DEVILS THROUGH THE DECADES - Hitting the Road

As the Devils embark on this five game road trip, I thought it would be apropos to write about some of the experiences I have enjoyed (or not) on the road and as a visiting fan.
Our road trips are appreciated by the team and memorable for us. A multitude of players over the years have commented on how it has motivated them to hear and see us in the stands when on the road. For the fan, road trips can be an adventure, exciting, daunting (depending on which arena you are visiting), a vacation or a quick jaunt across the river or on the highway. The focal point is of course the game but depending on the locale, road trips can also provide an opportunity to explore a city you might not necessarily choose otherwise and with that, an appreciation for local attractions, culture, nightlife, etc. Regardless of where you go, each game can provide a story, experience, memory or at the very least, a lasting impression.
To this point, I have visited the arenas of the Flyers, Rangers, Islanders, Bruins, Panthers, Canadians and Golden Knights. It's not a long list at this point, however, I have a clear plan going forward to ratchet this up each season.
A few of the memories, experiences and stories from these road trips are to follow:

FLYERS - To sum it up in a word - "Insufferable"!
I have been to MANY Flyers games on the road and the fans are just brutal. I am sure you have experienced what they are like in our house - just imagine what it's like in theirs: 100% magnified! I used to go to at least one game there a season before I came to the realization that if I continued, I could very likely wind up in jail or the morgue.
For 17+ years, I sat next to Lenny Carafa (previous season ticket holder). Lenny, his wife Patty, my mother (Mona Berger) and I would go on an annual pilgrimage to the City of Brotherly Love (clearly an oxymoron when talking about the Flyers). We would make a day of it. Part of our ritual was lunch or dinner (depending on game time) at the City Tavern which is one of the oldest restaurants in the U.S. and a historical site in Philly. Definitely worth a visit/meal.
The arena itself is a great place to see a game (barring the fans) with a beer distillery and DJs/bands before the game and between periods. Lenny, in stealth fashion, stuck and hid a Devils bumper sticker in the distillery during one of our visits and in our minds it is still there today.
When your team scores and you cheer, you take your life in your hands. Equally distasteful is the atrocious, obnoxious horn that sounds when they score. It goes through you like an axe. This is followed by endless taunting from the surrounding fans. Fortunately, I can give as good as I get…
Below are just a few (of many) memories I have from Flyers road games:
RANGERS - I have been to countless games at The Garden, both regular season and playoffs. A fun place to see a game (especially when you win and depending on where you're sitting). The atmosphere is quite lively and energetic. Rangers fans have always been the arch enemy, but the rivalry with Philly has escalated and the repugnance of the Rangers fans has been surpassed (in my eyes).
Sitting downstairs where a good majority of the seats are corporate is a very different experience than upstairs among the die-hards and where they tend to be much more antagonistic.
Given the number of games I have attended at MSG, I have too many experiences and stories to recount here (a couple of which I already shared in my 1995 Cup article and about game 7 in 1994), however, I will share one of them that also stands out for me:
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BOSTON - As I
mentioned in a previous article
, I was in the old Boston Garden for the last official game played there during our run to the '95 Cup. It was the loudest arena I have ever heard but in all fairness, it was a playoff game. The building felt like it was literally moving - never experienced that before. Of course that was a lasting memory given that we won that game, shut out the series, moved on to the next round and eventually, to our first Cup.
FLORIDA - My father (David Rettig) lived in Florida for many years so I saw quite a few games in Sunrise. I found the arena to be a nice one and enjoyable to visit, complete with an outside lounge where I enjoyed the warm weather between periods.
One of the things that stood out for me was the number of Devils fans present for every game I attended - a sea of Devils jerseys. Given the number of transplants living in Florida coupled with those escaping the winter weather in New Jersey for a trip to the game, it felt like home. In fact, they sold and auctioned Devils memorabilia in the arena which of course, I took advantage of.
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A few memories in Florida:
MONTREAL - Just wow!! What a place - both, the city and the arena. I had the distinct pleasure of seeing a couple of games at the old Forum before it was gutted. I was in awe - from the second I walked in it reeked of history - the hallowed halls where the greats have walked, displayed memorabilia, endless pictures of Hall of Famers and the abundance of banners hanging from the rafters.
