The franchise had begun play in 1974, as the Kansas City Scouts. After 2 terrible seasons, they were sold to a group that moved them to Denver, Colorado, and renamed them the Colorado Rockies, a name that would later be given to Denver's Major League Baseball team.
The Rockies made the Playoffs in 1978, but only in that season. By 1982, they were losing money fast. McMullen, a native of Montclair in Essex County, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who rose to the rank of Commander (the Academy went on to name their hockey rink for him), and a marine engineer in civilian life, bought the Rockies on May 27, 1982, and announced he would move them into the newly-constructed Meadowlands Arena, named for the recently-retired Governor who got it built.
Dr. John McMullen with the Stanley Cup
McMullen, who was then also the owner of MLB's Houston Astros, also had to compensate the Rangers, the defending Stanley Cup Champion New York Islanders, and the Philadelphia Flyers for territorial indemnification. Doing this for the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers had almost sunk the owners of the ABA's New York, soon to be New Jersey, Nets when they joined the NBA in 1976, and they were still terrible when they moved into the Meadowlands in 1981. But McMullen could afford the $20 million or so that it took to buy the team, move it, and pay off the regional rivals.
The 1st goal in team history was scored just 2 minutes and 21 seconds into the game, by team Captain Don Lever, a former Vancouver Canucks star, assisted by Steve Tambellini and Bob MacMillan. At 5:23, Hector Marini made it 2-0, assisted by Aaron Broten and Brent Ashton. At 6:31, Rick Kehoe brought the Pens within 2-1.
Don Lever
At 16:18 of the 2nd period, the Penguins went on a power play, and Pat Boutette fired past former New York Islanders backup goaltender Glenn "Chico" Resch to tie the game. Just 13 seconds into the 3rd period, Kehoe scored on another power play. But 5:03 in, the magically-named Merlin Malinowski tallied for New Jersey, assisted by Bob Lorimer and Marini. With no overtime in the regular season in those days, the game ended tied.
Three days later, also at home, the Devils played their 2nd game and got their 1st win, against, appropriately enough, the Rangers. As of October 18, they were 3-1-3. Then they started playing like an expansion team, and went on a streak of 7 losses, followed by 3 ties, followed by 7 more losses and a tie, an 18-game winless streak, before finally winning again on November 27.
They finished with a record of 17 wins, 49 losses and 14 ties, for 48 points, finishing 5th in what was then named the Lester Patrick Division, ahead of only the Penguins. Of the 21 teams then in the NHL, they ranked 19th, ahead of only the Penguins and the Hartford Whalers.
Although Resch was a terrible goalie, he would become a beloved broadcaster for the team. Broten was the last remaining Original Devil, playing with them until 1990. His brothers Neal and Paul would also play for the Devils, and Neal, a member of the U.S. team that won the 1980 Olympic Gold Medal, would score the goal that secured the team's 1st Stanley Cup.
It would take until 1988 for the Devils to make the Playoffs, reaching Game 7 of the Conference Finals before falling. They did so again in 1994. They won the Stanley Cup in 1995, 2000 and 2003, losing in the Finals in 2001 and 2012. However, despite moving out of the Meadowlands and into their own building, the Prudential Center in downtown Newark in 2007, they have made the Playoffs only once since those 2012 Finals, and still look like they're going in circles.
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October 5, 1982 was a Tuesday. There were 2 other NHL games played that day. In a rematch of the previous season's Stanley Cup Finals, the New York Islanders lost to the Vancouver Canucks, 2-1 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. But the Isles would go on to win their 4th straight Stanley Cup that season, anyway.
And in "The Battle of Alberta," the Edmonton Oilers beat the Calgary Flames, 7-5 at the Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton. Wayne Gretzky was coming off the most spectacular offensive season any hockey player has ever had, and went on to lead the Oilers to their 1st Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Islanders. The next season, the Oilers beat the Isles in the Finals to win their 1st Cup.
It was a Tuesday, so while it was during the NFL season, there were no games played that day. And the NBA wouldn't start its season until later in the month. Major League Baseball had just started its Playoffs. In Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium) in the Los Angeles suburb of Anaheim, California, the California Angels beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-3. Tommy John outpitched Mike Caldwell. Fred Lynn hit a home run for the Halos, and Gorman Thomas hit one for the Brew Crew.
The Angels would also win Game 2 in Anaheim. But the Brewers won the next 3 in Milwaukee, winning their 1st Pennant, and becoming the 1st team ever to come back from a 2-0 deficit in either League's Championship Series. Despite having such veteran stars as John, Lynn, Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew, Don Sutton, Bobby Grich and Don Baylor, the Angels choked.