In mid-November last year, Jacques Lemaire received an unexpected phone call from a few old friends.
On the other line were two of his former players, Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur and Devils current assistant coach Sergei Brylin.
“Marty?” Lemaire, 79, asked while answering the call from Brodeur.
“Hey Jacques. How’s it going?” Brodeur responded with a big smile.
After pleasantries, Brodeur delivered some important news: “You’ve changed the franchise with the way that you coached us and our first Stanley Cup. Myself and (the Ring of Honor committee), we decided you were the best candidate to be the third member of the Ring of Honor.”
Lemaire responded: “Thank you so much. It was really something special that we went through. And I can’t thank the players enough for what they did.
“As they say, you got a good team, you got a good coach.”
To this day, Lemaire remains the winningest head coach in franchise history and the man who delivered the organization’s first Stanley Cup in 1995. Many believe he also laid the foundation for the franchise’s second and third Cups. Thus, he is being bestowed with a well-deserved honor.
Lemaire will be inducted as the third member of the Ring of Honor presented by Citizens during a pregame ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 22, against Boston. Lemaire joins Dr. John J. McMullen (inducted in 2017) and Sergei Brylin (2024) in the Ring of Honor, which is chosen by the Ring of Honor committee, comprised of existing Ring of Honor members (Peter McMullen on behalf of the McMullen family), players with retired jersey numbers for the organization (Brodeur, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko, Patrik Elias) and select media/team executives.
Despite all his accomplishments, Lemaire was still in shock at his selection.
“I was surprised, quite surprised,” Lemaire admitted after the call. “I was extremely pleased that they thought of me, and there’s no doubt that I’m honored.”
Lemaire served three stints behind the bench for the Devils (1993-98, 2009-10, ‘10-11). He totaled 276 career wins and 35 postseason wins, both ranking first in franchise history. Lemaire also won the Jack Adams Award for the NHL’s best coach in 1994 and twice helped the Devils earn the William Jennings Trophy (1996-97, ’97-98) for fewest goals allowed in an NHL season.
Throughout his illustrious hockey life, Lemaire won 11 Stanley Cups (eight as a player with Montreal, two as an assistant general manager with Montreal and one as head coach of New Jersey). He’s twice won the NHL Coach of the Year, also claiming the trophy while coaching Minnesota (2003). And was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. Lemaire also won an Olympic gold medal with Canada as an assistant coach at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Being named to the Devils Ring of Honor is yet another accolade in a lifetime of achievement.
“It’s always special,” Lemaire said. “I never look for that stuff. I always stayed in the background and didn’t think about it too much. But when it happens, you do care. I’m touched.”