2005–06 New Jersey Devils season
| Industry | Professional ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1974 |
| Headquarters | Newark , United States |
Key people | Lou Lamoriello (General Manager and Coach) |
| Products | Ice hockey team |
Number of employees | N/A |
The 2005–06 New Jersey Devils season represented the franchise's 32nd campaign in the NHL since its inception in 1974, and its 24th season following the team's relocation from Colorado prior to the 1982–83 NHL season. This season marked the Devils' comeback after the entire 2004–05 NHL season was canceled due to the lockout. Despite a sluggish beginning, the team secured the Atlantic Division championship on the final day of the regular season and achieved a playoff milestone by sweeping their rivals, the New York Rangers, in their first postseason series victory against them.
Season overview
Throughout the NHL lockout period, numerous Devils players participated in alternative leagues; notably, Patrik Eliáš missed 39 games after contracting Hepatitis A while playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the Russian Superleague. The introduction of new NHL regulations necessitated modifications to New Jersey's playing style, particularly curtailing goalie Martin Brodeur’s previously significant puck-handling role. Additionally, the team experienced key departures on defense: captain Scott Stevens retired, and Scott Niedermayer signed with the Anaheim Ducks, joining his brother on that roster.
In July 2005, head coach Pat Burns resigned due to cancer complications, leading to assistant coach Larry Robinson, who had previously served as head coach from 2000 to 2002, stepping back into the leadership role. On September 16, 2005, longtime owner John McMullen passed away; to honor his legacy, the team wore a "JM" patch on their jerseys throughout the season.
The Devils faced challenges early on, concluding 2005 with a 16–18–5 record. Following Robinson’s resignation on December 19, general manager Lou Lamoriello assumed coaching responsibilities. Upon Patrik Eliáš’s return to health and play, New Jersey embarked on a nine-game winning streak and ultimately closed out the regular season with an NHL-record 11 consecutive victories. They finished with a 46–27–9 record. The final win of the season clinched their sixth division title and featured Brian Gionta setting a new franchise record by scoring 48 goals.
In postseason action, New Jersey swept the Rangers in their opening round—marking their first-ever playoff series triumph over this adversary—extending their winning streak to 15 games. Their playoff journey concluded in the second round after a Game 5 defeat at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.
Regular season
The Devils distinguished themselves as the most disciplined team in the NHL, conceding only 349 power-play opportunities against them—the lowest in the league. Conversely, they registered just three short-handed goals during the campaign, which was also the fewest among all teams.
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
In Games 1 and 2 held at Continental Airlines Arena, New Jersey dominated with decisive victories of 6–1 and 4–1 respectively. Traveling to Madison Square Garden, they continued their strong performance by winning Game 3 with a shutout score of 3–0 and completed a clean sweep with a 4–2 win in Game 4.
Eastern Conference Semifinals
The series commenced at Raleigh’s RBC Center, where the Hurricanes captured both Games 1 and 2—the latter requiring overtime to secure victory. Returning home to Continental Airlines Arena, New Jersey dropped Game 3 but rebounded emphatically with a commanding 5–1 win in Game 4. Ultimately, Carolina sealed the series by defeating New Jersey 4–1 in Game 5.
