Category Archives: Season Tickets
We Earned It
We have had a pretty crazy season. We picked up a great player in Kovalchuk, lost our star Parise to a knee injury, the return of Jaque Lemaire, saw Hedberg make incredible saves while Marty wasn’t looking to hot, had a terrible first half and are finishing it up on fire – but are missing the play offs for the first time since 1996! That’s a whole lot for a fan to handle. But I have to say, we handled it pretty well!
We never give up. We rocked our red, defended our boys and always knew that we had what it took to make a great team. We are all proud of the Devils and proud to be members of the Devils Army. We have a whole section, the NJ Devils Supporters Section, dedicated to those fans who like to be heard and are offering season tickets to join them at every game. We have even taken our fan community to another level with the launch of Mission Control and the Devils Army Generals earlier this year, bringing the fans in closer to the organization instead of leaving them on the concourse.
We are the best fans and the team knows it! They mention how great it is to hear us support them and how much it means to them while they’re on the ice. The Devils employees put together a LIPDUB in honor of us. The annual Fan Appreciation Day is coming up, landing on our last game of the season on April 10th and I think it is well deserved! In addition to the normal Fan Fest with music, food and games, Sunday the fans will have the chance to win great prizes and receive a team poster on their way out.
This is a great team to be a fan of. With 1,000 first time season ticket holders signing up for next season, it’s obvious that people can not get enough of Devils hockey! The Devils Army is growing and next year is our year.
The Rock
The Players Award Ceremony
If you are a season ticket holder, one of the many perks is having the opportunity to attend meet and greet events with the players. My family and I were certainly in for a treat when we attended the Pl
ayers Award Ceremony and autograph signing on Thursday, April 7th!
The event opened with an hour long autograph session, with all of the players armed with sharpie markers and glowing smiles. We were fortunate in that Ilya Kovalchuk happened to be at the table nearest where we entered, and we were able to get at the head of the line. I have patiently waited for the opportunity to have him sign my jersey, and I finally got my chance!
I also had a puck given to me by Mark Fraser in the pre-season. It was exciting to finally get his autograph and have a chance to talk to him. The best part was learning that he recognized me from all the times I go and wave during the warm ups, and that he remembered giving that puck to me!
Probably the funniest situation of all, was my family and I bringing a bright red stuffed pig with Devils horns (from today forward known as “Devil Pig”) and having nearly the entire team and coaching staff sign him. Johan Hedberg gave my brother and I a quizzical look and said, “I don’t think I’ve ever signed a PIG before!” Dainius Zubrus, who we have seen at numerous signings, wondered what we had in store for him, as he has signed everything from photos, books, pucks and jerseys for us. I explained that he was the inspiration for bringing the pig; after all, he’s already signed everything else for us! We had to get creative. He laughed as he autographed the “place of honor” right on the front.
After the autograph signings, we were treated to a wonderful lunch of sandwiches, chicken fingers, small snacks and drinks. Then the awards were handed out. Travis Zajac was voted by his team mates as this year’s Unsung Hero, Johan Hedberg was deemed this year’s Players Player, while Patrik Elias was given the honor of Most Valuable Player.
We listened as each award was handed out, and each coach thanked the players, staff and all the fans! Jacques Lemaire hinted that we may see him again next year, which was met with thunderous applause from the crowd. The event ended with an inspirational video of this season’s highlights, bringing back all the memories of this year’s strengths, and reminding us of what we will have to look forward to next year! Everyone down on the ice expressed disappointment that we aren’t occupying a place in the playoffs as we have become accustomed, but assured us that next year, they will be working doubly hard to be back where we belong!
Living Under The Rock: The Season Ticket Holder’s Experience
So do you ever wonder what it’s like going to every home game of a hockey season? Here it is.
Wallet, check. Keys, check. Tickets, check. Wearing red, check. When you go to two or three games a week, those last items become a part of your daily routine. Your friends and coworkers know you’re headed to the game later because, well you’re wearing red and have your Jersey laying out in the backseat of your car. (Or trunk if you think someone will break into your car for the sole purpose of stealing your freshly stitched Kovalchuk jersey or vintage Stevens!) The Devils become a part of your day-to-day life, not a once in awhile event.
Of course the perks of being a season ticket holder are great. You get to attend exclusive events and win some awesome prizes. A few of these events allow you to meet and greet the team, and even skate in the Prudential Center with them! General Kim’s (@shadowpwny) favorite event is the team skate, she says that getting to share the same ice as the people you admire most is – awesome! I think she chose this event over the Team Barbecue because she turned Devils red when meeting Zach Parise… but that’s just my guess. During these events you get the chance to talk to the players and see how they genuinely appreciate us as fans and how normal they are – they don’t always wear those big pads, you know.
But it’s more than just the perks. It’s a whole different experience as a season ticket holder. The Prudential Center is your second home and you are as comfortable there as you are in your own living room – without the remote. Your seats are literally your seats. Other season ticket holders in your section become your neighbors. Spending 6 months out of the year with the same people who obviously have the same interests, you end up with some new friends – your section buddies. One of our own Generals, Jaime, has known the same group of fans for the past 11 years, starting in what was Continental Airlines Arena and now they all sit together in Section 225. Their friendship has gone beyond the arena and they have become a close family, participating in Fantasy Hockey leagues and even traveling together to visit other arenas to watch the Devils.
You get to know the in’s and out’s of the arena. While the majority of people are trying to squeeze down the main escalator, you now the quickest way out is to take the stairways. You also know where the best place is to get a burger and a beer before the game, exactly where each concession stand is, and where the best parking spots are – I’m not giving mine up, sorry!
The 2010-2011 was my first season as a season ticket holder and it was great! I’ve made my own section buddies and know the quickest way to a Carvel for my chocolate sundae with sprinkles during the second intermission… yes, it’s that important. I’ve gotten the chance to meet all my favorite players, experience everything the Rock has to offer and watch every single home game live. I was there for all the action; Kovalchuk’s game winning goals, Marty’s jaw-dropping saves, Travis Zajac playing his 388th consecutive game, tying the record of Ken Daneyko. Every big moment of the season I saw. When people talk about the incredible and crazy season we’ve had, I can say I was there for it all.
Get season tickets for 2011-2012, check.
Team BBQ w/ Zajac!
Kim & Zach Parise at the Team BBQ
Kim and her family with Hedberg at the Team Skate
Jaime's Devils Family
