20 years has flown by. Mostly to occupy time during the pandemic, I did retro diary on the 1999-00 season which ended up being a fun exercise. Did one for the 2002-03 season which wasn't quite as interesting a year, but here are the highlights.
July 1, 2002: Lou dodges a bullet as Bobby Holik finally hits free agency. Holik was pissed from the previous offseason when the team took him to arbitration. The arbitrator sided with the Devils and awarded Holik a 1 year, 3.6 million dollar contract. Holik was insulted by how the team portrayed his contributions during the process. Lou eventually offers 5 years, 40 million (with no deferred money) but Holik has a better offer with the Rangers.
July 6, 2002: Lou deals Petr Sykora, Mike Commodore, Igor Pohanka, and J.F. Damphousse to Anaheim for Jeff Friesen, Oleg Tverdovsky, and Maxim Balmochynyk. Several vets questioned the severity of Sykora's ankle injury that kept him out of a couple games of the opening round loss to Carolina. Comically the trade would also lead to Mike Commodore's 20+ year hatred of Mike Babcock.
And my silly story about how I learned of the trade: I must have gone home for 4th of July weekend and my parents were still on dial up Internet, so I probably didn't spend much time online. We were having lunch at my uncle's and I grabbed the newspaper to read while in the bathroom. At which point I see the article about the trade. Before I have time to finish, I hear a loud commotion and my cousin is knocking on the bathroom door telling me to come out and help break up a fight between our mothers.
Once cooler heads prevailed, I turned to my cousin (Ducks fan) and told him that our teams made a significant trade.
September 1, 2002: I'm in Laughin, Nevada for Labor Day weekend. While the adults were gambling/drinking, I was left in charge of watching over the other teenagers. Eventually we decide to watch Mr. Deeds. The theater was located in an outlet mall. At the KB Toy's, I find a couple boxes of hockey cards and decide to buy this set of Donruss 8x10's. As we're waiting for the movie to start, I open up packs and find an autographed Brodeur card (the only autograph in the box). Don't remember much from the movie, but I always smile if I see it on the channel guide.
October 10, 2002: Opening night, team grinds out a 2-1 win at Ottawa which was a sign of things to come. This was the first year I could afford Center Ice, so it was a novelty to be able to watch every game. Approximate lineup if only to contrast with the playoff lineup:
Elias-Gomez-Brylin
Friesen-Nieuwendyk-Langenbrunne
Pandolfo-Madden-Gionta
McKenzie-Danton-Stevenson
[Salomonsson-Guolla-Berglund]
Stevens-Rafalski
White-Niedermayer
Daneyko-Tverdovsky
[Zyuzin-Albelin]
Brodeur-Schwab
I found an old article from training camp where it was mulled whether Daneyko could get waived.
October 27, 2002: Angels win the World Series. If only to set the mood in Anaheim for the next several months.
November 3, 2002: Devils lose Andrei Zyuzin on waivers to Minnesota. Jacques Lemaire rehabilitates him into a decent D.
November 29, 2002: Mike Danton suspended by team...again. He (at that point still Mike Jefferson) had been suspended in 2001 after refusing to report to the AHL / arguing with Lou about an injury. He sat out all of 2001-02, changed his name to Mike Danton, and was allowed back into training camp in 2002 where he earned the 4th line center spot. But he started complaining about playing time and Lou decided he was a distraction.
December 11, 2002: Team is doing well but Elias and Gomez aren't meshing. The NY Post claims there's a rumor about Elias being shipped to Colorado for Alex Tanguay and Martin Skoula.
January 17, 2003: Joe Nieuwendyk scores his 500th goal.
January 22, 2003: Chappelle Show premieres.
January 24, 2003: Devils play in Anaheim. Coincidentally Lou trades for Steve Kariya. Had zero inclination that I'd be watching a preview of the SCF. Although instead of Giguere vs. Brodeur, I'm treated to Gerber vs. Schwab that night.
January 25, 2003: I catch the team up in LA the next night but they fall in OT. Minor detail that stayed with me was the Kings calling up a prospect named Scott Barney who was rumored to be offered for Danton. Barney had missed a few seasons with a back injury but was finally playing full time again. Also random memory of the game was the scoreboard wishing Esa Tikkanen a happy birthday during the intermission; We'd run into a very drunk Tikkanen after the game.
January 26, 2003: Bucs/Raiders Super Bowl in San Diego. The Raiders hotel was a couple blocks away from my apartment and I'd drive by it everyday annoyed to see this giant Raiders banner. Thankfully Tampa won in a rout.
February 24, 2003: Lou acquires Pascal Rheaume, sends down Christian Berglund (38 NHL games to that point) to open up a roster spot. Berglund would get hurt late in the AHL season which meant he wasn't an option to play later in the playoffs. He'd just miss out on the games played threshold to get his name on the Cup.