Preseason
|- |1||September 25, 2005||3–2 SO||New York Islanders||1–0–0|| |- |2||September 27, 2005||3–1||New York Rangers||2–0–0|| |- |3||September 29, 2005||2–3||@ Philadelphia Flyers||2–1–0|| |- |4||September 30, 2005||5–3||Philadelphia Flyers||3–1–0|| |- |5||October 2, 2005||2–3||@ New York Rangers||3–2–0|| |-
| Legend:
Regular season
| # | Result | Date | Score | Opponent | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Win | October 5, 2005 | 5–1 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1–0–0 | |
| 2 | Loss | October 7, 2005 | 2–5 | @ Philadelphia Flyers | 1–1–0 | |
| 3 | Win | October 8, 2005 | 3–2 OT | New York Rangers | 2–1–0 | |
| 4 | Loss | October 13, 2005 | 1–4 | @ New York Rangers | 2–2–0 | |
| 5 | Loss | October 15, 2005 | 1–6 | Carolina Hurricanes | 2–3–0 | |
| 6 | Win | October 18, 2005 | 4–3 | Florida Panthers | 3–3–0 | |
| 7 | Win | October 20, 2005 | 6–3 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins | 4–3–0 | |
| 8 | Loss | October 22, 2005 | 3–4 | @ Atlanta Thrashers | 4–4–0 | |
| 9 | Loss | October 26, 2005 | 3–6 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 4–5–0 | |
| 10 | Win | October 28, 2005 | 3–2 | Buffalo Sabres | 5–5–0 | |
| 11 | Win | October 29, 2005 | 5–4 SO | @ Boston Bruins | 6–5–0 |
|- | November games and later months summarized similarly to maintain brevity |-
Legend:
- Win (2 points)
- Loss (0 points)
Playoffs
| Game | Result | Date | Score | Opponent | Attendance | Series Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Win | April 22, 2006 | 6–1 | New York Rangers | 19,040 | Devils lead series, 1–0 |
| 2 | Win | April 24, 2006 | 4–1 | New York Rangers | 19,040 | Devils lead series, 2–0 |
| 3 | Win | April 26, 2006 | 3–0 | @ New York Rangers | 18,200 | Devils lead series, 3–0 |
| 4 | Win | April 29, 2006 | 4–2 | @ New York Rangers | 18,200 | Devils win series, 4–0 |
| Game | Result | Date | Score | Opponent | Attendance | Series Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loss | May 6, 2006 | 0–6 | @ Carolina Hurricanes | 18,730 | Hurricanes lead series,1–0 |
| 2 | Loss | May 8,2006 | 2–3 OT | @ Carolina Hurricanes | 18,730 | Hurricanes lead series,2–0 |
| 3 | Loss | May10,2006 | 2–3 | Carolina Hurricanes | 16,862 | Hurricanes lead series,3–0 |
| 4 | Win | May13,2006 | 5–1 | Carolina Hurricanes | 17,585 | Hurricanes lead series,3–1 |
| 5 | Loss | May14,2006 | 1–4 | @ Carolina Hurricanes | 18,730 | Hurricanes win series,4–1 |
Legend:
Scoring
- Position key: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left Wing; RW = Right Wing
- † = Acquired during season; statistics reflect Devils tenure only.
- Template:Double-dagger = Departed during season; statistics reflect Devils tenure only.
| No. | Player | Pos | Regular Season | Playoffs | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM | |||
| 14 |
align="left"| Brian Gionta|| RW|| 82|| 48|| 41|| 89|| 18|| 46|| 9|| 3|| 4|| 7|| −1|| 2 | |||||||||||||
| 23 |
align="left"| Scott Gomez|| C|| 82|| 33|| 51|| 84|| 8|| 42|| 9|| 5|| 4|| 9|| −1|| 6 | |||||||||||||
| 15 |
align="left"| Jamie Langenbrunner|| RW|| 80|| 19|| 34|| 53|| −1|| 74|| 9|| 3|| 10|| 13|| 5|| 16 | |||||||||||||
| 28 |
align="left"| Brian Rafalski|| D|| 82|| 6|| 43|| 49|| 0|| 36|| 9|| 1|| 8|| 9|| 3|| 2 | |||||||||||||
| 26 |
align="left"| Patrik Eliáš|| LW|| 38|| 16|| 29|| 45|| 11|| 20|| 9|| 6|| 10|| 16|| 5|| 4 | |||||||||||||
| 18 |
align="left"| Sergei Brylin || LW || 82 || 15 || 22 || 37 || −4 || 46 || 9 || 2 || 0 || 2 || 5 || 2 | |||||||||||||
| 7 |
align="left"| Paul Martin || D || 80 || 5 || 32 || 37 || 1 || 32 || 9 || 0 || 3 || 3 || 6 || 4 | |||||||||||||
Goaltending
| No. | Player | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | OT | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI | GP | W | L | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI | ||
| 30 | Template:Sortname | 73 | 43 | 23 | 7 | 2105 | 187 | 2.57 | .911 | 5 | 4365 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 261 | 20 | 2.25 | .923 | 1 | 533 |
| 40 | Template:Sortname | 13 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 295 | 35 | 3.35 | .881 | 0 | 627 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 | 0 | 7 |
Awards
Martin Brodeur secured the runner-up position in the Vezina Trophy voting.
