Tommy Albelin, Erik Rasmussen, Igor Larionov, Jan Hrdina, Jeff Friesen, Viktor Kozlov, Jamie Langenbrunner, Turner Stevenson, Sean Brown, Ray Giroux.
What do all of these players have in common?
They are 10 of the 21 players on the New Jersey Devils playoff roster as of April 7, 2004. (Grant Marshall is on injured reserve and will miss at least the first round with a broken hand.)
What exactly does that mean? It means that Lamariello likes to run a tight ship for his hockey team.
11 players on this playoff roster have been on the Devils since their emergence into the NHL. Lou has a kink for drafting and signing talent and letting it mature in the team�s excellent farm system. Albelin (originally drafted by Quebec), Stevenson (Montreal), and Langenbrunner (Dallas) have been with the club since at least 2001.
Lamariello has been the General Manager of the New Jersey Devils since 1987. The 1987-88 was the first for Lamariello to make his presence felt and it was felt with the force of an atomic bomb. The team that Wayne Gretzky once referred to as a �Mickey Mouse Operation� had not only managed to capture the Patrick Division Title, but they fought teeth and claw straight into the Conference Finals only to be shut down in seven games by the Boston Bruins. The following season, however, the Devils failed to make the playoffs.
The 90�s came, and Lamariello saw them as an opportunity not only to rebuild, but make some noise in the league at the same time. Scott Stevens, acquired in 1991 from the St. Louis Blues, was named captain to begin the 1992-1993 campaign. And in 1992, Martin Brodeur and Scott Neidermayer quickly inserted into the line-up. Brodeur, drafted in 1990, answer to the Devils� goaltending woes while Neidermayer, drafted in 1991, would clear traffic in front of Brodeur and create many offensive opportunities. Their presence, coupled with the leadership of Stevens helped guide New Jersey to the Conference Finals again in 1994 and in 1995, take home hockey�s ultimate prize: Lord Stanley�s Cup.
11 players have multiple Stanley Cups with the Devils. Three for Albelin, Brodeur, Sergi Brylin, Neidermayer, Stevens, and two for Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez, John Madden, Jay Pandolfo, Brian Rafalski, and Colin White.
Consistency is Lamariello�s biggest pet-peeve. He drafts who he wants, sign who he wants and cut who he wants. If you don�t like his offer, he�ll show you the door to the free agent market. If you�re not working up to your potential, you�ll find yourself benched with your walking papers not too far behind.
Building a solid team without spending much money is a label which Lamariello proudly wears. Top players, i.e. Alexander Mogilny and Bobby Holik, have left the Devils for different teams because of Lamariello�s refusal to pay the player more than he views is the player�s worth. In the summer of 2001, Holik signed a $8.85 million contract with the rival New York Rangers after passing on a lower offer from New Jersey. The following season, the Devils skated into the finals again only to be defeated by Colorado in seven games while the Rangers were perfecting their putting game on the golf course.
Regarding playing to potential, enter Mike Danton. The current member of the St. Louis Blues had a nose to nose stand-off with Lamariello in 2002 over playing time. Danton was being the type of player who would find himself in this GM�s dog house, calling the coaches wrong and �me� over �team.� So with a 2003 3rd round pick, Danton found a new set of colors to wear, all for the cost of the Blues 3rd round pick in the same draft.
Just like Billy Beane, he�ll use the NHL Entry Draft to find his talent for a cheap signing price and hold on to it, tight. Brodeur was Lamariello�s 20th pick overall in the 1st round of the 1990 draft. He would prove himself within 3 years of being drafted and be the backstop to the conference finals run in 1994 and trips to the Stanley Cup finals in 1995, 2000, 2001, and 2003, walking away with 3 titles. Oh yeah, and that whole being Rookie of the Year in 1993. Brodeur was not the last Devil to earn R.O.Y. honor. Scott Gomez, drafted 27th overall in 1998, won the distinction in 2000. The Anchorage, Alaska native came to his own quickly in training camp at the start of the 1999-2000 season and found himself on the Devils� roster at the start of the season. He set the tone for the type of player he would become when he scored in the season opener against the then expansion, Atlanta Thrashers. Devils� draft picks produced 160 goals and 272 assists this season. That is 72% of all the points the Devils� amassed.* Nothing like keeping your talent home grown.
New Jersey�s payroll lies around $54.7 million with an average salary close to $2,235,000. However, their total salary is no where near the bottom of the League (actually quite near the top at 10th overall), yet only two players earn above $5 million (Brodeur and Stevens both about $6.9 million). The team keeps all signings and monetary figures involved under wraps and as far from the media as possible. Yet again, that�s just Lou�s Style.
