A New Era, Dressed in Black | FEATURE

And a critical piece of designing the jersey for New Jersey was Martin Brodeur.
"He's really truly the architect of this jersey. He's the designer," said Frechette. "And the two of us were co-creators. We certainly had some feedback and some collaboration with others on our team, President Jake Reynolds included. But it starts and finishes with Marty. And that part is really special."
THE JERSEY STORY
Brodeur and Frechette were a part of a lead team that has been working on this third jersey since late 2018. There were some prior designs that did not make the cut, perhaps in part that they did not carry with them the right representation of the state, the people, and the franchise.
The third jersey exudes pride that the Devils are the only professional team that plays in the state while wearing it across their chest. What was once indicated by the horned and tailed "NJ" is now spelled out proudly with "Jersey" across the front.

The striping pattern also pays respect to the Garden State.
"The stripes are a pretty cool story," said Brodeur. "If you count all the stripes on the jersey, there are 21 stripes, and that goes with the 21 counties in New Jersey. There are tons of little things that we wanted to do with this jersey and it's really about the people, the fans of New Jersey that are supporting us. And so we have the 21 stripes for the counties and on the left shoulder, we have five stripes, three in the front, two in the back that recognize the five guys whose numbers are retired."

And while paying respect to the state and the organization's storied history, there are also subtle nods to the Newark Bulldogs, River Vale Skeeters, and Jersey Larks within the design.
"It's really recognizable when you look at the elbows and the striping that (the old teams) had and the ones that we are going to be wearing on the new jersey," said Brodeur.
The legendary Devils goalie's fingerprints are all over the design, including the lacing at the neck, which is reflective of a goalie net and a nod to the on-ice home of the Hall of Fame, and greatest of all time.
"Yeah, that was probably something a little selfish," Brodeur smiled. "I figured we needed to put a little goalie thing in the jersey and at first I wanted to get really the hockey net itself to be the string of the jersey and I guess we can't do that. So we can mimic with just the laces that look like hockey netting. So this was kind of a pretty nice touch, I thought."

As a younger player, Brodeur heard his friends, family, strangers, and people visiting the state refer to it as "Jersey" thus leading to the shorthand script on the front. Frechette said the crest and the red drop shadow was an important piece to the uniform, lending a nod to the club's popular primary color while still leaving a sleek, monochromatic, black and white look for the broadcast.
"The crest was really important to Marty to be reflective of Jersey and our deep roots of hockey in New Jersey. So, the crest, the font, the angle, the shape, the drop shadow, he thought all about that," said Frechette.
"What's special about Marty is he's a really thoughtful, strategic, and intentional guy. There are a lot of alumni out there who might lend their name to something, but they might not actually have their fingerprints on it. But what I'll say about Marty is he was a fantastic co-creator. And he sweat the details of every last detail that you'll find on this jersey, every last nuance, right down to the stitching. And I think it's just really special."
But Brodeur wanted to make sure he wasn't the only big-name alumni to approve of the design.
"Scott Niedermayer came through and Patrick Elias with a couple of other guys and they saw it," said Brodeur. "And they were really thrilled about it. It's an exciting time if it's something new. And I think our fans will love it"
"When you take it a few steps back, back in January of 2021, we launched a brand identity campaign called 'Made in Jersey,'" said Frechette. "We're committed to that campaign for the longer term. So this is just one step or one stop in the journey. And it's just really reflective of our roots in hockey and New Jersey, of our fan base that is very passionate about our team and our brand. And certainly, some of the other pieces are our esteemed alumni. Marty is really the best example, you know, 'born in Montreal but made in Jersey.' And now he's got his fingerprints on this beautiful garment."
The Devils will wear the third jersey 13 times, a nod to 22-year-old captain Nico Hischier. The team will hit the ice for the first time wearing them on December 8, versus the Philadelphia Flyers. The remaining games will be released on November 26, or "Black Friday" as it is called. In addition to the jersey, a wide-ranging clothing and collectible line will be released starting today on Fanatics and NHLshop.com, as well as Prudential Center stores.