And so now we wait. We wait for the Devil of the next generation — perhaps the Devil of this generation — who will join the memorialized Patrik Elias, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko and Martin Brodeur at the top of the Rock.
Maybe Taylor Hall, maybe Nico Hischier, two kids — hey, Hall is just 26 — with talent enough to have thrived back when the Devils turned 16W into the Exit of Champions and a parade of brilliance was on display night after night, year after year.
Those were the days of the Devils’ lives, and they were honored in New Jersey before their 2-1 win in Saturday’s match against the Islanders when Elias’ No. 26 was raised to the rafters to join the quartet of predecessors that features Hall of Famers Stevens and Niedermayer, with Brodeur a sure shot when he becomes eligible next year.
Now there are five.
The New Jersey Five.
“Those four guys accomplished a lot more than I did,” Elias said during the second intermission. “It’s very humbling. I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Humbling it was, and humble he is.
For the fact is, Elias was the most important forward on Stanley Cup winners four years apart in 2000 and 2003, and for teams that won eight division tiles. Moreover, he made an unforgettable impact originally as the dazzling left wing on one of the NHL’s greatest-ever streaking comets of a unit, the A Line with Jason Arnott in the middle and Petr Sykora on the right, before morphing into a checking winger for the late Pat Burns and even later into a checking center.
“Yes, I did see Arnie,” Elias said of the seemingly blind backhand pass out of the right corner that set up Arnott in front for the 2001 Game 6 double-overtime Cup winner in Dallas. “I remember it like it was yesterday.”
So many of the yesterdays were on the ice on Saturday, courtesy of invites from Elias, who noted them all during a speech that was almost as long as Bill Clinton’s keynote address at the 1988 Democratic convention.
Sykora and Arnott, of course, together again and together in history. Stevens, Niedermayer, Daneyko and Brodeur. Mike Rupp, who as a rookie scored the 2003 Cup-winner in Game 7 against Anaheim. Kevin Weekes. Fellow Czechmates Marek Zidlicky and Martin Havlat. Triple Cup-winner Sergei Brylin.
Colin White, who partnered with Vladimir Malakhov in 2000 on the strongest six-deep defense in NHL history (Stevens- Brian Rafalski; Niedermayer-Daneyko). Bryce Salvador; Brendan Morrison. Bobby Holik, who needs no introduction. Robbie Ftorek, his AHL coach in Albany and later his coach in New Jersey.
Elias spoke from the heart, repeatedly thanking the fans who often interrupted him with chants of “Patty … Patty,” and appropriately when he said, “I became ‘Patty.”
There was Patty in 2000 flummoxing Flyers’ defenseman Dan McGillis in front before scoring the winner at 17:38 of the third period in Game 7 of the conference finals in Philadelphia. There was Patty with the soccer-style kick pass setting up Jamie Langenbrunner for a slam-dunk against the Rangers in Game 1 of the 2006 first round for one of his six points and four assists. There was Patty, helping lead a last charge to the 2012 Cup finals.
“Growing up in Eastern Europe in a communist country, there is no way I could ever have dreamed of this day,” said Elias, who toward the end of his speech wept while speaking to his parents and two brothers in his native language. “It is a privilege to be a part of something special.”
Elias had a strong personality in a room filled with them. Lou Lamoriello, occupied by responsibilities in advance of the trade deadline as general manager of the Maple Leafs and who sent a video tribute in his stead, collected strong people. He had several memorable contract battles with the New Jersey Five, and that included No. 26. There were other battles, too.
“It wasn’t always rosy with Lou,” Elias, just 41, said. “We had some interesting discussions … especially on my hair style.”
Elias had style. He had panache. He had it all in an era when the Devils did too. And now he is one of the New Jersey Five. The franchise awaits a sixth.