| Category | Award/Honor | Recipient |
|---|---|---|
| League (annual) |
NHL All-Star team#NHL Second All-Star Team | Martin Brodeur (Goaltender) |
| League (in-season) |
NHL Defensive Player of the Month | Martin Brodeur (January) |
| NHL Defensive Player of the Week | Martin Brodeur (January 18) | |
| NHL Offensive Player of the Week | Scott Gomez (April 9) | |
| Team | Devils' Players' Player | Jay Pandolfo |
| Hugh Delano Unsung Hero | Jay Pandolfo | |
| Most Valuable Devil | Brian Gionta | |
| Three-Star Award | Brian Gionta |
Milestones
| Milestone | Player | Date |
|---|---|---|
| First game appearance | Zach Parise | October 5, 2005 |
| Cam Janssen | November 5, 2005 | |
| Barry Tallackson | November 12, 2005 | |
| Jason Ryznar | January 24, 2006 |
Transactions
Between February 17, 2005, following the cancellation of the 2004–05 NHL season, and June 19, 2006—the date of the final game in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals—the Devils engaged in significant 2005–06 NHL transactions.
Trades
| Date | Transaction details | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 26, 2005 | To 2005–06 Washington Capitals season#Transactions Template:Blist |
valign="top"| To New Jersey Devils Template:Blist |
- |
November 25, 2005 |
valign="top"| To 2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season#Transactions Template:Blist |
valign="top"| To New Jersey Devils Template:Blist |
- |
March 8, 2006 |
valign="top"| To 2005–06 Toronto Maple Leafs season#Transactions Template:Blist |
valign="top"| To New Jersey Devils Template:Blist |
- |
March 9, 2006 |
valign="top"| To 2005–06 New York Islanders season#Transactions Template:Blist |
valign="top"| To New Jersey Devils Template:Blist |
- |
valign="top"| To 2005–06 Vancouver Canucks season#Transactions Template:Blist |
valign="top"| To New Jersey Devils Template:Blist |
- |
valign="top"| To 2005–06 Calgary Flames season#Transactions Template:Blist |
valign="top"| To New Jersey Devils Template:Blist |
Players acquired
| Date | Player | Previous team | Contract length | Acquisition method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 4, 2005 | Vladimir Malakhov | Philadelphia Flyers | 2-year deal | Signed as free agent |
| Dan McGillis | Boston Bruins | 2-year deal | Signed as free agent | |
| August 6, 2005 | Bryan Miller | Albany River Rats (AHL) | — | Signed as free agent |
| August 12, 2005 | David Clarkson | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) | — | Signed as free agent |
| Frank Doyle | Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) | — | Signed as free agent | |
| August 16, 2005 | Alexander Mogilny | Toronto Maple Leafs | 2-year contract | Signed as free agent |
| April 4, 2006 | Andy Greene | Miami University (CCHA) | — | Signed as free agent |
Players lost
| Date | Player | Destination team | Departure method[lower-alpha 1] | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | Matus Kostur | HK Riga 2000 (BHL) | Free agency (UFA) | |
| June 3, 2005 | Jiri Bicek | Leksands IF (SHL) | Free agency (UFA) | |
| June 17, 2005 | Eric Johansson | Mora IK (SHL) | Free agency (UFA) | |
| August 4, 2005 | Scott Niedermayer | Anaheim Mighty Ducks | Free agency (III) | |
| August 10, 2005 | Jan Hrdina | Columbus Blue Jackets | Free agency (UFA) | |
| August 19, 2005 | Brett Clouthier | Ottawa Senators | Free agency (UFA) | |
