"Those are awful. Good riddance": NHL fans react as NJ Devils announce final season of “Jersey” jersey

The NJ Devils announced on Monday that the 2025-26 season will be the final year for their black alternate “Jersey” jersey. It was introduced in the 2021-22 season, and was the franchise’s first alternate jersey. Legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur and Devils marketing chief Jillian Frechette helped design it.

Fans can expect special merchandise drops as part of the Jersey Jersey Bye Bye Tour. Here are the dates of the farewell games.

Nov. 24 and 26
Dec. 21 and 27
Jan. 14 and 17
Feb. 3 and 5
March 12 and 14
April 12

The "Spittin Chiclets" podcast posted the news on X.

“The end of an era in New Jersey,” "Spittin Chiclets" tweeted.

Fans shared their thoughts about it.

“Those are awful. Good riddance,” one fan wrote.

“Luke Hughes’ agent said this was one of the iron-clad stipulations for signing him long term. Looks like a step in the right direction #NJDevils,” another fan wrote.

"I can’t wait for the new New Jersey jersey…..i’ll see myself out," a fan said.

The team plans to make the jersey’s final season special, and merchandise drops will let fans collect items before it retires. Here are more fan reactions on X.

"Idk why I like them and hate them so much," a fan commented.

"As a ranger fan, the regular home jerseys annoy me with the way the black shoulders are designed, they should go back to an older version," another fan commented.

"Thank god, give us green alternates and PUT THE STRIPE BACK!!!" one fan said.

The black alternate jersey marked a new look for NJ. Fans can look forward to future designs while remembering the “Jersey” jersey.

NJ Devils are ready for 2025-26 season

The NJ Devils were eliminated from the 2025 playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. They finished 42-33-7, but Injuries to Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon affected the team’s performance. Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Dawson Mercer played well; however, it could not hold on to leads.

The Devils are preparing for the 2025-26 season with new players. Connor Brown signed a four-year contract and may play on the bottom two lines. Evgenii Dadonov joined as a depth forward, while Erik Haula, Brian Dumoulin, Tomas Tatar and Curtis Lazar left.

The franchise will aim to improve scoring and defense this season.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez