1982–83 New Jersey Devils season
The 1982–83 New Jersey Devils season was the franchise's ninth season in the NHL and the first in New Jersey after moving from Denver, Colorado, where they were known as the Colorado Rockies. The Devils first ever game was a 3-3 tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where first captain Don Lever scored the Devils' first ever goal. The team's first win would come against their new rivals in the New York Rangers. However, the new location didn't help the team overall, as they continued to struggle in the standings, finishing last in their division and third-to-last in their conference.
Regular season
Season standings
Schedule and results
October
Record: 3-6-3, Home: 2-3-2, Away: 1-3-1| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Pts |
| 1 | October 5 | Pittsburgh | 3 – 3 | New Jersey | 0-0-1 | 1 |
| 2 | October 8 | NY Rangers | 2 – 3 | New Jersey | 1-0-1 | 3 |
| 3 | October 9 | New Jersey | 5 – 5 | Toronto | 1-0-2 | 4 |
| 4 | October 12 | Boston | 2 – 2 | New Jersey | 1-0-3 | 5 |
| 5 | October 14 | Montreal | 5 – 3 | New Jersey | 1-1-3 | 5 |
| 6 | October 16 | New Jersey | 6 – 5 | Pittsburgh | 2-1-3 | 7 |
| 7 | October 18 | Philadelphia | 1 – 3 | New Jersey | 3-1-3 | 9 |
| 8 | October 20 | New Jersey | 4 – 7 | Los Angeles | 3-2-3 | 9 |
| 9 | October 22 | New Jersey | 1 – 3 | Winnipeg | 3-3-3 | 9 |
| 10 | October 26 | Minnesota | 5 – 3 | New Jersey | 3-4-3 | 9 |
| 11 | October 28 | NY Islanders | 4 – 2 | New Jersey | 3-5-3 | 9 |
| 12 | October 30 | New Jersey | 5 – 8 | NY Islanders | 3-6-3 | 9 |
November
Record: 1-10-4, Home: 0-3-2, Away: 1-7-2| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Pts |
| 13 | November 1 | Calgary | 6 – 3 | New Jersey | 3-7-3 | 9 |
| 14 | November 2 | New Jersey | 4 – 5 | Montreal | 3-8-3 | 9 |
| 15 | November 4 | Pittsburgh | 4 – 4 | New Jersey | 3-8-4 | 10 |
| 16 | November 6 | New Jersey | 1 – 1 | Detroit | 3-8-5 | 11 |
| 17 | November 8 | Washington | 2 – 2 | New Jersey | 3-8-6 | 12 |
| 18 | November 10 | New Jersey | 0 – 3 | Washington | 3-9-6 | 12 |
| 19 | November 11 | Edmonton | 5 – 1 | New Jersey | 3-10-6 | 12 |
| 20 | November 13 | New Jersey | 2 – 7 | Quebec | 3-11-6 | 12 |
| 21 | November 16 | New Jersey | 2 – 7 | St. Louis | 3-12-6 | 12 |
| 22 | November 17 | New Jersey | 3 – 5 | Chicago | 3-13-6 | 12 |
| 23 | November 20 | New Jersey | 1 – 5 | Minnesota | 3-14-6 | 12 |
| 24 | November 24 | New Jersey | 0 – 3 | Los Angeles | 3-15-6 | 12 |
| 25 | November 26 | New Jersey | 4 – 4 | Vancouver | 3-15-7 | 13 |
| 26 | November 27 | New Jersey | 4 – 3 | Calgary | 4-15-7 | 15 |
| 27 | November 29 | Chicago | 3 – 1 | New Jersey | 4-16-7 | 15 |
December
Record: 3-9-0, Home: 2-4-0, Away: 1-5-0| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Pts |
| 28 | December 1 | Toronto | 3 – 7 | New Jersey | 5-16-7 | 17 |
| 29 | December 3 | Hartford | 4 – 5 | New Jersey | 6-16-7 | 19 |
| 30 | December 4 | New Jersey | 2 – 6 | Detroit | 6-17-7 | 19 |
| 31 | December 6 | Winnipeg | 5 – 3 | New Jersey | 6-18-7 | 19 |
| 32 | December 9 | Washington | 6 – 4 | New Jersey | 6-19-7 | 19 |
| 33 | December 11 | New Jersey | 1 – 7 | NY Islanders | 6-20-7 | 19 |
| 34 | December 12 | New Jersey | 0 – 4 | NY Rangers | 6-21-7 | 19 |
| 35 | December 17 | New Jersey | 4 – 10 | Edmonton | 6-22-7 | 19 |
| 36 | December 19 | New Jersey | 3 – 2 | Winnipeg | 7-22-7 | 21 |
| 37 | December 22 | Philadelphia | 3 – 1 | New Jersey | 7-23-7 | 21 |
| 38 | December 26 | New Jersey | 2 – 5 | Boston | 7-24-7 | 21 |
| 39 | December 30 | NY Rangers | 5 – 2 | New Jersey | 7-25-7 | 21 |
January
Record: 4-6-4, Home: 4-1-3, Away: 0-5-1| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Pts |
