Category Archives: Best To Wear
Best to Wear #20 – Jay Pandolfo
NUMBER: 20
HEIGHT: 6′ 1″
WEIGHT: 190
POSITION: Left Wing
SHOOTS: Left
BORN: December 27, 1974
BIRTHPLACE: Winchester, Massachusetts
The Devils drafted Jay Pandolfo as the 32nd overall pick in the 1993 draft. Pandolfo started his career as a Devil during the start of the 98-99 season. Some say his first season with the Devils was his best. He scored 14 goals and 27 points in 70 games.
Pandolfo has two Stanley Cup wins with the Devils. The first one in 2000 and the second in 2003. Pandolfo scored his first career hat trick on October 31, 2007 agaisnt the Tampa Bay Lightning. His first hat trick was also the first hat trick in the Prudential Center.
Jay Pandolfo’s 307 consecutive game streak came to an end on November 30, 2007 with a pelvic injury. He curently holds forth longest franchise record for consecutive games played. The current leader is Travis Zajac. Jay Pandolfo currently plays for the New York Islanders.
| Career Stats with the New Jersey Devils | ||||||||||
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW | S | S% |
| 819 | 99 | 124 | 223 | 15 | 154 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 1068 | 9.2% |
Best to Wear #19 – Travis Zajac
Congratulations to Travis Zajac, who was voted by the Devils Army as the best player to ever wear #19.
It’s fitting that Zajac was voted as the best to wear #19, as he is expected to re-join the Devils lineup very soon.
Click here to take a look at Travis Zajac’s player profile that we posted back in May, on his birthday, before his torn achilles injury.
We will return next week with Best to Wear #20. Start thinking of who you will vote for, now.
Best to Wear – #19
After a week off, it’s time to get back into the swing of things.
This week it’s time to focus on the players who have worn #19 for the New Jersey Devils.
Review each player carefully, and cast your vote on who you think was the best to ever wear the number.
You will have until Thursday, December 8 at 11:59 PM EST.
Best to Wear #18 – Sergei Brylin
NUMBER: 18
HEIGHT: 5’10″
WEIGHT: 190
POSITION: Center
SHOOTS: Left
BORN: January 13, 1974
BIRTHPLACE: Moscow, Russia
When fans think of the New Jersey Devils‘ three Stanley Cups, fans usually think of the same players: Daneyko, Niedermayer, Brodeur, and Stevens. However, Sergei Brylin is also a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the New Jersey Devils.
Brylin was drafted in the second round, 42nd overall, in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils.
After debuting during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, Brylin played the next 12 seasons with the Devils. While he wasn’t your top superstar, Brylin brought something valuable to the team.
Brylin was regarded as one of the best utility men in the game. While his game was usually defensive minded, Brylin could always fill any gap that the Devils had. He has played as a scoring forward, center, winger, penalty killer, powerplayer, first liner, fourth liner, he’s done it all. Except, he never was a defenseman.
Brylin signed away from the NHL after the 2007-08 season when the Devils didn’t offer him a deal.
He has made several attempts to come back to the Devils, but they have never been successful.
He currently plays for Metallurg Novokuznetsk in the KHL in Russia.
| Career Stats with the New Jersey Devils | ||||||||||
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW | S | S% |
| 765 | 129 | 179 | 308 | 49 | 273 | 34 | 2 | 14 | 1016 | 12.7% |
Best to Wear – #18
After Patrik Sundstrom‘s come from behind victory last week in “Best to Wear – #17,” this week we’ll look at #18.
Lots of great choices on this list including, a former Stanley Cup Champion, the guy who decides punishments now in the NHL, and a young player who was tragically taken from us way too soon.
You will have until November 24, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST to cast your vote.
Best to Wear # 17 – Patrik Sundstrom
NUMBER: 17
HEIGHT: 6′ 1″
WEIGHT: 200
POSITION: Center
SHOOTS: Left
BORN: December 14, 1961
BIRTHPLACE: Skelleftea, Sweden
Patrik Sundstrom was acquired by the New Jersey Devils in 1988 from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Greg Adams and Kirk McLean.
Sundstrom had a solid first season with the Devils, but it was his postseason that was unbelievable. In game three of the Patrick Division finals against the Capitals, he set a NHL record for points in a playoff game with 8 points. He finished that postseason with 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists). The record still stands today.
Sundstrom’s offensive numbers started to slump due to numerous injuries and he eventually signed with a hockey club in his homeland of Sweden and finished his hockey career there.
| Career Stats with the New Jersey Devils | ||||||||||
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW | S | S% |
| 305 | 86 | 160 | 246 | 23 | 168 | 34 | 4 | 5 | 536 | 16.0% |
Best to Wear #16 – Bobby Holik
NUMBER: 16
HEIGHT: 6′ 4″
WEIGHT: 230
POSITION: Center
SHOOTS: Right
BORN: January 1, 1971
BIRTHPLACE: Jihlava, Czech Republic
Bobby Holik was acquired by the New Jersey Devils prior to the the 1992-93 season when he was traded along with the Hartford Whalers second round pick in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft to New Jersey in exchange for Eric Weinrich and Sean Burke. What happened next was 10 strong seasons from Holik.
Holik is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, winning the Cup with the Devils in 1995 and 2000.
He left the Devils before the 2002-03 season when he signed a contract during the off-season with cross-Hudson rivals, the New York Rangers in a move that was considered Benedict Arnold-esque (that is until Scott Gomez pulled the same move years later.)
In 2005, Holik had his contract bought out by the Rangers and he signed with the Atlanta Thrashers. He stayed with the Thrashers until 2008, and even served as the Thrashers captain in the 2007-08 season.
Holik made a return to the New Jersey Devils in the 2008-09 season, marking the 11th season with the franchise.
He retired after the 2008-09 season.
| Career Stats with the New Jersey Devils | ||||||||||
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW | S | S% |
| 786 | 202 | 270 | 472 | 122 | 863 | 44 | 0 | 43 | 2046 | 9.9% |
