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Devils hire Stevens and Shaw to fill assistant coaching vacancies
No matter what they do for an organization, it’s extremely difficult to replace a pair of Hall of Famers when they leave. That’s exactly what Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello was faced with upon the departures of assistant coaches Adam Oates and Larry Robinson. Oates moved on for an opportunity to be a head coach in the NHL with the Washington Capitals, while Larry Robinson moved to the west coast and the San Jose Sharks, where he can spend time with his grandchildren.
Both Oates and Robinson will be extremely difficult to replace. Oates was hired by the Devils as an assistant coach, specifically to run the power play, for the 2010-11 season. Unfortunately, the power play, like the entire team for much of the season’s first half, did not work well at all. It ranked among the bottom three teams in the league for most of the season, and the Devils missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996, despite a surge in the second half. Oates dramatically turned the power play around this past season, especially in the second half of the season. The Devils finished 14th overall for the season, although it operated at over a 20% rate once the Devils acquired Kurtis Foster, and eventually Marek Zidlicky.
Larry Robinson, on the other hand, has been with the Devils for most of the past two decades. He first came aboard in 1993 as an assistant coach, and was on the coaching staff for the Devils’ first Stanley Cup championship in 1995. After the 1994-95 season, Robinson went to Los Angeles as a head coach, but returned to New Jersey as an assistant in 1999. Between 1999 and 2012, Robinson was an assistant coach, head coach, back to assistant coach and continued to go back and forth several times, but he was a part of all three Stanley Cup championships, including winning in 2000 as the interim head coach. More recently, Robinson worked with the Devils’ young defensemen, such as Mark Fayne and Adam Larsson.
Replacing Oates will be former San Jose assistant Matt Shaw. This hiring by Lou Lamoriello surprised many, although there was not a lot of speculation as to who might replace Oates initially. When Lou Lamoriello invited Sergei Brylin to be an assistant for development camp, which is going on right now, many figured he and Stevens would get the roles, but instead, Matt Shaw has been hired. Shaw was the mastermind of San Jose’s second-ranked power play in the NHL last season. Only the Flyers scored more power play goals in the NHL last season than the Sharks. The Devils are hoping that Shaw can continue to get power play goal production out of Ilya Kovalchuk, who scored 10 such goals last season, Patrik Elias and David Clarkson, who scored eight each.
While Shaw will be running the power play, Scott Stevens will handle the defense. The Hall of Fame defenseman, 13-time All-Star and captain of all three Stanley Cup championships with the Devils, Stevens will assume Robinson’s role and look to mentor the young defensemen the Devils have coming through the organization. In addition to Fayne and Larsson, defensemen such as Eric Gelinas, Alexander Urbom, Jonathan Merrill, Brandon Burlon, Damon Severson and others figure to be NHL ready within the next few seasons. Stevens will hope to improve upon the Devils’ ninth best team goals against average in the NHL from last season.
So with Shaw and Stevens added, the Devils have completed their coaching staff for the 2012-13 season. Peter DeBoer will enter his second season as head coach of the team, while Dave Barr, who ran the NHL’s best penalty kill in the modern era last season, will also return for his second season and Chris Terreri will continue to coach the goaltenders. Hopefully, with Barr’s expertise on the penalty kill and Shaw’s brilliance with the San Jose power play last season, special teams will be a strength of the Devils moving forward, and with Scott Stevens working with the defensemen, it figures to be quite difficult to score goals against the Devils next season.
Is it October yet?
Devils Army Far and Wide: Petter Carnbro from Sweden
Today we want to introduce you to Petter Carnbro. Petter was born in 1985 and grew up in a small town on the west coast of Sweden. In the early/mid 1990s, hockey cards were all the rage amongst the kids there and of course Petter was one of them. He started collecting and as everyone was choosing a team, he, for reasons unknown, chose the Devils. He believes his reason for choosing the Devils was the logo and the fact that they had some success in the seasons leading up to their first Stanley Cup in 1995.
