What made you sell your soul to the Devil?

How did you become a Devils fan?

Besides from being your local team or moving away from NJ, I'm just curious as I see people posting from all over North America & Europe and other parts of the world.

Don't know if it has been covered already, but I think it would be an interesting thread.

well... when i was about 8 one of my mates liked hockey, so i started liking hockey. He kinda went for NJ so i did too. Only way i could get any info on NJ was through video games and hockey cards though

I know Mike Peluso pretty well and whatever team he played for was my favorite team. He was traded to New Jersey so they were my favorite team when he was traded they stayed my favorite team.

My first hockey game I ever watched was in the 99-00 SCF. I was amazed by the exciting forwards and amazing defense. They were the whole package. Then I fell in discovered with this guy named Brodeur, and that sealed the deal.

I jumped on the bandwagon in 2000, but I never jumped off. Living in Buffalo, everyone I know hassles me, but I'm a Devils fan at heart.

Dug this up from it's grave:

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=207237

Dug this up from it's grave:

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=207237

nice find....i remember that thread....i recently got myself a Devils Car Flag....if i find anyone else in alberta, let alone western canada with a Devils Car Flag, i'd be shocked!:biglaugh:

I always liked the logo from day one but started following the Devils after I became a die hard Mets fan and asked my parents to get Sports Channel to watch their games. Well after the baseball season in (1990) I discovered that the Isles and Devils were also on Sports Channel and was hooked from there on out Gary Thorne was great sreaming into the mike. I didn't start going to games until high school when me or my Devils fan friends all 3 of them could drive. It's been such a great plessure to follow this team, travel and make a ton of more great friends. Im so lucky to have seen 3 Stanley Cups and to have season ticket plans for the last 10 Years and I'll never take that for granted because I think of all the Leafs fans and other fans in Canada that aren't able to do this as much as us Devils fans can. Sometimes Im on the fence about going to a game and wind up going because someone else would love to but can't do to high ticket prices supply and demand Issues. See ya at the next game!!!:cheers:

Dug this up from it's grave:

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=207237

hey thanks

perhaps they can merge the two and make it into a permanent sticky

nice find....i remember that thread....i recently got myself a Devils Car Flag....if i find anyone else in alberta, let alone western canada with a Devils Car Flag, i'd be shocked!:biglaugh:You rule:bow:

When I first started watching hockey, many years ago in the days of the old NBC telecasts with Peter Puck, etc., Colorado was so bad you had to feel for them. I started rooting for them back then and naturally followed the team to Jersey.

Brodeur, loved him from jr's, said whoever drafts him will be my favourite team. Worked out well for your friend DF.

Vote DF

hey thanks

perhaps they can merge the two and make it into a permanent sticky

Yea some of those posters we don't hear too much from anymore.

When I first started watching hockey, many years ago in the days of the old NBC telecasts with Peter Puck, etc., Colorado was so bad you had to feel for them. I started rooting for them back then and naturally followed the team to Jersey.And best of all Don Cherry was their coach back then long live Rocky Trottier:biglaugh:

Have followed the Devils before they were Devils, aka the old Colorado Rockies days. When I lived in TX, the Rockies farm team was located in Ft Worth TX. Moved to CA and became/remained a Kings' fan - the Devils have remained my "other" favorite team.

my friend took me to a game during the 1995 season against the rangers...we sat right behind the devils bench. i was 9 years old

ever since then ive been hooked

started going to games the following season and have had the weekend season ticket package with my dad ever since

I always go for the local team but i didn't catch on to hockey until the 94 playoffs.. I was 8 and all my friends liked the Rangers and i went against them and chose the Devils..

Went to a game like 2 years earlier but i don't remember anything about it besides it was against the Pens.. First game i do remember was a Hasek vs. Brodeur duel with front row seats a couple years later

I went to my first game in 95-96 when I was 7 (17 now, yes I am fairly young for these boards ;)). Didn't really become religious about them until later on when Saint Martin did this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CwOT9VVzzVA

As a kid some of my friends played pond hockey and street hockey and I enjoyed it, so I started following the sport, not long after the Devils got here from Colorado. There was no real allegiance in my family to any hockey team so I naturally picked a team from NJ. What set the hook for me was the 87-88 season when the team rode a rookie named Sean Burke down the stretch to its first playoff appearance, after several years of indignity. My dad scored us tickets to the playofs vs. Washington and I saw John MacLean hit Pete Peeters so hard in the forehead with a wrist shot from the slot that he laid him out flat on his back and knocked him out of the game. I've been hooked since that year. :devdance:

I went to my first game in 95-96 when I was 7 (17 now, yes I am fairly young for these boards ;)). Didn't really become religious about them until later on when Saint Martin did this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CwOT9VVzzVA

That's the best video I've seen of that goal. Amazing.

I went to my first game in 95-96 when I was 7 (17 now, yes I am fairly young for these boards ;)). Didn't really become religious about them until later on when Saint Martin did this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CwOT9VVzzVA

I was at that game. ;)

Growing up on Long Island during the Islanders "glory years" its hard to believe I rooted for the guys across the Hudson, it boils down to this:

Glenn Resch, my favorite Islander, is traded to Colorado

The rockies come to NJ.

I turn on the TV one night and hear "Save by Resch!", I'm hooked, Thats the day I sold my soul to the New Jersey Devils.

