New Jersey Devils Schedule 2026
New Jersey missed the playoffs by a narrow margin last season, a disappointing finish for a roster built around Jack Hughes and captain Nico Hischier, who signed a long-term extension this offseason. New general manager Sunny Mehta has spent the summer reshaping the roster around that young core, giving fans reason to think 2026-27 will look different. Anyone shopping for New Jersey Devils tickets is buying into a team with real talent and something to prove. See the Devils live at Event Tickets Center.
Checking the New Jersey Devils standings from last season shows a 13th-place finish in the East, a step back after three playoff appearances in the previous four years. Martin Brodeur remains the standard for franchise legends, his name synonymous with the dynasty of the late 1990s and early 2000s that won three championships. Hughes and Hischier give the current roster a foundation that few rebuilding teams in the league can match, even after a rough year.
The Devils' arena opened in 2007 and quickly earned the nickname "The Rock," a name that still describes the sound inside on a packed night. Seating tops out around 16,500 for hockey, tight enough that the crowd noise carries down to ice level in a way older, bigger buildings rarely manage. Beyond hockey, Prudential Center events fill the Newark calendar most weeks of the year, from concerts to family shows, keeping downtown Newark active well outside the regular season.
This season's slate jumps to an 84-game format, and New Jersey Devils games return to a schedule length last used in the 1990s as the NHL expands across the board. The home opener falls on October 1 against the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Hudson River rivalry with the New York Rangers returns to the schedule on October 15, weeks earlier than the two teams met a year ago. Getting off to a faster start than last season's stumble is the clear goal from night one.
Few franchises can match New Jersey's Stanley Cup finals résumé: five appearances and three championships between 1995 and 2003, built on Martin Brodeur's goaltending and a suffocating team defense. The most recent trip came in 2012, a six-game loss to the Los Angeles Kings that still stands as the last time the Devils played for the title. Hughes and Hischier represent the best chance in over a decade to get the franchise back into that conversation, assuming health and consistency finally line up.
Newark crowds have waited a long time for a return to the level this franchise once set, and a healthy Hughes-Hischier combination gives fans a real reason to believe again. Rivalry nights against the Rangers and Flyers still hit different downtown, whatever the standings say in October. This is a team worth watching from the first puck drop. Grab Devils tickets at Event Tickets Center.