| The New Jersey Devils hockey team has traveled a | | | | the new team to join the tri-state hockey circuit of |
| long way from its humble origins to become one of the | | | | New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. |
| most popular ice hockey teams in the country. The | | | | The Devils have displayed a particular style of playing |
| New Jersey Devils Hockey Club, then called the | | | | and have always been known as a defense first |
| Kansas Scouts, which was formed in 1974 as a result | | | | rather than offense first team. The team places an |
| of the NHL expansions has seen a whole lot of ups | | | | emphasis on speed and alacrity and have patented |
| and downs, name and ownership changes to last any | | | | their own style of run and gun ice hockey. Today, the |
| decent hockey team more than two lifetimes. | | | | team is one of the most popular in the country, with a |
| Due to an extremely dismal performance in the first | | | | number of Stanley Cup trophies and Atlantic Division |
| two years of their inception, winning only 27 out of 160 | | | | titles under their belt. While the club faces almost all of |
| games, the team moved to Colorado in 1976 with the | | | | the country's professional ice hockey teams as a |
| aim of making a fresh start altogether and was | | | | member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern |
| re-christened the Colorado Rockies. However, while | | | | Conference of the NHL (National Hockey League), its |
| the team's performance definitely improved in | | | | arch rivals are still the neighboring teams of the New |
| Colorado over what it was earlier, it was still nothing | | | | York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers. |
| much to write home about. The final move came | | | | Some of the most popular players of the New Jersey |
| when the team was bought by New Jersey shipping | | | | Devils hockey team till date have been Patrik Elias, |
| tycoon John McMullen and shifted to New Jersey. The | | | | John Madden and Brian Gionta, who have been |
| team had now moved amidst the tigers, and had to | | | | responsible for taking the team from strength to |
| contend with the Philadelphia Flyers, the New York | | | | strength. Other popular players, especially among the |
| rangers and the three time Stanley Cup Winners, New | | | | younger lot are Travis Zajac and Zach Parise. |
| York Islanders, who were all baying for the blood of | | | | |