I went to my first game in 95-96 when I was 7 (17 now, yes I am fairly young for these boards ;)). Didn't really become religious about them until later on when Saint Martin did this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CwOT9VVzzVA

Damn, I've only seen the version that Emerick called, never heard the Cuthbert call! That was ****ing sweet, Code Red, you are my new favourite poster.

Haha, yeah. I still remember my older brother running down the stairs and yelling "BRODEUR SCORED!" "BRODEUR SCORED!"

Of course at that time, my FSNY's picture sucked and I could only follow games through the sound :(

Haha, yeah. I still remember my older brother running down the stairs and yelling "BRODEUR SCORED!" "BRODEUR SCORED!"

Of course at that time, my FSNY's picture sucked and I could only follow games through the sound :(

I never watched games growing up in New Jersey... always radio. Now that I'm in Chicago and I don't own a television it's even more radio. The only time I ever watched games on the television was during the playoffs or some odd weekends.

I never watched games growing up in New Jersey... always radio. Now that I'm in Chicago and I don't own a television it's even more radio. The only time I ever watched games on the television was during the playoffs or some odd weekends.

It was always the radio for me back then. I would have watched the games if I had FSNY way back when (it used to be so damn expensive from what I remember). The only time I could watch Devils games was when they were nationally televised, or playing the Rangers on MSG.

Then one day last season, FSNY magically appeared on my crappy cable TV with a clear picture and everything. It was like an act of God.

Anyway I'll quit derailing this topic.

I love hockey

I live in New Jersey


Thats pretty much it.

I'm from NJ, and I started following them loosely during the '01 playoffs - reading about them in the paper and watching bits and pieces of games. Then the next fall I took up field hockey and a lot of girls on my team were into hockey, so I started watching all their games, and now I'm hooked.

I went to my first game in 95-96 when I was 7 (17 now, yes I am fairly young for these boards ;)). Didn't really become religious about them until later on when Saint Martin did this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CwOT9VVzzVA

well im even younger 16 but back to the topic living an hour away from Toronto I was a leaf fan till I was 10 then for a reason I'm not quite sure of durning the 01-02 season I became a devils fan went to the HHOF bought a devs hat and been a fan since

My following the Devs has everything to do with Marty. When he broke into the league as a regular in 93-94 I was hooked. That is when I really started watching or following them, since there is literally no Devil coverage up here in northern Canada. Im probably one of 5 Devil fans in my entire city, and I am proud to be. GO Devs GO!!!

Well, I became a Devils fan long after they moved here to New Jersey. I think it was just around the 99-00' season when I discovered hockey and the Devils. I didn't follow them as religiously as I do now, as I had only been watching casually. I had seen how amazing Brodeur had been during the playoffs and have been a fan ever since. I know it seems like I jumped on the bandwagon from that, but i haven't left and I never will.

I feel stripped of not having seen the Devils in the past. Makes me sad I missed so much up until the 99-00' season.

I was just thinking about this general topic while driving to the store this evening. I was thinking about TaiMaiShu's original thread as well.
Dug this up from it's grave:

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=207237I was going to post to that thread. I started to write something out in notebook, but it was really long. I never got around to writing a condensed version.

I am from New Jersey, so it was special to get a team of any sport that played in New Jersey and was named New Jersey (my family was never into basketball, so I don't even know at what point I learned of the Nets.) The Giants played in New Jersey, but they were the New York Giants. I liked the fact that the Devils were a New Jersey team.

I loved the team we I was taken to my first pro-sporting event live to see the Devils take on the Islanders by my oldest brother during the 1984-85 season. It was magical for me to see Devils take the ice, and the game was either a sellout or very close to it because the Devils were taking on the defending Wales Conference Champion Islanders who had a strong following in New Jersey after winning four Stanley Cups from 1980 through 1983.

Shortly after going to the game, I used some money I had received for my birthday to buy a replica Devils sweater. Mom took me, and she wanted me to get a red one because she didn't trust a young boy with wearing white. However, I wanted the white one because that's what they wore at home at the time.

When I wore it to school one day, a teacher stopped me in the hall and commented about how nice it was. Kids didn't wear hockey jerseys to my elementary school back then, at least not in the lower grades.

I never even thought about the Devils as being a bad team until Pelle Lindburgh died. They played a clip of one of the Flyers player on Sports Extra saying they would kid Lindbergh by telling him he was traded to the Devils, and Lindbergh wouldn't get upset. I had not heard about Gretzky's "Mickey Mouse" comments until years later.

The great run of 1988 changed all of that, and it made me love the team even more when John MacLean scored the overtime goal to send the Devils to the playoffs for the first time.

~ - - - - - - - - - :devils - - - - - - - - - - - ~

And getting back to the here's a gem from that thread. It was posted the day before Elias returned and the Devils started a nine game winning streak.I was at a parking lot shopping for groceries when a cup celebration broke out around me. I've been hooked ever since.

*ducks*
*runs*
*hides*

OK ok, but seriously. You all need to start player better. It's getting to the point where I'm going to ignore the Devils and start taking shots at the Rangers and their fans. We're basically 20 pts up on you guys right now and the season isn't quite half over. What's going on?Link to the Original Post (http://hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=4297333&postcount=25)

Randomly became a fan around 1997 when I lived in Westchester county. Dunno exactly how.

