50 Greatest New Jersey Devils Players Of All Time

Former New Jersey Devils players (L-R) Martin Brodeur, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko and Scott Stevens during Patrik Elias #26 jersey retirement ceremony prior to a game against the New York Islanders at the Prudential Center on February 24, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)"n

Former New Jersey Devils players (L-R) Martin Brodeur, Scott Niedermayer and Ken Daneyko (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

The New Jersey Devils have a long, wonderful history in the NHL which includes three Stanley Cup wins. Which players are the best that have ever graced the ice in New Jersey?

This year marks 40 years of New Jersey Devils hockey. There have been incredible highs with this franchise and devastating lows. This season, the Devils set multiple franchise records, including wins (52) and points (112). The recent lows made this high feel so much better. It has us thinking Three Stanley Cups, five Stanley Cup Final appearances, 11 Hall of Famers, and the greatest goalie of all time. Overall, Devils fans are lucky.

The Devils came into the league officially in 1982. The legendary Dr. John McMullen brought the franchise to the Garden State from Colorado. It’s the third stop for a franchise that started in Kansas City eight years prior to their move to the Northeast. At the time, there were 21 teams in the league, and expansion was close to a decade away.

Since then, there’s been talk of relocation, which includes a very awkward Gary Bettman interview at the Stanley Cup Final. There have been incredible highs (Henrique, it’s over might be tops among them), and there have been incredible lows (we’d need some time for this one, but the day Zach Parise left has to be at least close to the top).

One thing that unites all Devils fans is the love for this franchise and the love for this sport. The Devils are considered the third team in the New York Metropolitan Area. That makes fans even more ravenous when rooting for them. It started in Brendan Byrne Arena. It eventually evolved into a championship arena in East Rutherford called the Continental Airlines Arena. Now, the games are played at the Prudential Center.

At the peak of it all is the players. We wear their jersey. We scream their name. Some of us wait for hours to get a glimpse of them, and others buy season tickets just to spend a little time with them. You’ll still see jerseys around the arena of players who once called this team home. Now, let’s celebrate them, while also ranking them based on their impacts to this franchise. To be clear, we are ranking the players based on their contribution to the Devils only. All active players will be judged based on their contributions to this date, as if they retired today.

50. Jaromir Jagr49. Kyle Palmieri48. Mel Bridgman47. Grant Marshall46. Glenn “Chico” Resch45. Marek Zidlicky44. Valeri Zelepukin43. Jesper Bratt42. Nico Hischier41. Damon Severson40. Bryce Salvador39. Bill Guerin38. Brian Rolston37. Jay Pandolfo36. Peter Stasny35. Colin White34. Paul Martin33. Tommy Albelin32. Brendan Shanahan31. Andy Greene30. Jamie Langenbrunner29. Aaron Broten28. Cory Schneider27. Ilya Kovalchuk26. Stephane Richer25. Alexander Mogilny24. Randy McKay23. Pat Verbeek22. Adam Henrique21. Bruce Driver

If you’d like to see the explanations for the first 30 choices, click on the following links: 50-41, 40-31, 30-21.