Last season, the New Jersey Devils announced that Sergei Brylin would be joining the team's Ring of Honor. Up until that point, the only person who was added to the Ring of Honor was former owner Dr. John McMullen, who was the architect to bring the team to New Jersey and helped them navigate the waters of joining a market that already had two other hockey teams taking up real estate.
The Devils added McMullen to the Ring of Honor in 2017 to coincide with the team's 35th anniversary in the Garden State. Many thought other names would quickly join him, but it took six years before the Devils named Brylin.
We learned that the Devils would have back-to-back seasons with Ring of Honor recepients when they announced their promotional schedule in September. There was a post there saying a new member of the Ring would be added, but not much else was added to the announcement. On Monday, we learned who was going to be added.
Jacques Lemaire set the standard for Devils hockey.
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 9, 2024
Now, his name will forever sit with the legends of our franchise.#MadeInJersey | @citizensbank pic.twitter.com/vHwylNANnk
This is an obvious decision. Jacques Lemaire is the greatest head coach in Devils history. He put together the famous 1-3-1 trap that helped the Devils win the 1995 Stanley Cup, and he's by far the team's winningest head coach with a 276-166-57-10 record over seven seasons. He also went 35-26 in the playoffs.
Lemaire is one of the premiere coaches in this sport, winning the Jack Adams Award twice, including once with the Devils in 1994. He coached for 17 seasons and is ranked 22nd all-time with 617 wins. He coached the Montreal Canadiens before the Devils, and he coached the Minnesota Wild in-between his two Devils stints.
Lemaire shocking re-joined the Devils in 2009. While it wasn't shocking at the time (Lemaire was very clearly the favorite to get the job), it wasn't something people expected after how his first stint ended. The Devils needed a steady hand after the end of the Brent Sutter tenure, and with so many veterans on the roster at the time, it made sense to hire Lemaire. He brought them to the playoffs in his first year, but he stepped down after that season. Then, John MacLean had the worst possible start for a head coach, and Lemaire returned yet again. He righted the ship, but not enough to bring the Devils back to prosperity.
This move is a no-brainer. He's already a Hockey Hall of Famer from his playing career, but the impact he had behind the Devils' bench is second to none.
The 79-year-old is currently a special assistant with the New York Islanders, pairing once again with his former GM Lou Lamoriello. One has to figure he's next for Ring of Honor status, if he were to even accept it.