Lou's Legacy In Jersey

When you think of the New Jersey Devils, you think of some of the great players that have come through that organization. Ken Daneyko, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Patrik Elias, Martin Brodeur, Brian Rafalski, Brian Gionta, Zach Parise, Bobby Holik, John MacLean, Kirk Muller, Scott Gomez. The list goes on and on as to the players that helped make the franchise. For all the talent that has come through the organization on the ice, there was one man responsible for bringing that talent into one place. Lou Lamoriello. New Jersey and Lou have parted ways this offseason, with Ray Shero taking over as General Manager and Lou stepping down as President to become General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

For twenty eight years, Lou Lamoriello was the man responsible for building the Devils. He started the journey in 1987, when team owner John McMullen had named him president. Then, shortly after becoming team president, Lou named himself General Manager, replacing Max McNab. Lou's first year at the helm of the franchise, the Devils turned in a 29-45-6 mark. Up until that point, the Devils franchse was known by some around the league as a "Mickey Mouse operation." The following season, 1987-88, the Devils turned things around, compiling a record of 38-36-6. That record was not only good enough to get them into the playoffs, but the team had a magical run, going all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, before losing to Boston in seven games. That was viewed a turning point for the franchise.

Since that season, the Devils have won three Stanley Cups, 1995, 2000 and 2003. Between that first playoff run in 1988 and their last playoff appearance in 2012, New Jersey has missed the playoffs only three times (not including the lockout year of 2004-05). The last three seasons haven't been great in Jersey, as they have missed the playoffs in each of those years. Still, Lou Lamoriello has been one of the biggest reasons why the Devils have been one of the more consistent franchises in the entire NHL. It's safe to say that New Jersey fans owe quite a lot to Lou for being able to turn that team around from a laughing stock to a power.

There is quite a list of accomplishments by this franchise. There's the three Stanley Cups, to go along with five confrerence titles (as they lost in the finals in 2001 and 2012), and a total of nine division titles (1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10). Each and every one of those titles has Lou's fingerprints all over it. He was able to bring in the right mix of players to make the team winners. He knew how to push the right buttons at the right times. When he wasn't happy with the way the team was being run from behind the bench, he made a switch. He even took over on a couple of occasions behind the bench if he felt he needed to. Lou has left a pretty enduring legacy in Jersey. He put the Devils on the map, made them a relevant organization.

Just before heading off to Toronto, Lou left the Devils, and their fans, with one final goodbye (Photo courtesy of the New Jersey Devils Facebook Page)

Lamoriello leaves as, perhaps, the most important general manager in New York sports history.