My parents have had season tickets since 1996, so naturally I went to a lot of games. I enjoyed it, but didn't become a die-hard until the 2003 playoffs. I was fortunate enough to get to every home game during the Cup run, including Game 7 when we won. Since then, I've been an addict.

i was in like 4th grade and a bunch of my friends started getting into hockey and the 1st game i ever saw on tv was when the devils were playing boston in the playoffs during that magical '95 run and ive loved them ever since...i guess thatd explain my user name too huh?

I was just thinking about this general topic while driving to the store this evening. I was thinking about TaiMaiShu's original thread as well.
I was going to post to that thread. I started to write something out in notebook, but it was really long. I never got around to writing a condensed version.

I am from New Jersey, so it was special to get a team of any sport that played in New Jersey and was named New Jersey (my family was never into basketball, so I don't even know at what point I learned of the Nets.) The Giants played in New Jersey, but they were the New York Giants. I liked the fact that the Devils were a New Jersey team.

I loved the team we I was taken to my first pro-sporting event live to see the Devils take on the Islanders by my oldest brother during the 1984-85 season. It was magical for me to see Devils take the ice, and the game was either a sellout or very close to it because the Devils were taking on the defending Wales Conference Champion Islanders who had a strong following in New Jersey after winning four Stanley Cups from 1980 through 1983.

Shortly after going to the game, I used some money I had received for my birthday to buy a replica Devils sweater. Mom took me, and she wanted me to get a red one because she didn't trust a young boy with wearing white. However, I wanted the white one because that's what they wore at home at the time.

When I wore it to school one day, a teacher stopped me in the hall and commented about how nice it was. Kids didn't wear hockey jerseys to my elementary school back then, at least not in the lower grades.

I never even thought about the Devils as being a bad team until Pelle Lindburgh died. They played a clip of one of the Flyers player on Sports Extra saying they would kid Lindbergh by telling him he was traded to the Devils, and Lindbergh wouldn't get upset. I had not heard about Gretzky's "Mickey Mouse" comments until years later.

The great run of 1988 changed all of that, and it made me love the team even more when John MacLean scored the overtime goal to send the Devils to the playoffs for the first time.

~ - - - - - - - - - :devils - - - - - - - - - - - ~

And getting back to the here's a gem from that thread. It was posted the day before Elias returned and the Devils started a nine game winning streak.Link to the Original Post (http://hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=4297333&postcount=25)

Haha haven't seen him around in a while. Maybe you should look him up.;)

I'm not really sure what made me into a Devils fan, but I didn't care for the Rangers and their losing records when I was a kid. I remember being shocked during a game the Rangers were losing when the fans started booing their own team.

Back then I was both an Avs and Devils fan and every year I waited for either of them to win the cup. I remember reading an article suggesting the Devils had some bad luck for getting eliminated in the first or early rounds of the playoffs. Eventually, for some reason, it came down to choosing between either of the teams. I thought the Devils had a better chance and they were much closer to me, so I chose them (mind you, this all happened when I was about 10 years old or so). Coincidentally, the next season the Avs won the cup.:dunno:

All my friends were Rangers fans... so I decided to be cool and became a Devils fan.

It was always the radio for me back then. I would have watched the games if I had FSNY way back when (it used to be so damn expensive from what I remember). The only time I could watch Devils games was when they were nationally televised, or playing the Rangers on MSG.
Same here. I grew up listening to Mike Miller.

"And it's three.......nothing.......NEWWWWWWWW JER-SAY!"

OT: Why did we ever have to change the goal song? What was wrong with the old "hey" song?

OT: Why did we ever have to change the goal song? What was wrong with the old "hey" song?The NHL requested teams to drop it because the writer and artist, Gary Glitter, was jailed in Vietman for molesting children. The royalties of "Rock and Roll, Part 2" is pretty much his only source of income.

Its Gary Glitter's fault the NHL crapped out. Not Gary Bettman. Getting rid of that goal song was the sole reason everything went downhill...

I was a big Buffalo fan when i was younger, and i would watch their farm team the Rochester Amerks( I lived next to their arena), pretty much whenever i had the chance.

During the 99-00 season i watched a few Devil games. I really liked the way they played during the playoffs, and game 5 of the SCF was the best game i have ever seen. I also became a Elias fan, after his clinching no look pass to win the cup.

But i really didnt switch my aliance over to the Devils untill Brian Gionta joined your team(I went to the same High School as him).

Now im a huge Devils fan. Still like Buffalo tho

What made you sell your soul to the Devil?

Living in Toronto.

Living in Toronto.

Priceless! One of the few who will admit it.:clap:

I became a Devils fan through my uncle, who became a Devs fan in '82 because his Isles season tickets were getting too expensive "$25 bucks for the best seats in the house :teach: " :biglaugh: Seeing as my Dad hadn't watched a hockey game since the days of Jean Ratelle and Brad Park - I became a Devils fan. The first game I remember watching was Game 1 of the Boston series in '95. I was just turning ten years old.

I live on Long Island and as a consequence recieved a Ranger hat for my 9th birthday in '94 when that madness was going down. I'll admit it - I wore a few times. I guess I didn't know any better. :help: The next year though - I got a #22 Claude Lemieux jersey for my birthday and have lived and died Devils hockey ever since. :yo:

It's scary how easily I could have been a part of the darkside

12 years....
4 finals
3 cups.....
1 goaltender...

and a whole lot of Mike Miller's trademark:

"2..........NOTHING.......NEWWWWW JERRSEEY!!!!!!!"

first game i went to was at brendan byrne, the old green and red. just stuck with it. definetely a case of what the father likes, the son likes.