Back in 1995, watching games was next to impossible in Sweden. His primary ways to follow the Devils was by watching occasional highlights on TV, or catch the results via newspaper or teletext. Nevertheless, he has stuck with the team through the years and when he went to college and got access to high speed internet, his interest really took off.
Petter’s current favorite player is Zach Parise. When I asked him why he chose Zach, he said, “He plays the way I want a captain and a franchise player to play. It’s the way he battles for pucks, goes into corners and the intensity he brings”. He then went on to say, “I’m of course somewhat partial to the Swedish contingent of the roster and I’m hoping that Jacob Josefson develops into the great two-way pivot that we all want him to be. Of course I was also very excited when they drafted Adam Larsson and I’m looking forward to him fulfilling his potential in a Devils jersey”.
We all know that there has to be someone in the past that all Devils fans love and Petter didn’t have to go far to pick a fan favorite in Scott Stevens, “A truly intimidating player and he was the perfect captain” said Petter.
Petter does not currently own any memorabilia or jerseys (we may have to change that). One of his future purchases for sure will be a T-shirt or a hat or something along those lines. Petter is hoping that Parise will sign a long-term contract (something all Devils fans are hoping for) so that can be his first purchase.
Petter frequents some of the Devils forums and follows along via Twitter like everyone else. He follows the beat writers to get his daily dose of information and says that’s just a small part of his NHL-related surfing, admitting that he’s a big NHL-junkie.
In order to watch games, Petter ordered Game Center Live and watches as many games as possible, (usually 1 or 2 per week at the least). However, 7PM Eastern Time in the United States is 1 am in Sweden, so sometimes it can prove a bit difficult. “Whenever there’s a matinee I circle it on the calendar and cancel everything, I’m not missing those for the world.” Petter is truly a dedicated fan!
I asked Petter if he had any intentions of coming to the US to see the team play live and he said, “Making a trip in the future to attend a Devils game or two is in the plans – it just has to become reality. I’m also hoping for the team to be a part of one of those Season Openers over here in Europe, that’d be amazing”.
Thank you Petter for allowing us to share your story about not just being a Devils fan, but for your dedication to a team so far away!
Niedermayer Ready For His Night
The New Jersey Devils held a news conference today with General Manager Lou Lamiorello and the man who is being honored tonight, Scott Niedermayer.
Niedermayer’s number 27 will join Ken Daneyko’s number 3, and Scott Stevens’ number 4 up in the rafters of Prudential Center tonight.
Niedermayer is excited about the night. During the news conference, he talked about how he tried not to think about it so much when he was nearing the end of his career with the Anaheim Ducks, “It seemed like it sure was a long ways away when I was across the country and not thinking about it a whole lot, but now that I’m here, I’m excited.”
Opening the news conference, Niedermayer thanked Lou Lamiorello for giving him the opportunity to play in New Jersey. He told the press despite owning a red & green Devils jersey as a kid, and knowing the names of the players on the team, he didn’t know much about New Jersey.
Niedermayer credits his skating ability as part of his success within the organization, and he credits Scott Stevens & Ken Daneyko, as well as other veteran defensemen, for teaching him and taking him under their wings. He also said it’s fitting that the first three retired numbers are the key defensemen from the 1995, 2000, and 2003 Stanley Cup teams. Niedermayer said defense was the strength back then, much like offense is the strength of the team now.
He said he felt spoiled that he won the Stanley Cup three times within his first 12 seasons of his career, but that winning the cup that first time was an amazing experience that he’d never forget. Winning the Cup with the Ducks in 2007, he said, almost duplicated that feeling because there were so many players who had never won it before such as Teemu Selanne and his brother, Rob Niedermayer.
To sum up his time in New Jersey, Niedermayer said that the most special moments were just being with his teammates. He named Daneyko, Stevens, Brodeur, and Doug Gilmour as those he was honored to have played with in New Jersey.
Is he nervous about tonight? “Hopefully I don’t mess up too many times or slip on the ice. So, if I don’t do that, it’s a success.”
New Jersey Devils Retire Scott Niedermayer’s #27 – Get your Facebook banner!
