We’ve all heard the insult before. “Your team held its Stanley Cup parades in a parking lot.” And, sure, good burn bro, but it was the coolest parking lot party you’ve ever been to.
The New Jersey Devils won three Stanley Cups from 1995 to 2003. Each time, they held parades in the parking lot at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford.
It kind of made sense. Unlike other teams across the league, the Devils didn’t play in a big city. Around 10,000 people live in East Rutherford. It essentially exists for the stadiums and the American Dream Mall. There really isn’t a place in the city that makes sense to shut everything down.
In Newark, there is at least a city to build the parade around. The train transportation allows for a much bigger crowd without everyone driving there, with tens of thousands of fans showing up for each celebration. Some estimates had the Devils previous parades hitting 40,000 people. While we couldn’t fit 40,000 people in Edison Place, we could extend the parade to Market Street to make sure that everyone could be accomidated.
With how much time has gone by, we’d expect even more people to show up to this parade.
The Devils could get very creative with their Stanley Cup parade
But what if the Devils tried something different? What if they really celebrated the fact that the team represents all of New Jersey?
The Devils could hold a celebration at the original Meadowlands, honoring the legacy of the franchise and the original parking lot celebrations the older fans remember. It could touch on some of the biggest places in New Jersey, including the Jersey Shore, Hoboken, Princeton, and parts of Monmouth County. Other areas should also be included, but in the interest of time, let’s say it’s a list of five destinations.
Then, the “parade” can end in Newark, coming down Market Street until they have the official ceremony at Edison Place. That’s where we will hear speeches from the Devils faithful, and the team will present the Cup to the fans as champions.
The biggest issue here is actually the players. Can they keep the energy up for five or six stops, even coming off a Stanley Cup championship? It seems like we’re asking for disaster here with the low energy hitting just as they get to the speeches and the presentation.
Obviously, there’s nothing saying this is an issue for the Devils right now. Nobody is really picking them to win the Stanley Cup.
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