'Jersey theme' on center stage for Devils-Flyers at NHL Stadium Series

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New Jersey Devils will certainly have the home-field advantage when MetLife Stadium becomes Stadium Series Park for their Metropolitan Division showdown against the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series on Feb. 17 (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, TVAS-D, SN1).

NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer wants fans to get there early in preparation to be entertained.

"It's cool that we're doing a game in New Jersey where the Devils are the true home team for the first time, so we're really leaning into a New Jersey theme," Mayer said during a media availability at MetLife Stadium on Friday. "New Jersey is known for its parks, whether it's Liberty State Park or Branch Brook Park in Newark. I grew up near Biertuempfel Park in Union. We're going to have areas with green and activating it with amphitheaters, street hockey rinks and places to walk in. People will be walking their dogs, and you'll see baby strollers and a lot of things going on, since we felt like that's one of the things New Jersey is known for.

"We're bringing in bands from New Jersey (The Jonas Brothers, The Gaslight Anthem) and you're going to see quite a few New Jersey celebrities. We really wanted to lean into the Jersey theme."

In addition to the Devils-Flyers, the second day of the Stadium Series will feature the New York Rangers against the New York Islanders at the home of the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets on Feb. 18 (3 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).

"This is actually the biggest outdoor event we've ever done, just by the fact we're doing two games and not one, on consecutive days," Mayer said. "That's quite an undertaking. We're going to change the field from a Devils-Flyers feel to Rangers-Islanders but we're up for the challenge. It's not going to look completely different, but it will very much take on a Rangers-Islanders feel, and we'll do that immediately and work all night to get it done."

Mayer said 130,000 tickets have already been sold for the two-day event and a minimal amount remain for each game.

The Flyers have played five outdoor games (1-3-1), the Rangers four (4-0-0), and the Devils and Islanders one each (both 0-1-0). The Rangers defeated the Devils 7-3 and the Islanders 2-1 as part of the 2014 Stadium Series at Yankee Stadium in New York.

The forecast for Feb. 17 calls for 30 degrees Fahrenheit and clear night skies, which Mayer called perfect. But he said he certainly wouldn't mind a slight snowfall if it happened.

"We would love a little snow ... February in Jersey, we could have 20 inches, and we knew that going in," Mayer said. "The snow for one of our outdoor games is awesome and especially when it's just a sprinkling, so we will take that. It'd be amazing, but right now it doesn't look like that's in the forecast."

Mayer is encouraging fans to arrive early if attending the Devils-Flyers game.

"The parking lots open early and as far as tailgating ... go for it," he said. "This is Jersey. Whether you're going to a Giants or Jets football game, or seeing Bruce Springsteen, you're always out here early, you're out here all day. This is an experience, it's just not a hockey game. And if you just come for a hockey game, you lose out. We want people to get here and enjoy the fan experience."

Before the games, the PreGame will entertain fans with fun hockey attractions at MetLife Stadium Parking Lot G with dynamic activities from 2:30-6:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 17, and 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET the following day.

"This is an area that loves the NHL, loves hockey, and these three teams, so that's a lot of people to watch games and, for us, it's a showcase of the League, a showcase of the sport," Mayer said. "It's going to be a big weekend for us."

The Jonas Brothers will perform a concert at 6:30 p.m. ET prior to face-off between the Devils and Flyers, and will also perform during the second intermission. The Gaslight Anthem will perform a set of their songs during the first intermission and will sing their hit "Howl," the Devils goal song since 2015-16, after any goal scored by New Jersey.

"This is a great venue to put on an outdoor hockey game," Mayer said. "Football stadiums typically are good but the sight lines at MetLife is just absolutely perfect. One of the great myths of an outdoor game is the higher you're up, the better the seat. When you get a 100-level seat for an NFL game, you're like 'Yeah, I'm going to be right there.' But it's actually better the higher you go up and from so many viewpoints of this stadium.

"We've been in baseball stadiums, we've played outdoor games in New York, so for fans of the Rangers, Islanders, and the Devils and Flyers, I think they're going to be pleasantly surprised by how great the viewing experience happens to be."