Scott Niedermayer is one of the most treasured household names in all of New Jersey Devils’ history. The 12-year New Jersey veteran aided the Devils to three Stanley Cup victories, with his patented smooth-skating, puck-moving skill set being one-of-one for his era.
Niedermayer is one of just nine players in NHL history to have their number retired by two different organizations, being retired by both the Anaheim Ducks and the New Jersey Devils. While his flashiest years production-wise came in California, he will always be remembered for his play while in New Jersey.
He just had a dirty little secret aired, though.
In a recent episode of the Devils’ Advocates Podcast, fellow Devils legend Ken Daneyko divulged some touchy information about his Hall-of-Fame teammate while anecdotally talking about potential breakout candidate Luke Hughes:
"Scott Neidermayer, I'll be the first to tell you. Still, to this day, one of my favorite people and favorite players, and he goes, ‘Thank god I finally listened to Kenny.' He was stubborn as a mule. He asked for a trade as a young player – he was frustrated with everything."Ken Daneyko, via Devils Advocates Pod
Contextually, Daneyko was speaking of the frustrations Niedermayer was dealing with as a young, rising star in the NHL. That’s all well and good, but nowhere was it ever reported that he asked for a trade.
Substack: https://t.co/01nZ29jlX9
— JP Gambatese (@jp_gambatese) July 30, 2026
Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/s05BPKKvfu
Spotify: https://t.co/J0u1YmvGd7
Of course, the inclination should be to trust Daneyko with this one. Then-Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello was notoriously tight-lipped, and Daneyko was certainly considered the team’s go-to locker room guy at the time. If anyone knew, it was him.
Importantly, the trade request allegedly happened in the early part of his career, before he cemented himself as one of the top defensemen in the sport. We can only assume this was in some range of 1992 to 1998, when Niedermayer was between the ages of 19 and 25. If Lamoriello caved to his trade request, who knows what could have happened in 2000 and 2003? Without the likes of an all-world defenseman on the team, it’s probable that the Devils never got back into the Cup Finals, let alone bring home the trophy both years.
It’s also possible that the trade request had to do with the eventual departure Niedermayer gave to the Devils’ organization to pursue playing with his brother, Rob. Regardless, the request was allegedly rescinded after Scott improved his mental fortitude.
All that said, kudos to Lamoriello for understanding the value Niedermayer brought to the organization and neglecting to adhere to his trade request. Who knows if the Devils would have ever won a Cup without him?
Add us as a preferred source on Google