In the early 90's, I was on the road alot and would catch an occasional hockey game on tv while staying in a hotel. I watched my first hockey game then (can't remember the teams) and became a casual fan of the game. No real favorite team, just liked watching whatever game I could at the time.
Then came the 95 playoffs. I was very impressed by the team, and especially Brodeur. Then, I witnessed the Stevens hit on Slava Kozlov. Been a Devils fan ever since.

I was 8 and all my friends liked the Rangers and i went against them and chose the Devils.

:clap: good boy

Simple.
They drafted my nephew in 2002!
Plus, as I'm moderately fluent in Russian, I was aware of New Jersey's efforts to not only sign and play Russians, but also to make them integral parts of the organization...Ironic that for an organization noted for emphasis on NCAA hockey, the Devils also found a place (here in the good old USA) for these guys to make the most of their talents, o provide a truly good life for themslves and their loved ones. Considerably ahead of the curve, I must admit....

:clap: good boy

I remember when I was eight my one friend was named Scott and the other was named Steven and they fought over who was a bigger fan of Scott Stevens.

I ignored them both and cheered for MacLean. I was a huge fan of Gilmour when he was on the team too...

I was born and raised in NJ and lived there until fall of 1995. Growing up I generally rooted for NY teams unless there was a NJ team instead. I became a hockey fan as a result of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team in Lake Placid when I was 13. After that, I kind of mildy followed hockey and kind of pulled for the Rangers. When NJ got a team in 1983 I switched my allegience immediately. At the time, though, I was still much more of a football fan, and only followed hockey through the newspapers. In 1988 the press picked up on the Devils run to the playoffs at the end of the regular season. Going into Chicago on the last game of the season even a casual fan such as myself knew that, if the Devils won that game, they'd be in the playoffs for the first time as the Devils. I watched that game through the wavy line you used to get when watching a premium channel (SportsChannel) that you didn't subscribe to. I watched that whole game like that and jumped into the air when Johnny Mac scored in OT. I then subscribed to SC and followed them their whole run through their first playoffs.

I was absolutely hooked. Hockey leapfrogged over football as my favorite sport and I haven't looked back. I bought 16 game partial plans over the next 5 or 6 years, and went to all the playoff games during those years. I was still living in NJ to watch them win their first Cup in 1995, but I moved down to Orlando, FL that fall. During those ESPN years (pre-Center Ice days) I could only watch them occaisionally, but I did see their championship in 2000. In 2001 I moved back north, this time to Lancaster, PA. I now go to about 2 or 3 games a year (hopefully more when they get into their new digs next year). I've also been a Center Ice subscriber for the past two years and I don't miss a single game (except for the ones in Pittsburgh - stupid blackout rules. :banghead: ), either live or on TiVo.

The good thing about living in PA is you only have a rear license plate, so I can put a Devils license plate on the front of my car - which I couldn't do in NJ.

It was in 1994 and I was in the 5th grade and I really was not much of an NHL fan at all. All of the kids in the class were going for the Rangers during the playoffs and I asked who the other team was, they said Devils and I liked that name way better than Rangers. Plus i liked to be against all of the others in the class. I followed the series and the Devils ended up losing.

The next year the Devils were the one to win the cup and I got my revenge!!!!

Ever since I have followed the team pretty well even though Hockey in my mind is the 4th sport (sorry guys).

Started being a Devils fan way back in the early days. I came from a very small town in Ontario and one of the guys who used to play hockey with my brother ended up playing for the Guelph (now called Storm, but used to be called the Platters I think). He played with Kirk Muller and one year, Guelph came to play an exhibition game in my home town. I was a big fan of Kirk Muller and when he was drafted by NJ, I instantly became a fan of the team, and have ever since.

My parents had one of those hugh satellite dishes and I was able to watch the NJ games on Sports Channel. Now unfortunately, I hardly get to see any games as I don't have NHL Center Ice so I only get to see games when they play Ottawa, Montreal or Toronto, or the odd NJ game that they'll show on TSN or NBC.

I've seen the Devils play live at least once a year. When I was younger, my dad would bring me to the old Montreal Forum, where he got some tickets (4th row behind the goal) from one of his suppliers. Now I usually try to catch at least a game in Ottawa every year. Unfortunately, the game that I picked this year was that stupid blowout last year when the team played horribly.

One of these days I have to go down to NJ to catch a game. Perhaps I'll do it when The Rock opens.

Great thread BTW. Love hearing how others came to be Devils fan over the years.

I was a teenager and my father always got tickets from his company or any of the companies he has affiliations with. He seemed to get Devils tickets over other teams a lot more often. I even was able to go skating with the team ( a privelege to season ticket holders) at the South Mountain Arena (at the time). That is when I met all the players including Lou Lamoriello. He told me to always make school my biggest priority. I will never forget he said that. I will never forget that he gave us 3 Cups (and counting, hopefully).

I was hooked as a Devils fan forever. The 87-88 Playoffs had me pumped forever. I have been to every Cup Final game (accept for 1 in 2001) and would go to a Devils/Columbus Tuesday night game living an hour and a half from the arena.