| 40 | January 2 | Vancouver | 1 – 3 | New Jersey | 8-25-7 | 23 |
| 41 | January 5 | Toronto | 4 – 4 | New Jersey | 8-25-8 | 24 |
| 42 | January 7 | Boston | 2 – 2 | New Jersey | 8-25-9 | 25 |
| 43 | January 9 | New Jersey | 3 – 4 | NY Rangers | 8-26-9 | 25 |
| 44 | January 10 | Quebec | 2 – 6 | New Jersey | 9-26-9 | 27 |
| 45 | January 13 | NY Islanders | 5 – 2 | New Jersey | 9-27-9 | 27 |
| 46 | January 15 | New Jersey | 1 – 2 | Hartford | 9-28-9 | 27 |
| 47 | January 16 | Los Angeles | 3 – 5 | New Jersey | 10-28-9 | 29 |
| 48 | January 19 | New Jersey | 1 – 1 | Pittsburgh | 10-28-10 | 30 |
| 49 | January 20 | St. Louis | 3 – 3 | New Jersey | 10-28-11 | 31 |
| 50 | January 23 | New Jersey | 1 – 3 | Washington | 10-29-11 | 31 |
| 51 | January 25 | New Jersey | 1 – 5 | Philadelphia | 10-30-11 | 31 |
| 52 | January 29 | New Jersey | 4 – 6 | Quebec | 10-31-11 | 31 |
| 53 | January 31 | Pittsburgh | 2 – 3 | New Jersey | 11-31-11 | 33 |
February
Record: 1-8-2, Home: 1-2-2, Away: 0-6-0| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Pts |
| 54 | February 3 | NY Islanders | 7 – 2 | New Jersey | 11-32-11 | 33 |
| 55 | February 5 | New Jersey | 4 – 5 | Washington | 11-33-11 | 33 |
| 56 | February 6 | Vancouver | 4 – 4 | New Jersey | 11-33-12 | 34 |
| 57 | February 9 | New Jersey | 4 – 5 | Chicago | 11-34-12 | 34 |
| 58 | February 12 | New Jersey | 1 – 5 | St. Louis | 11-35-12 | 34 |
| 59 | February 15 | Minnesota | 3 – 2 | New Jersey | 11-36-12 | 34 |
| 60 | February 20 | New Jersey | 0 – 3 | Philadelphia | 11-37-12 | 34 |
| 61 | February 21 | Buffalo | 4 – 4 | New Jersey | 11-37-13 | 35 |
| 62 | February 24 | Detroit | 1 – 4 | New Jersey | 12-37-13 | 37 |
| 63 | February 26 | New Jersey | 4 – 5 | Pittsburgh | 12-38-13 | 37 |
| 64 | February 27 | New Jersey | 2 – 6 | Buffalo | 12-39-13 | 37 |
March
Record: 4-10-0, Home: 2-7-0, Away: 2-3-0| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Pts |
| 65 | March 1 | Edmonton | 4 – 3 | New Jersey | 12-40-13 | 37 |
| 66 | March 3 | Philadelphia | 4 – 1 | New Jersey | 12-41-13 | 37 |
| 67 | March 5 | New Jersey | 1 – 5 | NY Islanders | 12-42-13 | 37 |
| 68 | March 6 | New Jersey | 6 – 4 | NY Rangers | 13-42-13 | 39 |
| 69 | March 8 | Washington | 5 – 4 | New Jersey | 13-43-13 | 39 |
| 70 | March 10 | Hartford | 3 – 0 | New Jersey | 13-44-13 | 39 |
| 71 | March 12 | New Jersey | 7 – 3 | Montreal | 14-44-13 | 41 |
| 72 | March 14 | Calgary | 7 – 0 | New Jersey | 14-45-13 | 41 |
| 73 | March 17 | NY Islanders | 9 – 5 | New Jersey | 14-46-13 | 41 |
| 74 | March 21 | NY Rangers | 2 – 4 | New Jersey | 15-46-13 | 43 |
| 75 | March 24 | New Jersey | 3 – 5 | Washington | 15-47-13 | 43 |
| 76 | March 25 | Philadelphia | 5 – 6 | New Jersey | 16-47-13 | 45 |
| 77 | March 27 | New Jersey | 1 – 4 | Philadelphia | 16-48-13 | 45 |
| 78 | March 31 | Buffalo | 8 – 5 | New Jersey | 16-49-13 | 45 |
April
Record: 1-0-1, Home: 0-0-0, Away: 1-0-1| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Pts |
| 79 | April 1 | New Jersey | 3 – 3 | NY Rangers | 16-49-14 | 46 |
| 80 | April 3 | New Jersey | 5 – 3 | Pittsburgh | 17-49-14 | 48 |
Player statistics
Skaters
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining New Jersey. Stats reflect time with the Devils only.
‡Traded mid-season
Note: GP = Games Played; TOI = Time On Ice ; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/Shootout Losses; GA = Goals Against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against Average
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining New Jersey. Stats reflect time with the Devils only.
‡Traded mid-season
Bold/italics denotes franchise record