March 11, 2003: Quiet trade deadline. Rumors that Lou's after guys like Ziggy Palffy, Ray Whitney, Geoff Sanderson, Slava Kozlov, Viktor Kozlov, and Chris Drury. Gomez and Tverdovsky are healthy scratches which leads some to think something is up. The rumor I remember was Gomez+Tverdovsky for Selanne+Sturm+Ricci. I probably had prospective lines jotted down somewhere:
Sturm-Elias-Selanne
Friesen-Nieuwendyk-Langenbrunner
Pandolfo-Madden-Gionta
Brylin-Ricci-Stevenson
But alas, it's a quiet deadline. After the Arnott trade the previous year getting announced officially hours after the deadline, I waited and waited for something to come through. But all Lou brought in was Grant Marshall and Richard Smehlik.
Meanwhile the other Conference rivals were loading up. Philly got Tony Amonte and Dmitri Yushkevich. Toronto got Owen Nolan. Ottawa got Bryan Smolinski.
April 4, 2003: Devils simultaneously clinch the division and eliminate the Rangers.
April 9, 2003: Devils start the playoffs against Boston. I had forgotten that Boston had Robbie Ftorek earlier that season but fired him along with a certain Jim Hughes who was an assistant coach.
April 24, 2003: Next round against Tampa begins. I missed Game 3 because I had driven up to Anaheim to watch the Ducks/Stars, so I missed one of the wackier games (Stevens getting a puck to the dome, Devils nearly coming back from being down 3-0). I also remember Game 5 being on a Friday night and making a gal wait to get dinner so I could finish the 3 OT game. [/priorities]
May 10, 2003: Next round against Ottawa. By the time the Ducks swept Minnesota, we were up 3 games to 1. So I angered the hockey gods by talking with my cousin about buying Game 4 tickets in Anaheim. I have a vague memory that my cousin purchased tickets but Ottawa then forced Game 7. I may have been plotting a sheepish way to back out of that ticket had the Devils not advanced.
Naturally we were only a few years removed from the Devils coming back from 3-1 against the Flyers. When Elias scored in 2000, I reacted with stunned silence. It was the opposite for me when Friesen scored in 2003. I let out the most awkward scream and a roommate (who I didn't know well) happened to walk by my door as it happened.
May 27, 2003: Finals start well and overconfident me thinks I could see the Devils sweep in 4. But the Ducks hold serve at home. I end up buying a last minute ticket for Game 6 but it ends with unsexy results. I watch Game 7 at a buddy's place who has one of those new fangled high definition plasma televisions.
After the series win, Scott Stevens appeared on Letterman which happened to guest hosted by Ottawa native Tom Green.
One day I was channel surfing and Dano/Stevens were on Emeril.
July 1, 2002: Lou dodges a bullet as Bobby Holik finally hits free agency. Holik was pissed from the previous offseason when the team took him to arbitration. The arbitrator sided with the Devils and awarded Holik a 1 year, 3.6 million dollar contract. Holik was insulted by how the team portrayed his contributions during the process. Lou eventually offers 5 years, 40 million (with no deferred money) but Holik has a better offer with the Rangers.
July 6, 2002: Lou deals Petr Sykora, Mike Commodore, Igor Pohanka, and J.F. Damphousse to Anaheim for Jeff Friesen, Oleg Tverdovsky, and Maxim Balmochynyk. Several vets questioned the severity of Sykora's ankle injury that kept him out of a couple games of the opening round loss to Carolina. Comically the trade would also lead to Mike Commodore's 20+ year hatred of Mike Babcock.
And my silly story about how I learned of the trade: I must have gone home for 4th of July weekend and my parents were still on dial up Internet, so I probably didn't spend much time online. We were having lunch at my uncle's and I grabbed the newspaper to read while in the bathroom. At which point I see the article about the trade. Before I have time to finish, I hear a loud commotion and my cousin is knocking on the bathroom door telling me to come out and help break up a fight between our mothers.
Once cooler heads prevailed, I turned to my cousin (Ducks fan) and told him that our teams made a significant trade.
September 1, 2002: I'm in Laughin, Nevada for Labor Day weekend. While the adults were gambling/drinking, I was left in charge of watching over the other teenagers. Eventually we decide to watch Mr. Deeds. The theater was located in an outlet mall. At the KB Toy's, I find a couple boxes of hockey cards and decide to buy this set of Donruss 8x10's. As we're waiting for the movie to start, I open up packs and find an autographed Brodeur card (the only autograph in the box). Don't remember much from the movie, but I always smile if I see it on the channel guide.
October 10, 2002: Opening night, team grinds out a 2-1 win at Ottawa which was a sign of things to come. This was the first year I could afford Center Ice, so it was a novelty to be able to watch every game. Approximate lineup if only to contrast with the playoff lineup:
Elias-Gomez-Brylin
Friesen-Nieuwendyk-Langenbrunne
Pandolfo-Madden-Gionta
McKenzie-Danton-Stevenson
[Salomonsson-Guolla-Berglund]
Stevens-Rafalski
White-Niedermayer
Daneyko-Tverdovsky
[Zyuzin-Albelin]
Brodeur-Schwab
I found an old article from training camp where it was mulled whether Daneyko could get waived.