Tonight the New Jersey Devils will raise Scott Niedermayer’s #27 into the rafters of the Prudential Center to join Scott Stevens and Ken Danekyo. The Devils Generals have a way we all can join in… with Facebook banners! We’ve got a tall one for your Facebook profile picture and a wide one for your Facebook timeline cover. Just click on the one you’d like to download, Right Click, Save Image As, and upload to your Facebook page to honor Niedermayer and celebrate #27 being the third number to be retired in New Jersey Devils history. Don’t forget to follow the Devils Generals on Facebook, too!
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Devils to Retire Scott Niedermayer’s #27 on December 16
Originally posted in September, 2011.
Welcome to the rafters of Prudential Center, #27! On Friday December 16th, Scott Niedermayer’s #27 will join Scott Stevens’ #4 and Ken Daneyko’s #3 as the only numbers retired in franchise history. Scott was a key component of the New Jersey Devils’ success for over a decade, which culminated with four Stanley Cup Finals appearances (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003) and three Stanley Cup Championships (1995, 2000, 2003). Scott’s value to the franchise is undeniable and will never be forgotten.
Niedermayer will undoubtedly be remembered for his stellar skating and offensive production. In 2003-2004 Scott scored 14 goals and added 40 assists, for a total of a whopping 54 points. After the conclusion of the season, Scott was named the winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy as Defenseman of the Year, becoming the first Devil to do so. Scott has won everything there is to win in hockey. In 1991 he won a gold medal at the World Junior Championships as a member of Team Canada. In 1992 he won the Memorial Cup as a member of the Kamloops Blazers, and was named MVP. He won the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 1995, 2000 and 2003. Scott also won the Stanley Cup in 2007 as a member of the Anaheim Ducks, and won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP. Scott won gold medals as a member of Team Canada in the 2002 and 2010 Olympics. He also was a member of the Team Canada squad that took gold in the 2004 World Championships, and a member of the 2004 World Cup winning Canada team. Forget “trophy case”, the Niedermayer household needs a trophy ROOM.
I am extremely excited about Scott’s jersey being retired, and will be in attendance at The Rock cheering loudly on the night of December 16. Please join me in applauding a true New Jersey Devils legend who has given so much to the organization.
What is your favorite Nieds’ moment?
Best to Wear – #5
I know, I know. You think I don’t know how to count properly. Clearly, the number five does NOT come after the number two.
After much debate, and feedback from readers, we will not be doing a “Best to Wear ” for number three or four. Seeing as these are the only numbers retired by the New Jersey Devils, I think it’s pretty clear who the best to wear them are. However in case you’re wondering here are what would’ve been the choices (bold denotes who the number is retired for).
#3: Ken Daneyko, Dave Hutchison
#4: Scott Stevens, Myles O’Connor, Sergei Starikov, Eric Weinrich, Jamie Huscroft, Gord Mark, Bob Lorimer
Also, a lot of you have been asking if we’re talking about just their career in New Jersey or their NHL career as a whole. Try to focus on their Jersey career, but don’t let me stop you from voting for someone based on their NHL career.
You will have until 11:59 PM EDT on Thursday, August 25 to cast your vote. As a comment, leave a reason why you voted for a certain player.
So, Devils Army, Who was the Best to Wear # 5?
Devils Army Far and Wide: Markus from Germany
Markus wears his red and black way over in Germany. It was in his hometown of Kassel where he got his first taste of hockey at a Kassel Huskies game in 1993. How did he become a New Jersey Devils fan? As his hockey interests grew, his fascination goaltenders grew with it. When Markus got word of young goalie, Martin Broduer, his focus turned to the New Jersey Devils. He also thought we had a pretty awesome looking jersey, who can disagree? Clearly, Martin Brodeur is his favorite Devil, along with Scott & Scott – Stevens and Neidermayer.
