The New Jersey Devils season has ended, and so has the multi-year reign of the “Jersey” jerseys. The black alternates were the team’s first-ever third jersey in franchise history and featured many references to their home state’s history, culture, and hockey history. It was announced this would be their final season earlier this year. The Devils' last home game of the regular season, April 12th overtime winner against the Ottawa Senators, was the last game for the jerseys.
If the team wants to come up with a new alternate for next season, maybe they can look to the state’s former World Hockey Association team for inspiration. The Jersey Knights played in the state from 1973-1974 after relocating from Madison Square Garden as the New York Raiders/Golden Blades franchise. After moving to New Jersey, the team adopted a jersey crest of a stylized block “K” with a horse on top, reminiscent of the chess piece known as the “knight”. You can take a look at what their home and away jerseys looked like here.
Wearing this jersey 2 tonight's Reading Royals game. I wonder if anyone will remember the Jersey Knights of the #WHA pic.twitter.com/sww45uBHOl
— 𝕸𝖊𝖙𝖆𝖑 Mike Yosko (@hockeyandmetal) November 26, 2014
During their New Jersey tenure, the team’s color scheme was mainly a dark blue, borderline purple, along with orange. TrueColor lists their official colors as being “blue, orange, and white”. The white version of the jersey bears a slight color resemblance to the Devils' second round of “reverse retro” jerseys, which used the Kansas City Scouts' color scheme.
Wearing new jerseys inspired by the Knight would be a nice historical nod to what was New Jersey’s first “major league” hockey franchise. Their existence has largely been overlooked in the chapters of hockey history with a bit of irony as the NHL franchise they followed would go onto experience periods of great success.
Should the New Jersey Devils pay homage to a former New Jersey hockey team?
There are a few problems with the idea, however. First, during their New Jersey tenure, the Knights' home arena was in Cherry Hill. That’s more in Philadelphia Flyers territory than the North Jersey communities the Devils call home in Newark and previously East Rutherford.
Second is the primary color of orange. That’s the color of one of the Devils' most hated rivals, the aforementioned Flyers. Putting the team in jerseys that even somewhat resemble their foes from down the turnpike is sure to draw the criticism of Devils fans. This all goes without mentioning that the Knights' stay in New Jersey was short-lived and filled with problems, including an inadequate arena and living in the Flyers' shadow. The team would relocate to become the San Diego Mariners in 1974. It’s an interesting story, but does a franchise seeking success in the present want to look back on a failed team in the past?
Maybe there’s a way to reimagine it and make the idea work. Devils fans loved the idea of a black and white alternate jersey. What if they used the Knights logo in that color scheme? Maybe even a little bit of an update of the logo for the 21st century? Make that color scheme less “Flyers” like, and it just might be an idea worth considering.
Any potential decision might come down to “how many of these will fans really buy?” While there were some polarizing reactions to the “Jersey” jerseys introduction it did proudly display and show pride for the state. The Knights logo might have a harder time being accepted as it’s less compatible with the Devils “brand,” which leans heavily into the “we’re from New Jersey and proud of it” theme. Maybe if they can find a way to combine that logo with the “jersey” wordmark, it can work.
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