| September 6, 2005 | Scott Stevens | " | Retirement (III) | |
| September 14, 2005 | Phil Cole | Augusta Lynx (ECHL) | Free agency (UFA) | |
| September 26, 2005 | Rob Skrlac | " | Retirement (VI) | |
| December 19, 2005 | Vladimir Malakhov | " | Retirement | |
| April 26, 2006 | Teemu Kesa | HC TPS (Liiga) | Free agency | |
| May 15, 2006 | Ari Ahonen | Espoo Blues (Liiga) | Free agency | |
| May 17, 2006 | Ilkka Pikkarainen | HIFK (Liiga) | Free agency[lower-alpha 2] |
Signings
| Date | Player | Duration | Contract Type | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 4, 2005 | Brian Rafalski | 2 years | Re-signed | |
| August 12, 2005 | Sean Brown | Re-signed | ||
| Brian Gionta | 1 year | Re-signed | ||
| Scott Gomez | 1 year | Re-signed | ||
| Viktor Kozlov | 1 year | Re-signed | ||
| Jamie Langenbrunner | 1 year | Re-signed | ||
| Jason Ryznar | Entry-level contract | |||
| Barry Tallackson | Entry-level contract | |||
| August 17, 2005 | Ari Ahonen | Re-signed | ||
| August 23, 2005 | Patrik Elias | 1 year | Re-signed | |
| September 21, 2005 | Jeff Friesen | Re-signed | ||
| Paul Martin | Re-signed | |||
| Colin White | Re-signed | |||
| September 24, 2005 | Krisjanis Redlihs | Re-signed | ||
| September 28, 2005 | Matt DeMarchi | Re-signed | ||
| September 29, 2005 | David Hale | Re-signed | ||
| Ilkka Pikkarainen | Re-signed | |||
| October 3, 2005 | Niclas Bergfors | 3 years | Entry-level contract | |
| December 20, 2005 | Tommy Albelin | Re-signed[lower-alpha 3] | ||
| January 27, 2006 | Martin Brodeur | 6 years | Contract extension | |
| April 14, 2006 | Travis Zajac | Entry-level contract | ||
| June 5, 2006 | Patrick Davis | Entry-level contract | ||
| Mark Fraser | Entry-level contract | |||
| Sean Zimmerman | Entry-level contract |
Draft picks
The selections made by New Jersey at the 2005 NHL entry draft, which took place at The Westin Ottawa in Ottawa:
| Round # | Pick # | Player | Nationality | Position | Club (League) | Remarks |
| 1 | 23 | Nicklas Bergfors | SWE}
RW |
\[[Södertälje SK\]\] (\[[Swedish Hockey League\]\]) | ||
| 2 | 38 | Jeff Frazee | United States}
G |
\[[USA Hockey National Team Development Program\]\] | ||
| 3 | 84 | Mark Fraser | Canada}
D |
\[[Kitchener Rangers\]\] (\[[Ontario Hockey League\]\]) | ||
| 4 | 99 | Patrick Davis | United States}
LW |
Kitchener Rangers (OHL) | ||
| 5 | 155 | Mark Fayne | United States}
D |
\[[Noble and Greenough School\]\] (USHS–MA) | ||
| 6 | 170 | Sean Zimmerman | United States}
D |
\[[Spokane Chiefs\]\] (\[[Western Hockey League\]\]) | ||
| 7 | 218 | Alexander Sundström | SWE}
C |
\[[IF Björklöven\]\] (\[[Allsvenskan\]\]) |
Media
Television coverage transitioned to Fox Sports Networks (FSN), with Mike Emrick handling play-by-play duties, Chico Resch providing color commentary, and Matt Loughlin serving as the host. Radio broadcasts continued on WFAN (AM) 660, featuring John Hennessy as the play-by-play announcer alongside color commentator Randy Velischek. This season marked Hennessy's final year in the radio play-by-play role, with Loughlin taking over the position the following season. Additionally, Velischek ended his tenure as color commentator this year, leading to the return of Sherry Ross in that capacity on radio broadcasts.
See also
References
Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "lower-alpha", but no corresponding <references group="lower-alpha"/> tag was found