I am proud to be a fan of a team that has had so much success and done everything I could ever ask as a fan.

For me, I was born in Montreal, and that automatically meant that I had to support the Habs, but I really only liked one player: Stephane Richer. So when he was traded (as was Claude Lemieux) I switched, and I also thoughts the Jersey's were really cool (yes, even the christmas tree ones).

Then I saw the Devils/Rangers 1st round series that went 7 games (I think it was 92 or 93) and I became hooked. I then started playing hockey myself and was really into the system Lemaire put in place, and being a goalie found an idol in a rookie Brodeur. I haven't looked back since. It's been a hell of a ride, and it ain't nearly over yet :yo:

Go Devils!

Ever since I have followed the team pretty well even though Hockey in my mind is the 4th sport (sorry guys).

**System Notice**

Your membership to HFboards has been revoked. Please leave the web site immediately.

Although I couldn't possibly disagree with you more, I gotta give you credit for springing that one on your very first post. That took guts.

Now let's see if you survive through the night :)

Well this was my original post in the old thread -

I didn't watch hockey until the 1980 olympics. After that I was hooked but my family was split between islanders and rangers so I rooted for the islanders but they never felt like my team.
My dad's side of the family is from the jersey shore so when the Devils came I thought I might root for them. I can remember sitting in front of the TV in their first game against the Rangers and saying "C'mon Devils, beat the Rangers and I'm a Devils fan." That was the Devils first win, the promises of a child became a lifetime obsession.
The funny thing is little did I know at the time that my family in Jersey had bought season tickets to the team, seats that I've been sharing in since '88. Its funny how things work out.

I would also add that alot of credit needs to go to my uncle in New Jersey who bought those season tickets with my cousin. The funny thing is we didn't know each other were fans until 2 years later at christmas when I mentioned it and he said he had season tickets. He really helped make the effort to get me to games as a kid which wasn't easy considering we lived 2 hours apart with the arena in the middle and I was still to young to drive. I can remember for my first playoff game (happened to be Sundstrom's 8 point night) I took the train into Grand Central, subwayed it to Port Authority where my uncle drove up to pick me up and we went back across the bridge to the arena. The trip probably took longer than the game itself!
Funny thing is my uncle became a Devils fan the same night I did, he was at that first Devils Rangers game, he used to be a Ranger fan, and the Rangers started out winning that game and he was just mad at everyone there rooting against the Devils. He was like c'mon we finally got a team in New Jersey and nobody is rooting for it, so he changed his allegiance that night and lo and behold the Devils came back and won the game. Nothing beat that night for the two of us being there together when the Devils took that game 4 against the Wings in '95. :D

I can also say that the friends that I did convert in high school back in the day, it helped having Mark Johnson - one of the 80 US olympic heros - on the team in the late 80s. That got my buds to want to go to games, and you know hockey, once you've seen it live, you are in for life. ;)

Nothing beat that night for the two of us being there together when the Devils took that game 4 against the Wings in '95. :D

That was a sweet series. It's also the ultimate tiebreaker in the "who was the better team of the 90's" debate. Broom beats Octopus.

My path to the Devils was a strange one. Growing up in San Diego it was only Baseball/Football, and Hockey wasn’t even on the radar until Gretzky came to LA. As a skier I always liked winter sports and still can’t watch the Summer Olympics, so hockey started to be a curiosity. However with limited TV coverage and only 1 ice rink within 100 miles, it was impossible to be a fan.

When I came to NY in ‘90, it was difficult to follow my teams (they sucked anyway) and as an outsider I could never fall in love with the NY teams. (Not to insult anyone but if you grew up elsewhere, the media coverage and arrogance of the local teams is stomach-turning). After the Baseball strike in ’94, gradually I became disinterested in spectator sports altogether and spent more time outside playing baseball, football, ski, snowboard, golf any chance I got, yet still missed following a team through a season.

Then in ’98 I got married, moved to NJ and made friends with some Devil’s fans. Still only had a casual interest until the Devils won the Cup in 2000. The next winter they dragged me to the rink in Secaucus on Route 3 to play my first game and I GOT THE BUG! Been a fan ever since. Loved the anti-NY anti-establishment attitude. Lou and the Devils way of doing things reminds me of the motto for the Mad River Glen ski resort in VT: ‘Ski it if you Can!’. Lou’s motto: Forget the new NHL, Beat us if you Can!

The ’03 Cup run cemented it for me and the past few years haven’t even watched the Super Bowl. Refuse to watch basketball, and have become a closet Yankee fan (hurts to admit it) mostly because another friend is a rabid Sox fan and I just have to take the other side.

I’m curious how everyone found this site. I stumbled across it by chance last summer desperately trying to find information about Elias hitting the FA market and the Gomez arbitration. Wish I knew about it sooner.

Gomez arbitration.





I'm hoping this time I can actually break the story he signed with the Devils or somebody else. Though knowing my luck I'll be away from my computer and if that's the case I'll try and get all the teams that were interested in him.

I'm hoping this time I can actually break the story he signed with the Devils or somebody else. Though knowing my luck I'll be away from my computer and if that's the case I'll try and get all the teams that were interested in him.

Looking back on it now, it was funny. You had hundreds of peope on the entire HF boards drooling over every one of your posts, only to wait until the official announcment.

Better luck next time.

