The Original New Jersey Devils Hero - Dr. John McMullen | STAN'S STORIES

Dr. John McMullen, the newest New Jersey Hall of Famer.

If ever a sportsman deserved the honor this naval hero is the man. Try these accomplishments on 

for size.

* He planted and nurtured NHL hockey in the Garden State.

* Despite the challenge of an unfriendly player pool at the time, he patiently created a workable franchise.

* He hired a virtual unknown -- Lou Lamoriello -- away from Providence College and gave Double L

free rein to build a champion. Lou did so well he was inducted into the "Builders" category of the

Hockey Hall of Fame.

* "Doc," as we grew to know him sanctioned the hiring of Hall of Fame Montreal Canadiens

center Jacques Lemaire as head coach in June 1993 and by 1995 the Devils had won their 

first Stanley Cup.

* The McMullen-Lamoriello high commnand worked together like two perfectly-meshed gears.

They orchestrated Stanley Cup victories in 2000 and 2003 and placed the New Jersey

sextet among the NHL elite. 

Based on his sporting background, Dr. McMullen was well-suited for success. He first ventured into baseball

as a limited partner of the New York Yankees and later would own the Houston Aeros.

A New Jersey native, Dr. McMullen graduated Montclair High School and received a B.S. Degree in

Electircal Engineering  from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1940..

He served in the Navy during World War II and resigned with the rank of Commander in 1954. During naval service he earned a Master Of Science Degree in

Navak Architecture and Marine Engineering from M.I.T. and a Doctor of Mechanical Engineering degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

In 1957 he established a successful naval architecture and marine engineering concern, John J. McMullen Associatesl.

"Throughout his life, Dr. McMullen remained an avid sports fan," said former Devils goalie and current radio analyst for the team Glenn (Chico) Resch. "When news of the Colorado Rockies NHL team being available reached his ears, he became convinced that the state of New Jersey could support an NHL team at The Meadowlands."

On May 27, 1982, it became official. McMullen, along with investor John C. Whitehead and former New Jersey governor Brendan T. Byrne, purchased the Rockies and received NHL approval to shift the franchise to The Meadowlands. "We were working for years to try to get a team," said Robert E. Mulcahy III a New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority executive said, "and John McMullen came through for us."

McMullen's belief in the purchase was reinforced as a new legion of hockey fans grew and popilated in East Rutherford. 

"It wasn't easy," Doc Mac allowed, "because the Rangers had long dominated the Metropolitan New York and New Jersey area. By the time we got in the Islanders were in the midst of a four-Cup dynasty."

With typical perseverance and grim determination, the McMullen-Lamoriello combine lifted the franchise to a level where the New Jersey entry could compete with the NHL's best while new ice heroes emerged such as original Devil defenseman Ken Daneyko.

"It was a battle from the get go," said Daneyko, now an analyst for Devils games on MSG Networks, "but we stuck with it and eventually good things began to happen in the 1987-88 season when we squeezed into the playoffs for the first time." Then a pause: "And on the last night of the season when we beat out the Rangers."

Another hero was goaltender Sean Burke, who joined the team following the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. "We were the playoff underdogs from the very start,"

Burke remembered. "in the opening round we went up against the Islanders who were first in our division and knocked them off in six games."

As it happened McMullen's sextet fell one win short of reaching the Stanley Cup Final. It was during that series that Nashville arena promoters tried to lure McMullen into transferring his team to Tennessee. "I was fighting to get a better deal from the New Jersey Sports Authority," McMullen told me, "and I finally got it. But I'm a native of New Jersey and I never, ever wanted to allow this team to leave."

As his success grew so did McMullen's devotion to his players. "We couldn't have asked for a more devoted or caring owner," said Daneyko. "He was like a father to us and always ready to help out if we needed it." 

McMullen was rewarded with a host of young stars including forwards Kirk Muller, Pat Verbeek, John MacLean, the latter who pumped home the overtime goal in Chicago that lifted New Jersey to its first postseason adventure in 1988. But McMullen's vision extented far beyond that of other NHL owners. 

"Doc Mac realized that there was a mother lode of talent in Russia," Resch recalled, "and, despite the Iron Curtain, he was determined to get through it."

"My feeling," Dr. McMullen explained to me, "was that changes in the European political situation could come about and bring an easing of relations between East and West. If that happened, we might be able to lure a couple of players to the Devils. At least it was worth a try."

With Lamoriello at the forefront, the Devils tried and tried again, finally succeeding on July 7, 1989 when Viacheslav Fetisov and Sergei Starikov were welcomed at the Byrne Arena Winner's club. Shortly thereafter Alexei Kasatonov was added to the roster. "It was a major breakthrough not only for the Devils," said Associated Press hockey writer Allan Kreda, "but for the whole league itself."

"I was proud of what we had done getting the Russians," said McMullen, "and I knew that we were heading for even bigger and better things as we entered the era of the 1990's. Getting Scott Stevens to anchor our defense was as important a player move as we ever made. Once Scotty became captain, the sky was the limit for my hockey club."

One could say that the "sky" was reached in June 1995 when New Jersey routed a heavily-favored Detroit Red Wings sextet in four straight games of the Stanley Cup Final.

"It was a huge upset," McMullen glowed,  "because just about every 'expert' had the Red Wings beatintg us in four!"

No less sensational was the Year 2000 Final which pitted the Devils against a strong Dallas squad. But by this time New Jersey had developed arguably the winningest goalie in Martin Brodeur. Thanks to an overtime goal delivered by Jason Arnott in Game Six at Dallas, the Devils had their second championship.

The beat went on and in the spring of 2003 the Anaheim Mighty Ducks extended coach Pat Burns' team to a seventh game but Brodeur & Company prevailed and the Devils now had accomplished a Three Cup hat trick.

"It made all our hardship and climb up the ladder all worthwhile," concluded, Dr. McMullen. "I'm happy for my skaters, happy for our organization and happy for my home state, New Jersey."

By now you should have a pretty good idea why Dr. John McMullen, super sportsman is being honored!