Greatest New Jersey Devils player of all time: 33. Tommy Albelin
Tommy Albelin is not a name that usually comes up when people bring up the all-time greats, but he has a special place in New Jersey Devils history. He was one of the first players to notoriously return to the franchise, something that became a Lou Lamoriello favorite. He was traded to the Devils in 1988, as the franchise was hoping to build off the momentum of their 1988 run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Albelin was equal parts offense and defense from the back line. He would regularly record 20+ assists per season. Then, he would play a pivotal role in the playoffs. His safe style was not appreciated in his time, but his ability to stay in the right position and stay out of the box gave the Devils an advantage on the ice. During the Devils’ run to the 1995 Stanley Cup, he only had one postseason penalty.
Albelin was traded to the Calgary Flames in 1996 in a deal that brought Phil Housley to New Jersey. After six largely unsuccessful years in Calgary, Albelin went back to the Devils. At this point, he was in the twilight of his career. He ended up winning his second Stanley Cup in 2003. The Devils didn’t ask him to do too much, but at 38 years old, it was impressive he played 14 minutes per game on a Cup winner.
His career came to an end in 2006 at 41 years old. He ended up spending 10 years in New Jersey as a player, and he would be a coach in the system for another eight years before eventually leaving for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He now coaches in Switzerland full time.