Then in ’98 I got married, moved to NJ and made friends with some Devil’s fans. Still only had a casual interest until the Devils won the Cup in 2000. The next winter they dragged me to the rink in Secaucus on Route 3 to play my first game and I GOT THE BUG! Been a fan ever since.

Nothing could be truer: to really appreciate hockey as a fan, it helps to be a player. I'm not sure that holds as true for other sports, particularly in the U.S., which is more of a baseball-basketball-football country, obviously. Maybe the best way to grow more fans and turn around the uncertain state of the NHL's future is to grow more young players.

I’m curious how everyone found this site. I stumbled across it by chance last summer desperately trying to find information about Elias hitting the FA market and the Gomez arbitration. Wish I knew about it sooner.

I used to frequent the Devils board on NJ.com, which is hopelessly infested with Rangers trolls and general stupidity despite a handful of good citizens. Someone on that board turned me on to HFboards and I've not gone back since.

Looking back on it now, it was funny. You had hundreds of peope on the entire HF boards drooling over every one of your posts, only to wait until the official announcment.

Better luck next time.




Yeah I'm 0-2. It's cool though but I hope this time I can actually get some results before everybody else. I'm just kind of surprised these things come out that fast because last time I got it within 5 minutes of it coming down and TSN already had it.

I used to frequent the Devils board on NJ.com, which is hopelessly infested with Rangers trolls and general stupidity despite a handful of good citizens. Someone on that board turned me on to HFboards and I've not gone back since.


I have another devils website you should check out if you haven't already. Just pm me for the address I'm not sure if I can give it out. We have gameday chats or atleast a form of chat it usually goes into unusual topics.

Nothing beat that night for the two of us being there together when the Devils took that game 4 against the Wings in '95. :D


I recall that series. I believe Detroit was a favorite for the cup that year. One of my father's employees was a big Wings fan. Throughout the Cup series, he kept wearing his Wings jersey at work. When the Devils swept them, he put that thing away quickly. He was not a happy camper that's for sure.

I’m curious how everyone found this site. I stumbled across it by chance last summer desperately trying to find information about Elias hitting the FA market and the Gomez arbitration. Wish I knew about it sooner.

Well I think I sometime in 2003. I was sixteen at the time and all I did was play hockey and post on the msgnetwork boards. I don't think I really became a hardcore fan until I joined this site. I joined this site to recruit more people to some other site, but decided I liked this one best. It really has a lot of knowlegeable fans, and theres a lot about the sport you can learn from it. The core of my life hasn't changed much either, except now I'm nineteen. I still play hockey every chance I can get and I post on internet website boards.

My dad's company used to have season tickets for the Devils during the lean years. My dad was never that big of a hockey fan (thus didn't already have an allegiance to the Rangers), but would take the family to games whenever he could. I don't remember a lot of the games since I was young, but that how I started off a Devils fan. Sadly, the company cancelled the season tickets right before the team became good in the '87-'88 season, which my dad still laughs about - fortunately for him though, he at least got to attend the all-star game when it was in NJ.

After that, I was never really able to watch too many games since we didn't have cable and games were rarely televised on network TV. I was also a much bigger Mets fan at the time, and hockey was still probably my 3rd favorite sport behind football as well. That all changed around '94 - by then some of my good friends were also Devils fans and I would go over their houses to watch most of the Devils playoff games that year (though we had to deal with some Ranger fans as well). I can, however, remember being at home for Game 6 of the Devils-Buffalo series (the epic 1-0 double or triple OT win by Buffalo) and listening to the game on the radio (I believe it was on 770 back then) and before the game went into OT, they cut off the broadcast to switch to the Yankees - Seattle game that started at 10:35. I was beyond pissed that they cut the broadcast of overtime playoff hockey for one stupid baseball game out of a 162 game schedule. Anyway, between the Devils playoff run that year (and being able to watch games) and the baseball strike of '94, hockey was easily my #1 sport by the end of that year and I've been hooked since (also helped that the Mets blew in the early '90's).

I used to frequent the Devils board on NJ.com, which is hopelessly infested with Rangers trolls and general stupidity despite a handful of good citizens. Someone on that board turned me on to HFboards and I've not gone back since.

Who were you on NJ.com?

I’m curious how everyone found this site. I stumbled across it by chance last summer desperately trying to find information about Elias hitting the FA market and the Gomez arbitration. Wish I knew about it sooner.

I actually found this site because of Eklund (alright, stop laughing). I came across his blog during the lockout when I was looking for any information possible. He provided a good amount of updates (and false hope) even though looking back, a good chunk of it was probably made up. Anyway, there was some controversy about him posting or being cited as a source or something, but I remember reading something from him about how this was a great site, so I decided to check it out. Now, I spend an unhealthy amount of time here and abandoned Eklund's pay-per-view site long ago.

**System Notice**

Your membership to HFboards has been revoked. Please leave the web site immediately.

Although I couldn't possibly disagree with you more, I gotta give you credit for springing that one on your very first post. That took guts.

