Jacques Lemaire Honored by New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils paid tribute to their former coach Jacques Lemaire by inducting him into the team’s Ring of Honor. Lemaire, who led the Devils to their first Stanley Cup in 1995, was celebrated in a pregame ceremony before the Devils’ game against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.
Lemaire’s Achievements and Legacy
Lemaire, 79, was joined by former players including goaltender Martin Brodeur and defensemen Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, and Larry Robinson at center ice. Robinson, a teammate of Lemaire’s on the Montreal Canadiens, expressed his excitement about being part of the ceremony, saying, “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.” Robinson added, “We both came up in a pretty successful organization in Montreal.”
Lemaire has won eight Stanley Cups as a player with the Canadiens and two more as their assistant general manager. After a brief coaching stint with Montreal in the mid-1980s, Lemaire became head coach of the Devils before the 1993-94 season. In his second season, the Devils swept the Detroit Red Wings in the 1995 Stanley Cup Final, marking the team’s first championship.
A Special Moment with Former Players and Lou Lamoriello
Lemaire shared his joy at seeing former players and his long-time colleague Lou Lamoriello, now president of hockey operations for the New York Islanders. Lemaire, currently a special assignment coach for the Islanders, took a moment during his emotional speech to acknowledge Lamoriello, saying, “All the meetings we had, the hours we spent together… were for one goal only — to get the team better so we could win a Stanley Cup.”
Coaching Career Highlights and Retirement
Lemaire also coached the Minnesota Wild during its first eight seasons before returning to the Devils for parts of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. He finished his coaching career with 617 wins.
Reflecting on his retirement, Lemaire humorously mentioned, “I haven’t lost a game since 2011,” adding that he no longer worries about the stress of coaching.
