The New Jersey Devils – sometimes referred to as “The Devils”, are an American hockey team that plays in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The franchise was originally founded in Kansas City, Missouri as the “Kansas City Scouts”. In 1976, they moved to Denver and became the “Colorado Rockies”, and finally became the “New Jersey Devils” in 1982 after they moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey. They completed their first 25 seasons at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, before moving to the Prudential Center in Newark.
The team adopted the name the New Jersey Devils, after the legend of the Jersey Devil, a mythological creature that allegedly inhabits the Pine Barrens of South Jersey. The name was selected after a contest where over 10,000 people voted.
The franchise had a rough start, even once they moved to New Jersey. After the hiring of president and general manager Lou Lamoriello, the Devils made the playoffs all but three times between 1988 and 2012. They finish every season with a winning record from 1992-93 and 2009-10. The Devils have reached the Stanley Cup Finals five times, winning in 1994-95, 1999-2000, and 2002-03. The Devils were known for their defense-first approach and credited with popularizing the neutral zone trap in the mid-’90s.
The Devils have a rivalry with two teams: the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils are one of the three NHL teams in the New York metropolitan area, and one of four major professional sports teams that play their home games in New Jersey. The team also has a number of traditions. Ariette Roxburgh has been the team’s primary national anthem singer at home games since 1996, and Pete Cannarozzi has been the team’s organist since 2001.
Famous New Jersey Devils trademarks
The New Jersey Devils have been competing in the National Hockey League since the ’60s and have a rich history. The Devils have achieved multiple Stanley Cup wins and a large modest of trademarks. Let’s take a look at some of the most famous trademarks of the New Jersey Devils.
NJ logo
The NJ logo is the most recognized imagery of the New Jersey Devils. The Devils’ logo is a combined “N” and “J”, with horns and a tail. The stylized letters are red and sit in a thin, black circle.
This was first registered in 1984 by the New Jersey Devils LLC. This trademark applies to:
- Entertainment services, including conducting professional hockey competitions and exhibitions
- Printed adhesive labels and programs for professional hockey exhibitions
- Soft luggage and all-purpose tote bags
- Ornamental lapel badges and pennants
- Caps, shirts, and wristbands
- Hockey pucks
- Clothing, including T-shirts, sports shirts, golf shirts, coaches’ shirts, jerseys, sweaters, jackets, sweatshirts, pants, sweatpants, warm-up suits, headbands, shorts, hats, socks, mittens, and bibs
Read more: Trademarking a logo
Devils
The New Jersey Devils are often referred to as the “Devils”. The team and organization needed to ensure that all interpretations of the team name are protected and can be used for commercial purposes. The trademark for the nickname slogan was first registered in 1984 by the New Jersey Devils, LLC, and applies to:
- Entertainment services, including organizing and conducting professional ice hockey games and competitions
- Organizing exhibitions for professional hockey purposes
- Providing facilities for professional hockey exhibitions
- Plastic megaphones
- Printed adhesives labels
- Pennants
- Clothing, including shirts, T-shirts, sports shirts, jerseys, sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets, sweatpants, warm-up suits, shorts, caps, hats, scarves, mittens, and cloth bibs
- Paper goods and printed matter, including brochures, pamphlets, booklets, leaflets in the field of hockey, calendars, and event programs
- Collectibles, including hockey sticks and hockey pucks
New Jersey Devils
The latest trademark in the New Jersey Devils portfolio is an expansion on the wordmark registration for “New Jersey Devils”. This trademark was registered in 2022 and applies to:
- Entertainment services in professional hockey exhibitions
- T-shirts, shirts, sports jerseys, sweaters, sweatshirts, and jackets
- Sweatpants, shorts, leggings, and pants
- Hats, headwear, scarves, mittens, cloth bibs, socks, headbands, gloves, and suspenders
- Dresses, pajamas, nightshirts, underwear, and robes
Binghamton Devils
The Binghamton Devils were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2017 to 2021, as a team in affiliation with the New Jersey Devils. The Binghamton Devils were based in Binghamton, New York, and played at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Jersey Devils moved the affiliate to Newark, which led to disputes between the operators of the New Jersey and Binghamton teams.
There are several images and logos associated with the Binghamton Devils. The team logo shows a masked face of a devil with the term “BINGHAMTON DEVILS” appearing above the devil’s head. Another image consists of the term “BINGHAMTON DEVILS” with devil horns on top and a tail on the bottom. The final image consists of a puck design, surrounded by a fire with a trident in the middle, featuring the term “BINGHAMTON”.
The trademarks for the Binghamton Devils were registered in 2019 by the New Jersey Devils LLC, and apply to:
- Organizing and conducting professional ice hockey games and competitions for entertainment services
- Organizing exhibitions for professional hockey purposes
- Providing facilities for professional hockey exhibitions
- Paper goods and printer matter, such as event programs
- Apparel, including shirts, jerseys, pullovers, sweatshirts, and hats
- Collectibles, such as hockey sticks and hockey pucks
- Leaflets and stickers
NJ Devil mascot
In 1998, New Jersey Devils LLC registered an image trademark for the team mascot, NJ Devil. The image portrays a cartoon drawing of the mascot – a 7-foot-tall red devil wearing the team uniform. This trademark applies to:
- Entertainment services, including organizing, sponsoring, and conducting hockey contests and exhibitions
- Providing live hockey mascot performances at hockey contests
Street Devils
Street Devils is a street hockey program, a dry-land variation of ice hockey typically played on blacktop surfaces, basketball courts, or gymnasium floors. The Street Devils were created to provide children with athletic programs free of charge in local community centers, hockey rinks, and schools. This trademark was registered in 1998 and applies to:
- Organizing and administering community-based street hockey programs and competitions for youth
Devils Den
Devils Den is the official team store located in the Prudential Center on Edison Place, NJ, where fans can buy the official New Jersey Devils merchandise. This trademark was registered in 2015 and applies to:
- Retail store services featuring apparel, novelties, jewelry, pins, posters, giftware, and books
Wrapping up
In 2021, the New Jersey Devils were reported to be worth $775 million according to Forbes. Part of this value is due to the protection gained from its trademark portfolio. Currently, the Devils’ registrations cover all the bases of the team’s intellectual property, such as the team logo, name, community, and affiliate programs.
However, with only 17 trademarks currently registered under the New Jersey Devils, there is plenty of room for growth. The Devils could consider increasing their portfolio by registering slogans and phrases that are special to the team and community.
See more on other famous trademarks here.