Now let's see if you survive through the night :)



HaHa, yea thats one thing about me is that I am always honest. I just grew up playing baseball, football and basketball. Alittle bit of hockey in the street (oh those poor cadillacs on my block lol) but not as much as the other 3.

when the Devils first moved to NJ I had a good friend that was able to get in good with the team through his family's restaurant.... I remember meeting some players and actually had the chance to go into the locker room after a game--- Mueller- Verbeek- Cirella and Chico were now more awesome than Reggie Jackson... all this a huge dissapointment to my father... a HUGE Ranger fan and a Blue Seat Season Ticket holder in the late 70's.... the only person I know who would never watch TV-- unless the Rangers were on...
I grew up on the Rangers-- learned early the effects of beer and what vocabulary words I was to keep at MSG and not let Mom know I had heard..... and Barry Beck was GOD-- I'd say back then I was 50-50 Devils- Rangers-- just being at a game was cool enough for me....

Well fast forward to 2002-- After college away- and years as a ski bum I move back to NJ-- Another great friend whos family has had seasons tix since 82 gets me some tix when they are available.... and I'm hooked--- The Rangers now become the true enemy- but hate the Flyers more-- I was there to see the Cup won in 2003-- was given a Jersey (#4) for my birthday that I have worn to every game since.... Was at all 4 playoff games Vs the Rangers last year went to the players lunch--- meet Gomez and got a pic with him last month.... and I have shaken hands with LOU !!!! I'm not the biggest fan.... haven't always been a fan... But nothing brings me more joy than the NJ freaking DEVILS-- :yo:

Simple.
They drafted my nephew in 2002!
Plus, as I'm moderately fluent in Russian, I was aware of New Jersey's efforts to not only sign and play Russians, but also to make them integral parts of the organization...Ironic that for an organization noted for emphasis on NCAA hockey, the Devils also found a place (here in the good old USA) for these guys to make the most of their talents, o provide a truly good life for themslves and their loved ones. Considerably ahead of the curve, I must admit....

Anton Kadeykin?

I used to be a Rangers fan when I was little but then my dad got me into the Devils in 98 or 99 I think. The only reason he was a Devils fan was because he used to go to all the Utica Devils games. (We live about 10 minutes from where they played)

Well, I became a Devils fan long after they moved here to New Jersey. I think it was just around the 99-00' season when I discovered hockey and the Devils. I didn't follow them as religiously as I do now, as I had only been watching casually. I had seen how amazing Brodeur had been during the playoffs and have been a fan ever since. I know it seems like I jumped on the bandwagon from that, but i haven't left and I never will.

I feel stripped of not having seen the Devils in the past. Makes me sad I missed so much up until the 99-00' season.

Wow, that's scary. That's pretty much exactly my story as well. To be honest, if you would have asked me 10 years ago about hockey I wouldn't have had a clue. I got hooked on the Devils during the 2000 Finals. Funny story with that actually. Both my mom and I really got into hockey that year, and as a somewhat friendly bet we each took a team in the Finals. She took the Stars and I took the Devils. Since then, she's become a Stars fan and I've become a Devils fan. It's kinda strange, I don't really know what it was that attracted me to the Devils back then, but here I am 7+ years later still following the team. To me, the Devils are the perfect example of how to run a professional sports franchise, and no matter how many times people call them boring or disrespect them in any way I feel proud to be a Devils fan.

I used to be a Rangers fan when I was little but then my dad got me into the Devils in 98 or 99 I think. The only reason he was a Devils fan was because he used to go to all the Utica Devils games. (We live about 10 minutes from where they played)

...and that was when your life started to improve....your epiphany.

Anton Kadeykin?

No system is flawless - if you believe so, you must be a Soviet.....

nice find....i remember that thread....i recently got myself a Devils Car Flag....if i find anyone else in alberta, let alone western canada with a Devils Car Flag, i'd be shocked!:biglaugh:

Hey I got a Devils trailer hitch cover, Where the hell did you get the flag?

I thank fate and the frugalness of my late/great father for introducing me to the New Jersey Devils. Unfortunately for my dear father, he grew up being a NYR fan and fortunately for me, he tried, but failed in indoctrinating me to the evil-empire. I remember the NYR/NYI rivalries back in the late 1970’s, I remember the NYR wining game 1 of the 1979 Stanley Cup Finals in Montreal, but being unmoved by it. I remember my big sister having a crush on Ron Duguay, (along with Bucky Dent too). I remember meeting Ron Duguay at an autograph signing at the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, NJ and not being impressed, I remember attending a handful of NYR games in what was then a deteriorating and filthy MSG. I remember the 1980 Gold medal U.S. Olympic Hockey team and after that, I remember all the fanfare when Herb Brooks came to coach the NYR.

But still, I was not taken-in by all the NYR brouhaha & attention.

And then the year 1982 happened. (no, i'm not talking about Topless MacBeth in the park.)

My father hated traffic, tolls, parallel street parking and parking garages. Little did I know that these traits would be the genesis of providing one particular great joy that has enriched my life. Out of curiosity, pops thought it would be a cute little novelty to buy tickets to opening night of a brand new, New Jersey hockey team that had just moved into town from Colorado, into a 1-year old arena. It was a short ride from my North Jersey home, less the tunnels, tolls, traffic lights, parking hassles etc. What perfect way for my father the see his beloved NYR several times a year, but from the convenience of an ultra-modern, brand-spanking new arena in Northern New Jersey?

However, he was foiled as he didn’t plan on me liking the ‘real’ home team and much to his dismay, I asked to go back.