October 27, 2002: Angels win the World Series. If only to set the mood in Anaheim for the next several months.
November 3, 2002: Devils lose Andrei Zyuzin on waivers to Minnesota. Jacques Lemaire rehabilitates him into a decent D.
November 29, 2002: Mike Danton suspended by team...again. He (at that point still Mike Jefferson) had been suspended in 2001 after refusing to report to the AHL / arguing with Lou about an injury. He sat out all of 2001-02, changed his name to Mike Danton, and was allowed back into training camp in 2002 where he earned the 4th line center spot. But he started complaining about playing time and Lou decided he was a distraction.
December 11, 2002: Team is doing well but Elias and Gomez aren't meshing. The NY Post claims there's a rumor about Elias being shipped to Colorado for Alex Tanguay and Martin Skoula.
January 17, 2003: Joe Nieuwendyk scores his 500th goal.
January 22, 2003: Chappelle Show premieres.
January 24, 2003: Devils play in Anaheim. Coincidentally Lou trades for Steve Kariya. Had zero inclination that I'd be watching a preview of the SCF. Although instead of Giguere vs. Brodeur, I'm treated to Gerber vs. Schwab that night.
January 25, 2003: I catch the team up in LA the next night but they fall in OT. Minor detail that stayed with me was the Kings calling up a prospect named Scott Barney who was rumored to be offered for Danton. Barney had missed a few seasons with a back injury but was finally playing full time again. Also random memory of the game was the scoreboard wishing Esa Tikkanen a happy birthday during the intermission; We'd run into a very drunk Tikkanen after the game.
January 26, 2003: Bucs/Raiders Super Bowl in San Diego. The Raiders hotel was a couple blocks away from my apartment and I'd drive by it everyday annoyed to see this giant Raiders banner. Thankfully Tampa won in a rout.
February 24, 2003: Lou acquires Pascal Rheaume, sends down Christian Berglund (38 NHL games to that point) to open up a roster spot. Berglund would get hurt late in the AHL season which meant he wasn't an option to play later in the playoffs. He'd just miss out on the games played threshold to get his name on the Cup.
March 11, 2003: Quiet trade deadline. Rumors that Lou's after guys like Ziggy Palffy, Ray Whitney, Geoff Sanderson, Slava Kozlov, Viktor Kozlov, and Chris Drury. Gomez and Tverdovsky are healthy scratches which leads some to think something is up. The rumor I remember was Gomez+Tverdovsky for Selanne+Sturm+Ricci. I probably had prospective lines jotted down somewhere:
Sturm-Elias-Selanne
Friesen-Nieuwendyk-Langenbrunner
Pandolfo-Madden-Gionta
Brylin-Ricci-Stevenson
But alas, it's a quiet deadline. After the Arnott trade the previous year getting announced officially hours after the deadline, I waited and waited for something to come through. But all Lou brought in was Grant Marshall and Richard Smehlik.
Meanwhile the other Conference rivals were loading up. Philly got Tony Amonte and Dmitri Yushkevich. Toronto got Owen Nolan. Ottawa got Bryan Smolinski.
April 4, 2003: Devils simultaneously clinch the division and eliminate the Rangers.
April 9, 2003: Devils start the playoffs against Boston. I had forgotten that Boston had Robbie Ftorek earlier that season but fired him along with a certain Jim Hughes who was an assistant coach.
April 24, 2003: Next round against Tampa begins. I missed Game 3 because I had driven up to Anaheim to watch the Ducks/Stars, so I missed one of the wackier games (Stevens getting a puck to the dome, Devils nearly coming back from being down 3-0). I also remember Game 5 being on a Friday night and making a gal wait to get dinner so I could finish the 3 OT game. [/priorities]
May 10, 2003: Next round against Ottawa. By the time the Ducks swept Minnesota, we were up 3 games to 1. So I angered the hockey gods by talking with my cousin about buying Game 4 tickets in Anaheim. I have a vague memory that my cousin purchased tickets but Ottawa then forced Game 7. I may have been plotting a sheepish way to back out of that ticket had the Devils not advanced.
Naturally we were only a few years removed from the Devils coming back from 3-1 against the Flyers. When Elias scored in 2000, I reacted with stunned silence. It was the opposite for me when Friesen scored in 2003. I let out the most awkward scream and a roommate (who I didn't know well) happened to walk by my door as it happened.
May 27, 2003: Finals start well and overconfident me thinks I could see the Devils sweep in 4. But the Ducks hold serve at home. I end up buying a last minute ticket for Game 6 but it ends with unsexy results. I watch Game 7 at a buddy's place who has one of those new fangled high definition plasma televisions.
After the series win, Scott Stevens appeared on Letterman which happened to guest hosted by Ottawa native Tom Green.
One day I was channel surfing and Dano/Stevens were on Emeril.
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