Brodeur and Bill Daly Look Ahead to Saturday's Stadium Series | FEATURE 

When the NHL drew up the plans to hold a Stadium Series, there were two things that they and the participating teams knew they could not control.

The first, was the weather. Northern New Jersey experienced a snowstorm on Tuesday but it appears the weather on Saturday will be free from heavy winds or precipitation which is key. The second, was how competitive and important the games might be. With all four teams battling for the playoffs -- or a division title in the Rangers' case -- the games will be very meaningful.

“It was something we talked about this morning internally," said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. "It’s great that there’s going to be two games that are very meaningful in the standings. That always means it’ll be a good game so that’s fantastic.”

It's the first time the NHL has ever had back-to-back games in front of an audience in the same venue. The importance of the games will further amplify that historical fact.

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“We always had some great battles against the Flyers and it hasn’t changed," said Martin Brodeur. "And you see the growth of both teams, especially the last few years. They’re competitive. They’re going to see each other a lot. You have a game like Stadium Series and it’s going to count. We’re chasing them. They’re right in front of us. Big points for us and big points for them also.”

Daly agreed with the Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender and Devils VP of Hockey Operations.

“To have two games back-to-back in the same venue adds a big element of attraction to the games because it’ll be competitive.”

The League did have two games back-to-back on Lake Tahoe several seasons ago but there were no fans. Yankee Stadium hosted two games 10 years ago but there was a gap in games.

“In 2014 we had done Dodger Stadium on Saturday, Yankee Stadium on Sunday and Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.”

The Devils played in 2014 against the New York Rangers. Brodeur reflected on his memories from that event.

“When we played at Yankee Stadium it was in the afternoon. It was a lot brighter. This will be at night,” said Brodeur. “It’s an event and you have to embrace it.”

Brodeur had some additional advice for Devils players, though said he won't talk to them specifically about it until after Thursday's game against the Kings at Prudential Center.

“The sightlines are different. The stands are, too. They’re a lot further down. It’s nice to have an opportunity to skate and get some shots and get a feeling for it," he continued. "As a goalie, your equipment feels a certain way but if it’s 20 degrees outside it reacts differently.”

The Devils legend added that with it being a night game, the team opted to have its skate the night before to try and get a sense of what the atmosphere and weather will be like in the evening. 

“It’s nice we’re going to have the opportunity to come in the day before and skate. We’re going to see, temperature-wise, the elements and see how your equipment will react and all that. But it will be different when you get outside.”

Families will also be invited to come onto the ice. Brodeur acknowledged that there's the potential for a lot of distractions for the players prior to the contest but said that it's something that they need to play through and will benefit them in the future. 

“When the puck drops, it’s a hockey game. We want our players to embrace these festivities," he stated. "A lot of guys are bringing their families in, kids, there’ll be a lot of outside noises but it’s no different than the Stanley Cup Finals. If they can adjust to this, when it’s time to deal with the Stanley Cup Finals they’ll see that it’s the same thing. There’s a lot of distractions and you’ve gotta block out the noise. As an organization, we’ll do everything possible for them to enjoy.”

As for Brodeur himself, he said he has some family that will be joining him on the ice. 

“My older kid’s coming in. My younger one has a hockey tournament. If I would have played, he would have came,” Brodeur chuckled. “Now that I’m watching it, it’s you go play hockey.

“Anthony, Annabelle and William are coming down and Jeremy’s playing in the East Coast League so he’s not going to be there.”

Another storyline for the game involves the Devils returning to play in the Meadowlands where they called home from 1982 to 2007. 

“This is awesome. All the players that are playing on our team don’t really know about the Meadowlands too much but over the last few weeks they’ve been hearing about it,” said Brodeur. “It brings back a lot of memories. The parking lot isn’t really there anymore, it’s a big mall now but it’s still pretty cool.”

Daly, a native of New Jersey, reflected on the arrival of the Devils in 1982 and history of hockey in the region. 

“I grew up in New Jersey and hockey was always my favorite sport here. I saw the Devils come in 1982 and win their Stanley Cups and through the Islanders dynasty in the early 80s. I happened to be a Rangers fan so I saw one Stanley Cup (for them) but it’s great we can bring NHL hockey home to New Jersey, play two games in an iconic football stadium. We expect more than 140,000 people over two days in less than 24 hour period so it’s very exciting.”

Being a football stadium, Daly said fans will be surprised how good the sightlines will be for an outdoor game. 

“This will be our 26th game in a football venue. Football venue logically creates better sightlines for our hockey games. From what I understand here, the sightlines are really really good. People are going to be surprised with how good they are. We’re looking forward to it.”

Daly said that the contest will be a celebration of the region but in particular hockey in New Jersey. 

“This will be our 41st outdoor game. That includes a segment of Winter Classic games which are more national in appeal. Our Stadium Series have been very successful in introducing new people and fans to the game in the local market. You have three New York area teams and Philadelphia not too far away. You’ll have a lot of youth hockey players here, youth hockey coaches. The hockey infrastructure in New Jersey will have an opportunity to celebrate this weekend. It’s great for growing fans of the game.

“It’s great for Devils fans. They participated in one of our outdoor games, at Yankee Stadium 10 years ago. But having it home in New Jersey right near where they won three Stanley Cups is not a bad place to be.”