Soon later on, he took me to Ice World on Route 46 in Totowa and we got a tour of the new Devils training facilities that were just built there. There, I saw other kids wearing those lovely green, satin Devils team jackets, and I knew right then and there that I would sell my soul to the Devils. I really broke my dad’s heart when I asked him for one of those jackets and he initially said no, so that’s when I ran to mom. And that was it. I was the coolest kid in my middle school with that jacket.

But unfortunately, most of my family and friends were and are NYR fans, which has made for an interesting last 25 years, especially 1992, 1994, 1997 & 2006. I forgive them for their misguided ways and thank fate for giving me the New Jersey Devils.

...and that was when your life started to improve....your epiphany.

:biglaugh: exactly!

Looking back at the thread Puddy pulled up, that pretty much sums it up for my story, except I thought Pelle Lindbergh plowed his Mercedes into a wall/tree/whatever 4 years earlier than he did. That was a blurry time for me. It was the year after I was asked to leave Lehigh U. after three semesters and a summer. I wish I had chosen Rutgers, they had nicer dorms and a better male/female student ratio. 3 guys to every girl at Lehigh in 1984-'85. I chose Lehigh over my stepfather's alma mater, Bucknell. I wanted to be within travel distance and bus routes to Philly/NYC for concerts, which I was forbidden to attend during high school. I saw David Gilmour at Stabler Arena and the Tower Theater in 1985 and Roger Waters at the "Byrne" in '84 and the "Rectum" in '85 (nicknamed for it's horrible acoustics).

I remember this being a big topic on NJDevs wherein I actually responded:

I remember when I was very young hearing/seeing Wayne Gretzky a highlight on TV. I mean something like 3 or 4, in terms of young; it was the first ever memory of hockey and it stuck with me.

So why the Devils? Well, I really started paying more attention to hockey in 1992, 1993 when nearly all my childhood friends in the neighborhood started getting into hockey. I've read about the two teams prior to them: The Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils. I felt more into the Devils despite the Bruins' then-more successful history. It didn't hurt that the Devils were the local team and I really, REALLY liked seeing Scott Stevens play after seeing him for the first time. Plus how can you argue those sweet jerseys with that great logo? Who wanted to be a Ranger fan of all teams? Well, most of these friends were from NYC or their families were from NYC, so I was usually the lone Devils fan. The rise of the Devils in 1993-1994, with Martin Brodeur coming up, Neidermayer and Stevens holding it down, John MacLean getting it done (sometimes), got me hooked for good. As stupid as it sounds, I was rather upset - actual tears, mind you- the Devils lost in the ECF to those damn Rangers and especially upset at Stephane Matteau. But I stuck through and was incredibly happy that NJ won the Stanley Cup in 1995. "IT WAS THE TRAP" "HALF A SEASON, HALF A CUP" "THEY DIDN'T PLAY NEW YORK" "THEY'RE GOING TO NASHVILLE" was all I heard, but I still smiled inside knowing it was all New Jersey and things were looking bright and said as such. Excepting 1996, I turned out to be right.

So, in summary, 1993-94; Stevens, Brodeur, Devils hockey, and relative success made me realized I bleed Devils red.

I remember this being a big topic on NJDevs wherein I actually responded:

I remember when I was very young hearing/seeing Wayne Gretzky a highlight on TV. I mean something like 3 or 4, in terms of young; it was the first ever memory of hockey and it stuck with me.

So why the Devils? Well, I really started paying more attention to hockey in 1992, 1993 when nearly all my childhood friends in the neighborhood started getting into hockey. I've read about the two teams prior to them: The Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils. I felt more into the Devils despite the Bruins' then-more successful history. It didn't hurt that the Devils were the local team and I really, REALLY liked seeing Scott Stevens play after seeing him for the first time. Plus how can you argue those sweet jerseys with that great logo? Who wanted to be a Ranger fan of all teams? Well, most of these friends were from NYC or their families were from NYC, so I was usually the lone Devils fan. The rise of the Devils in 1993-1994, with Martin Brodeur coming up, Neidermayer and Stevens holding it down, John MacLean getting it done (sometimes), got me hooked for good. As stupid as it sounds, I was rather upset - actual tears, mind you- the Devils lost in the ECF to those damn Rangers and especially upset at Stephane Matteau. But I stuck through and was incredibly happy that NJ won the Stanley Cup in 1995. "IT WAS THE TRAP" "HALF A SEASON, HALF A CUP" "THEY DIDN'T PLAY NEW YORK" "THEY'RE GOING TO NASHVILLE" was all I heard, but I still smiled inside knowing it was all New Jersey and things were looking bright and said as such. Excepting 1996, I turned out to be right.

So, in summary, 1993-94; Stevens, Brodeur, Devils hockey, and relative success made me realized I bleed Devils red.
1994 was devestating. To this day that Matteau goal is my main driving force in wanting to see the Devils win.

Ugh thinking about that goal makes me want to smash the Rangers into the ice.

1994 was devestating. To this day that Matteau goal is my main driving force in wanting to see the Devils win.

Ugh thinking about that goal makes me want to smash the Rangers into the ice.

Strangely, I'm over the Matteau goal.

The three Stanley Cups and last season's sweep may have had something to do with it...

Strangely, I'm over the Matteau goal.

The three Stanley Cups and last season's sweep may have had something to do with it...
I'll never get over it.

I'll never get over it.

Ditto. I will hate Messier till my dying breath (and hopefully after) :D