Memories of Montreal:
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We had a great time at the game. Lenny was sporting his Richer jersey (his all-time favorite player) which fostered conversations with Canadians fans as Richer was a fan favorite with deep history in Montreal.
It goes without saying that I acquainted my friends with the ultimate hot dog while I had my first fore with Molson XXX (and its plentiful alcohol content). Of course when I ordered it, I asked for a Molson XXX Light - the bartender laughed and shook his head at me…who knew?
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LAS VEGAS - Since their inaugural season three years ago, the Golden Knights have become the heart and soul of the city. The fans are passionate and devoted. Who could blame them with the success that the team had right out of the gate?
The T-Mobile arena is a great place to see a game! As you would expect in Vegas - it is pure entertainment and a show from beginning to end. In the park surrounding the arena and starting a couple of hours before game time, it is a party. They have a fan fest every game complete with bands, DJs, drummers and other miscellaneous stands, kiosks and games.
Prior to the puck drop, there is a full-blown on-ice theatrical presentation with a jousting oriented live and laser production that really pumps the crowd up. Throughout the game, they engage the fans continuously - it is an electric environment.
My father now lives in Vegas and I took him to a game there. He has become a true Vegas Knights die-hard, but I choose to believe he is still a bit of a "Devil Inside." I'm not sure if it was for my benefit or not, but to others I'm sure he looked like a schizophrenic fan. He was wearing a Devils shirt, Devils watch, Devils hat and Golden Knights jacket (which I bought him). He stood and cheered for both teams, high-fived me and other Devils fans around us as well as the Knights fans. Maybe he's the smart one - he couldn't lose…
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Given that my list of road trips was a bit limited, I consulted two of my past and present seatmates for a few stories:
Will Needham - Will took a road trip to both, Calgary and Edmonton. While in Calgary, he attended an open practice on the main ice and ran into Chico and Jaques Lemaire on the street while they were walking to the arena.
He said that "the fans there had a lot of respect for the Devils and how they played the game."
Will enjoyed not only the arena and game, but also the casino next door where he finished off the night.
Following the Calgary game, he and his father drove on to Edmonton and as such, saw the Rockies, Red Deer and "a lot of cow farms" on the way. When he arrived in Edmonton, he was surprised to see that the arena was pretty much located in a residential neighborhood and that people were renting out their driveways for parking.
Gregg Aarons - Not too many places Gregg hasn't been. Extensive/impressive list to include; Atlanta (when the Thrashers were there), Boston, Buffalo, Columbus, Colorado, Ottowa, Tampa, Florida (Panthers), Anaheim, LA, Vegas, Carolina, Edmonton, Calgary, Washington, St. Louis, Minnesota, Chicago, San Jose, Dallas, Philly, Rangers, Islanders, Vancouver, Toronto, Arizona, Montreal, Detroit and Sweden for the opener in 2018-2019. A couple of Gregg's memories to follow:
- In Buffalo and when Claude Julien was our coach, Gregg and a friend walked into a restaurant and Claude was sitting alone (the team was napping). Gregg asked Claude to join them for lunch and he did. - While in Florida for a game, Gregg's family was staying at the Boca Hotel and the GM's were also there for a meeting. The meeting hadn't started yet and Lou Lamoriello joined his family for breakfast. - On the way to Montreal, Chico and Doc were on Gregg's plane. Chico recognized him and asked to borrow his phone to call his wife - he forgot his at home. - In Boston, Gregg was staying in the same hotel as the Devils. Sean Brown walked into the bathroom and entered a stall. Gregg hung around in the bathroom waiting for an autograph. When Sean emerged, he laughed and asked if he could wash his hands first. On the same trip, Gregg was in the elvator and saw Marty coming out of Starbucks. He purposely didn't let the doors close so he could ride the elevator with him. - In Toronto, Gregg/the Devils were staying at the Park Hyatt and Gregg walked into the ballroom where the team was having lunch (like he belonged). Lou saw him and said "Everyone, this is Gregg - he is one of our biggest fans." Marty, John MacLean and John Madden were on their way out - they stopped, laughed and gave him their autographs. I have my wishlist compiled for future road trips and will begin chipping away at it in the 2020-2021 season…next up, Nashville!