June 17th, 2013 at 10:15 AM
By Philip CoffeyThe New York Post has been known for reporting the financial plight of New Jersey Devils' owner Jeff Vanderbeek. It looks like more financial woes are ahead for the team.
According to the Post, Vanderbeek already has missed a payment and is risking defaulting on a loan he secured less than six months ago.
The team declined comment and the NHL said the story was inaccurate. But prior reporting by the Post has been on the mark.
The missed interest payment is reportedly for $3 million. In all, Devils Arena Entertainment, which operates Newark's Prudential Center, is in debt to the tune of $170 million.
According to the Post report: "At the end of 2012, Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek struck a deal to refinance the team’s debt and buy out his partners, ending months of wrangling. The agreement, which combined the debt of the team with that of Devils Arena Entertainment, was aimed at giving him two years to stabilize the finances.
Buoyed by the hard-fought restructuring, Vanderbeek was quoted on Jan. 3, saying, “Our future is now secure, and we can be confident of continued on-ice success.”
Read more... Join the Conversation... May 15th, 2013 at 7:02 PM
By Philip CoffeyThe New Jersey Devils will play in the franchise's first outdoors game on Dec. 26, 2013 when they take on the New York Rangers in one of two games that will be played at Yankee Stadium.
The NHL made what had become fairly common knowledge official Wednesday.
Ironically, the Devils will be the home team for the 12:30 p.m. start.
The second outdoor game at Yankee Stadium will be played on Jan. 29, a Wednesday, at 7:30 p.m.
“The innovative nature of the Stadium Series affords the opportunity to have all three NHL teams in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area play, outdoors, at one of the most-recognized stadiums in the world,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman reportedly said in a canned statement released by the league's PR arm. “We’ll be able to create a multi-faceted, multi-day experience for our fan.”
“The New Jersey Devils are proud to have been selected to host the first of two games at Yankee Stadium,” Devils president, CEO and general manager Lou Lamoriello said in an an equally canned statement. “The NHL Stadium Series will be a memorable experience for our organization, our players and, most importantly, our fans. We are thrilled to play our divisional rival while adding to the legacy of one of the nation’s most recognized sports facilities.”
Read more... Join the Conversation... May 10th, 2013 at 9:15 AM
By Philip CoffeyThe Stanley Cup Playoffs are over for former New Jersey Devils defenseman Mark Fraser.
Now playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Fraser, drafted in the third round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, the 84th overall pick, underwent surgery Thursday to fix a broken bone in his face, suffered when he was struck with a puck in Game 4 of Toronto's series with the Boston Bruins.
Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said Fraser was resting at home and was texting and talking to his teammates Thursday morning.
Fraser,was hit by a Milan Lucic's shot in the overtime loss to the Bruins Wednesday night.
"He's a well-respected guy in our locker room," captain Dion Phaneuf told reporters. "He's done a great job all year for us physically, playing big minutes. He's just a great teammate. It was a scary situation but we're glad he's doing OK."
John-Michael Liles is expected to take Fraser's place in the lineup.
Fraser played 98 games with the Devils over the course of four seasons and had a total of three goals and three assists.
Read more... Join the Conversation... May 5th, 2013 at 1:29 PM
By Philip CoffeyWhen the 2013 season ended for the New Jersey Devils with another disappointing loss to the New York Rangers, some players, most notably Ilya Kovalchuk, took off for Helsinki to wash out the bad taste of the season by playing in the World Championships. Most others headed home to contemplate why a team that had gotten to the sixth game of the Stanley Cup Final the previous season was now among the 14 NHL teams that somehow miss the postseason.
For New Jersey President, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Lou Lamoriello, there is no such respite. Now, his job really begins as he begins to make the movs that will right the ship after a very disappointing season.
His first move was to announce that head coach Pete DeBoer would return. That's certainly a reasonable move considering DeBoer's system helped get the Devils to the Final in 2012. The fate of the assistant coaches wasn't addressed, but the fates of Scott Stevens, Dave Barr, Matt Shaw and Chris Terreri are likely safe as they are given more time to blend together as a staff. Remember, the Devils lost both Adam Oates and Larry Robinson as assistants after the 2012 season, and coupled with the lockout, the staff didn't have the customary preparatory time this season.
Read more... Join the Conversation... April 26th, 2013 at 2:50 PM
By Philip CoffeyWith the disappointing 2013 season nearly in the books, there figure to be a lot of changes to the New Jersey Devils' roster, if for no other reason than the approaching drop in the salary cap.
But Patrick Elias, Dainius Zubrus, David Clarkson, Steve Sullivan, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Tom Kostopoulos, Marek Zidlicky and Peter Harrold all will be unrestricted free agents and it doesn't take Nostradamus to predict that a fair number of them will not return.
Seeing Elias in another uniform would be very strange for the player, management and the fans. Elias has been a fixture in New Jersey and is one of the most underrated players in the NHL. In Friday's 3-2 home win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Elias picked up a pair of assists. After the game, the fans chanted his name as he was one of the game's three stars, both sides realizing the win over the Penguins might well be Elias' swansong as a Devil.
“That’s great,” Elias said. “They showed their appreciation and I was trying to my best job out there and the fans recognize that. So, it feels good. It always does.”
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