Category Archives: Win
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!
My Brother’s “Night Out”
One of the great perks my family enjoyed as Season Ticket Holders this year was the “bonus” tickets we were provided with for three random games during the season. This time, it was my brother’s turn to invite his friends to a game and share in the joy of Devils hockey. He brought two of his teachers and two of his classmates, all Devils fans experiencing the atmosphere of The Rock for their first time.
We took everyone to the Digital Zone to have their “Fan Photos” picture taken and put up on Rock Vision. Afterward, we enjoyed dinner in the Fire Lounge. Our guests were amazed by the food choices, the friendliness of the staff, and the cozy environment. One friend was so excited, he couldn’t wait to find ours eats and take a look at the ice!
My brother led the way to the glass once warm-ups started. We said hello to the security guards down by the ice and showed his friends where to stand to best watch the players. When Marty stepped out onto the ice, they were in awe. They had watched him on TV for so long, and here they were, to see him in person! As all the players did their opening lap, the kids clapped and cheered and waved hello.
During the game, my brother and I blew our stadium horns and led his friends in “Let’s Go Devils” and “De-vils” chants and cheers. We had a great time cheering for each player, jumping up and down when they scored their goals and listening to our friends marvel at the fast pace of the action.
As if all of this wasn’t awesome enough, the Devils treated our first timers to a huge win over Atlanta. Getting a chance to see the three stars announced, listen to the interviews, and cheer with a very excited crowd was phenomenal. After the game, we introduced everyone to Doc and Chico who kindly took the time to sign autographs and answer a few brief questions.
My brother’s friends and teachers had a great first visit to the arena, and the car ride home was filled with conversation about the game, the fans, the staff, the food, and “when can we go back?” A HUGE thank you, Devils Organization! Thanks to all of you, my brother’s friends were certainly given a night to remember!
