There are only five New Jersey Devils players who have their numbers retired and hanging from the rafters at Prudential Center in Newark. That list includes legendary goalie Martin Brodeur, Defensemen Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer, left-winger Patrik Elias and "Mr. Devil" Ken Daneyko who played his entire 20-year NHL career with New Jersey.
Daneyko, a tough stay-at-home defenseman, won three Stanley Cups with the Devils. He's spent 40 years in the Devils organization and is also Devils broadcaster with MSG Networks. "Dano" joins SportsJam with Doug Doyle to talk about the opening night for the Devils at Prudential and his why his children mean so much to him.
This season, MSG Networks will have exclusive NHL coverage of more than 200 Devils, Rangers and Islanders games, including 72 regular season Devils games. You can check your local listings to insure that your provider carries MSG Networks. Daneyko and play-by-play announcer Steve Cangialosi have the pregame show on MSG PLUS. And the puck drops at 7pm on October 15 for the Devils Home Opener at The Rock against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Daneyko tells SportsJam host Doug Doyle that he's cautiously optimistic about the Devils new campaign. Does he think they'll break through and make a run at the playoffs?
"I think the young players have to believe that. The hockey world still thinks they are a couple of years away possibly of being a playoff team consistently and having sustained success as far as these young guys coming together because they're growing up together, very similar to what I had back in my day when we didn't start very well. We weren't a very good team early on in my career. I was grateful to still be around when we just all came together and it kind of clicked. That started in 1988 when we made the playoffs for the first time. These guys have to learn to win and feel that success."
Success in the playoffs is all over Ken Daneyko's resume with the Devils. Drafted 18th overall in 1982, the Windsor, Ontario native skated in 175 playoff games, winning the coveted Stanley Cup in 1994–95, 1999–00, 2002–03 seasons.
All those championships were won at Brendan Byrne Arena at the Meadowlands. Before the 2007-2008 season, the Devils moved to Prudential Center in Newark and haven't won another title. But Daneyko says the move was a good one for the team and he would have loved to have played before the raucous Devils crowds at The Rock.
"At the arena for me, the atmosphere is second to none. Even if you're not a die-hard hockey fan or a Devils fan, and most of the fans in the building are, you can go and have fun at the game. Everybody that works in the arena from the janitors to the ushers to the security, they are so friendly and so engaging and I think that makes the experience awesome. I know I have fond memories of Brendan Byrne because we won Stanley Cup championships there, but I would have loved to have played in a beautiful, luxurious facility like Prudential Center in Newark. I would have played to 60 if I could, that's how much fun you have."
During this edition of SportsJam, Daneyko gets emotional talking about how proud he is of his daughter Taylor and his son Shane. Shane is currently studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
You can see the entire interview with Ken Daneyko at https://fb.watch/8FMs2LOfVF/.
