The New Jersey Devils have honored the great players of its past for most of their tenure in New Jersey. They’ve really leaned on those who helped them win any one of their three championships in 1995, 2000, and 2003. Fans love to talk about Alexander Mogilny, who was here for the 2000 and 2001 runs to the Stanley Cup Final. Sergei Brylin was just honored with a spot in the Ring of Honor.
Heck, players like Grant Marshall, Jeff Friesen, Brian Rafalski, and Jay Pandolfo are considered fan favorites to this day. So many had a role in those three Stanley Cup wins, but one player who had probably as big an impact as anyone not named Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens, and Scott Niedermayer on at least two of those Cup wins isn’t considered in these fan favorite conversations.
Claude Lemieux was the most important player on the 1995 New Jersey Devils. This was a team coming off a devastating loss in 1994 to their biggest rivals. The New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup because the Devils failed to beat them in Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Many teams have trouble bouncing back from that.
The Devils, along with the rest of the NHL, had to deal with a truncated schedule in 1995 because of the NHL Lockout. The Devils were up to the task.
After scoring 41 goals in 1991-92, Lemieux was coming off a mediocre regular season in 1995. His high scoring seemingly disappeared overnight, and he was settling into a supporting role. The entire 1995 Devils team was pretty mediocre, finishing with a 22-18-8 record. They went into the playoffs as a five seed.
In the first round, Lemieux started on fire. He scored two goals in the very first game of the playoffs against the Boston Bruins, but it was against his counterpart Mario Lemieux where Claude Lemieux stepped up most. He scored six goals in the five-game series. Against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals, Lemieux scored a third-period goal in Game 6 that made it 4-1 with 10 minutes left, officially putting a nail in the Flyers’ season and sending the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final.
In the Final, the Devils entered as huge underdogs against the Detroit Red Wings. Lemieux scored a huge goal in Game 1 to give the Devils the lead in the third period. The team never looked back and swept the Wings to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
Claude Lemieux deserves more praise for his time with the New Jersey Devils
Lemieux scored 13 goals in 20 games that postseason, more goals than he scored in 45 games in the regular season. He was exactly what the Devils needed when they needed him.
Of course, the contract negotiation that offseason put a bad taste in some fans’ mouths. He forced his way out after Lou Lamoriello didn’t meet his contract demands. Unfortunately, the two couldn’t come to terms, and Lamoriello sent him to Colorado.
There, Lemieux put together another insane run in 1997, scoring another 13 goals in a postseason and helping the Avs win their first Stanley Cup.
If that was the end of Lemieux’s tenure, then we can understand why his “lore” was impacted. It is Lore Week at Fansided, and we’re taking a look at the most impactful people, places, and things that make our teams amazing. As much as people tell the story of the Devils with the Brodeurs, Stevenses, Eliases, and Daneykos, the Devils' success doesn’t exist without Lemieux.
And that was proven when the Devils failed to repeat their success in the late 90s. After missing the playoffs in 1996 and failing to get past the second round over the next four seasons, Lamoriello went back to the well and called Colorado to see what it would take to get Lemieux back during the 99-00 season.
Lamoriello actually put together a blockbuster. He sent Brian Rolston to Colorado for Lemieux, a first-round pick swap in 2000 and a conditional pick that ended up being 57th overall. The Devils and Avs both needed a change to shake up the roster. It really worked out for one of them.
Lemieux was what the Devils needed. He wasn’t just a goal scorer. He had the grit mentality to help the team dominate in the playoffs. Having someone with Lemieux’s scoring skill and ability to beat up his opponent was essential to winning in this era.
Lemieux didn’t have the same impact in 2000 that he had in 1995, but he had a very important goal that kept the Devils’ hopes alive. In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Flyers had the Devils facing elimination. Neither the Devils nor the Flyers could score, going into the third period at 0-0. Then, Lemieux finally figured out Ron Hextall. With a little over eight minutes left, Lemieux scored the first goal of the game, and the Devils ended up winning 2-1. If he doesn’t score, the Devils' season might end there.
The year 2000 would be Lemieux’s fourth career Stanley Cup. Just like the first Cup with New Jersey, Lemieux would be gone that offseason, signing with the Phoenix Coyotes.
This is a story of one player helping a team win two Cups, but he did it in two very different ways. When he left, many thought the relationship couldn't possibly be repaired. Then, they both needed each other. Lemieux wasn't as impactful after the 97 Cup run, and the Devils weren't winning anymore. There was chemistry here that was undeniable, and it's hard to say the Devils win either of their Cups without Lemieux.
Lemieux’s impact should be honored more by the Devils. Heck, he should be the next player inducted into the Devils’ Ring of Honor. He isn’t considered with the numbers in the rafters, but Lemieux is very impactful to the history of the Devils. They might be largely a disappointment if they only had one Stanley Cup in the Martin Brodeur era.
Lemieux is also a player agent today. He negotiated the Timo Meier contract, keeping him for a decade. He’s also Jack Roslovic’s agent, so maybe the Devils put him in the Ring of Honor, and Lemieux repays them with a third-line center.