersey Devils are about to celebrate their 40th anniversary season and have three Stanley Cup Championships to show for it. However, the territories in New Jersey are still a major issue. The northern parts of the state have many Devils fans but are almost split equally, it seems, with the fandom of the New York Rangers and a scattering of Islanders fans. Down in the lower counties in New Jersey (the birthplace of the folklore where the actual team names derived from) is almost exclusively Flyers fans.
Johnny Gaudreau, a Salem, NJ native; who left Calgary to “be closer to family” grew up a Philly fan and decided to sign in Columbus after Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher said the Flyers weren’t in on “Johnny Hockey”. It’s pretty well documented that the closest team with a good offer was the Devils. And he passed them up. Why?
“I was super thankful Columbus called during that late hour in the afternoon,” he added. “I think I was trying to get a deal done with the Devils, and then Columbus called,” Gaudreau said on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast. Is it a possibility he just didn’t want to play for a team he grew up hating? Absolutely.
It seems like a majority of Devils fans live between Hoboken and Toms River. That’s nearly half the Garden State still recognizing their favorite Hockey Team as something other than “Jersey’s Team”.
The ownership Group HBSE also owns the Philadelphia 76ers and must know the territorial truth. The Devils need to find a way to connect with fans in the southern NJ market. Marketing, in general, becomes way easier with a winning team. There are hockey fans across the Garden State. It’s time to get the people born and raised in Jersey to root for Jersey’s Team.
This may be the reason for the draft party being in Asbury Park, The Dougie Hamilton Six Flags schedule promotion video and some of the “Devils Beach Bashes” in recent years. The Red and Black need to keep consistently showing up in all parts of the state, not just north of freehold.
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This Devils team is young and exciting and that’s the type of fans it desperately needs to be recruiting. Jack Hughes should be a household name in the state and it’s a hope we can get there. It’s time we take our encroachment penalty back.