The Devils website, Facebook page and Twitter account help to keep him updated, along with NHL.com. Markus is also known to stay up in order to watch and/or listen to Devils games when he can. If he can’t, he makes sure to watch the game highlights the next morning. During the 2001 final series, Markus would go to sleep around 5PM just to wake up in the middle of the night to watch the games live. He was ready to celebrate after Game 7, but we know how that went…
There isn’t much hockey action where he lives (soccer is pretty dominant in Germany) but it only takes him an hour drive to get to a couple major hockey clubs. Markus played on his university inline hockey team, as a goaltender of course.
He has a pretty big collection of Devils memorabilia. Over the years he’s picked up pucks and cards – including 300 Martin Brodeur cards and a few signed cards from other Devils players. He managed to get a Brodeur autograph by writing to the Devils. He was pretty excited to get a response with an autographed picture in the mail!
Markus hasn’t made it to a Devils game yet. On a trip to Florida he was able to catch a Caps vs Panthers game and just missed the Devils since they decided to come into town the day after he left. He looks forward to the chance of seeing the Devils in action, but until then, rooting from Germany is fine with us!
Stanley Cup Game 7 – Get The Heart Pills Ready
Game. Seven.
Two words that you never want to hear if your team is involved in it. Tonight will be the final game of the NHL season. There is no tomorrow. At about 10:45pm EST (barring overtime, God forbid) we will know who will be raising Lord Stanley’s Cup. I, myself, have been lucky enough to have gone to two Game 7′s in my life. One on the good end, and one on the bad end. Read the rest of this entry
Farewell Rafalski
After 11 seasons in the NHL, 37 year-old former New Jersey Devil Brian Rafalski announced that he will be retiring. With a couple of injuries and wanting to focus on his family, he decided it would be the best decision.
In 1999, Rafalski was named the best hockey player not playing in the NHL by the Sporting News. Later that year, the Devils signed him as a free agent. He was a pretty old rookie starting the 1999-2000 season at 26 years old, but he had four years of European hockey experience to back him up. He was paired up with Scott Stevens and played with other rookies, Scott Gomez, John Madden and Colin White. White remembers seeing Rafalski for the first time and thinking he had nothing to worry about when it came to the new small D-man standing at 5″10 and 195 lbs – until he saw him play. Rafalski led all rookie defensemen with a +21 rating, ended the season with 32 points and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. Oh, and he helped in winning a Stanley Cup, too.
Rafalski went on to win another Cup with the Devils in 2003 before being signed by the Detroit Red Wings in 2007 to a five year contract. In 2008, he was a part of another Stanley Cup winning team. The next year would mark his fifth trip to the Finals in nine seasons – pretty impressive.
Injuries got in his way this season. Rafalski was on the training table every day and said that it got pretty tiring and affected the way he played. This didn’t stop him from picking up 48 points in 63 regular-season games though.
In his career, he’s also picked up two Olympic silver medals playing on Team USA (2002, 2010) and has been selected for three NHL All-Star Games. With an overall of 79 goal and 436 assists, giving him 515 points in 833 career games, Rafalski is definitely going out on top with a Hall of Fame worthy career.
Devils Army Far and Wide: Emanuela from Italy
You don’t have to live in New Jersey to be a New Jersey Devils fan. Devils fans can be found far and wide! This is the first of a series of posts featuring international fans rocking their red and supporting Jersey’s team.
Emanuela (top left) and her soccer teammates
Emanuela (@emanupo) lives in Cernusco sul Naviglio, near Milan, in Italy. She grew up watching sports with her dad and would go to A.C. Milan soccer games as a kid. It was her love of soccer that led to her love of the Devils. Her favorite soccer team followed a hockey team called “I Diavoli” – The Devils! It was when she met a few members of that team in the summer of 1999 that she learned about the New Jersey Devils in the United States and our Stanley Cup. Emanuela has been a Devils fan ever since.
Twitter, Facebook and a few blogs help Emanuela keep up with the team. Her favorite current players are Patrick Elias and Zach Parise. Her all time favorite player is Scott Stevens. (We think she has a big crush on him!) Emanuela has only visited the United States once and did not get a chance to make it out to The Rock for a game, but she plans on it!
If you are a Devils fan living outside the U.S. and would like to be featured as an international fan, email us at devilsgenerals@gmail.com.
