Back in the day, there was real vitriol within the New Jersey Devils fanbase. After decades of dominance, including three Stanley Cup wins, the hope was gone, and the rebuild was upon us. The rebuild was caused by two major moves. Zach Parise signing with the Minnesota Wild and Ilya Kovalchuk “retiring” to play in Russia crushed this franchise.
When Parise and Kovalchuk returned to New Jersey wearing a different uniform, Devils fans let them hear it every time they touched the puck. It was relentless against them, and it honestly made the stadium erupt every time the Devils scored. Fans were into the game at a level unlike we’ve ever seen in the regular season, so the roof was coming off the Prudential Center every time the team did something great.
We all understand why the Devils fanbase was doing that, and nobody can really blame them. Even when the fans are booing the Devils as a team for not playing at the level they think is necessary, that’s also fine. It’s an overall focus on the team.
Booing a member of the Devils every time he touches the puck and then cheering when he makes a mistake is absolutely insane. It’s unbecoming of this fanbase, and it should be beneath us.
We get that this is something Yankees fans do, but baseball is much different. That frustration comes after a bad at-bat from a struggling player. It doesn’t come while the player is trying to swing.
Devils fans boo Parise and Kovalchuk because they want to get in their heads during the play. We want to get in their heads and know that we’re putting a microscope on every play. What is the value to doing that to Luke Hughes?
Hughes is having a terrible game against the Carolina Hurricanes. At the time of this writing, Hughes has two own goals, and the Devils have scored one themselves. He is the direct reason for the 2-1 deficit going into the third period.
Still, booing the man while the Devils have the puck on the power play is so counterintuitive it’s hard to put into words. We want Hughes to redeem himself, but we’re actively making that harder.
Booing New Jersey Devils players shouldn't be coming from our own fans
This isn't only because of two mistakes, of course. Luke Hughes held out into training camp before signing a seven-year contract worth $9 million per season. Then, he preceded to put together one of the worst seasons we've seen from what's supposed to be a young star.
The Devils need a big comeback in the third period. If they beat the Hurricanes on Sunday, they’d be just three points out of the top spot in the Metropolitan Division. This division is insanely close and every point matters. This season has felt like a disaster, which is part of the reason for the booing, but they can very easily win the division.
Let’s keep the booing for opponents.