New Jersey Devils: 3 Stadium Series Opponents Besides New York Rangers
The New Jersey Devils are rumored to be a host to a future Stadium Series game. They have options besides the New York Rangers that could make for a fun matchup.
Back in 2014, the New Jersey Devils were given the spotlight at Yankee Stadium, playing the first of two Stadium Series games against the New York Rangers. The New York Islanders played the other one. It was the second-ever Stadium Series game, so it felt special the Devils were being put in the spotlight. Even when the Devils were winning Stanley Cups, it felt like the NHL didn’t give them a marketing backup. This felt different. Despite the terrible performance, the Devils got some spotlight, and it felt good.
On Tuesday, we learned the Devils will likely play in another Stadium Series game. Former Devils goalie and current ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes broke the rumor.
https://twitter.com/KevinWeekes/status/1628128267193487379
There have been rematches in outdoor games, but it is hard to say the Devils should just keep playing the Rangers and Rangers only in these outdoor games. We get it, the Rangers are the draw of the Tri-State area. However, there are other teams to target. One is a rival that some consider on the same level to the Rangers despite their recent struggles.
1. Philadelphia Flyers
The Devils and Philadelphia Flyers share the same regional fight as the Devils and Rangers, only in a different area. While people in Newark, Union and Perth Amboy are fighting over Devils-Rangers, fans in Trenton, Princeton, and Atlantic City are fighting over the Devils and Flyers. The Flyers have been in many outdoor games already. Four years ago, the Penguins-Flyers Stadium Series game had close to 2 million viewers. That’s a draw for the NHL.
The issue here is the Flyers are terrible. They stand seventh in the Metropolitan Division, and it could get even worse next season. John Tortorella can’t get this team much better than competitive. That might push the NHL to look for a different opponent.
2. Los Angeles Kings
This one could be fun. The Devils and Los Angeles Kings faced off in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, the first Stanley Cup win for the Kings franchise. It was a fun series that included two overtime wins in the first two games, a furious comeback, and a terrible call that ruined Game 6 of the series.
Since then, the Devils and Kings have always had fun games. There are zero Devils on this roster who were here in 2012. The Kings still have a few, including Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, and Jonathan Quick. It could be a great story.
Now, the Kings and Devils are two of the up-and-coming teams that have some of the most exciting young players in the league. Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt can match up with Kevin Fiala, Adrian Kempe, and Arthur Kaliyev. There is a lot of youth on the ice, and the marketing efforts basically write themselves.
The NHL also gets the second-biggest U.S. media market on national television. Pairing the NY market with the LA market on ESPN makes for a great partnership. This would also help the Devils build a bigger audience. Well, as long as the NHL markets it much better than the league marketed Carolina-Washington this past weekend.
3. Boston Bruins
The Devils and Bruins have been two of the best teams in the NHL all season. The Bruins are hanging on to an era of great play as some of their stars get closer to retirement. Meanwhile, the Devils are just now entering what they hope is that era. It will be a great past versus future matchup.
The Devils and Bruins had two fun matchups in December. In the first matchup, the Devils made a furious comeback in the third period that fell just short, losing 4-3. In the second, Patrice Bergeron scored with four minutes left to give the Bruins the lead for good. About ten minutes prior to that, Nico Hischier tied the game. It was a fun game, even though the Devils came out on the losing end.
The Bruins and Devils will still be very fun next season. We expect a small drop off from the Bruins, but that’s just a regression to the mean. The Bruins will still drive a massive audience, and the jersey matchup with the Devils will be epic.
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In all likelihood, the league is going to make it Devils vs. Rangers in MetLife Stadium. It will be a ton of fun, and we hope the Devils win this time. It’ll be ten years since the Rangers destroyed Martin Brodeur in what inexplicably counted as a home game for the Devils. Now, it’s time for revenge. Still, any of these other matchups would be just as fun.