Best New Jersey Devils Players to Wear No. 25

On Wednesday, the New Jersey Devils acquired Jacob Markstrom in a deal with the Calgary Flames. Since 2015, the Swedish netminder has worn No. 25 with the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames.

Now that he has relocated to Newark, the Devils announced on social media that Markstrom will continue to wear No. 25, as Nolan Foote has agreed to switch out of the number and wear No. 29 for the upcoming season.

As the anticipation continues to build for the upcoming 2024-25 season and Markstrom's debut, let's take a step back and discuss some of the best players to ever wear No. 25 for the Devils since 1982.

Joe Nieuwendyk (2001 - 2003)

In 1999, Joe Nieuwendyk won the Conn Smythe Trophy when the Dallas Stars beat the Buffalo Sabres to win the Stanley Cup. Twelve months later, he was on the losing end as the Devils beat the Stars to capture their second championship.

Interestingly, in 2001, Nieuwendyk came to New Jersey in a four-player deal, including Jason Arnott, who scored the Cup-winning goal that year. Arnott wore No. 25 with the Devils, and Nieuwendyk put it on.

In 94 games, he tallied 56 points, becoming one of five skaters to reach at least 50 points in the sweater.

Dave Lewis (1984 - 1986)

Younger fans may only know Dave Lewis as a former coach for the Detroit Red Wings and the Boston Bruins. However, they may not know that he played 1,008 games in the NHL, including three seasons with the Devils from 1983 to 1986.

Lewis was not the first player to wear No. 25 after New Jersey relocated from Colorado in 1982, but he was the first player to skate in over 200 games (209) in the sweater. During his time with the Devils, he scored five goals and 24 points.

Cam Janssen (2005-07, 2011-14)

Cam Janssen had two tours of duty with the Devils. His first time came from 2005 to 2007, and again from 2011 to 2014. Janssen only wore two numbers in his career, No. 25 with the New Jersey and No. 55 with the St. Louis Blues.

He played in 171 games with the Devils, scoring four goals and five points while racking up 304 penalty minutes. When combining his two stints, Janssen is one of the more veteran players to wear No. 25, donning it for five seasons.

Valeri Zelepukin (1992 - 1998)

Valeri Zelepukin wore No. 25 with the Devils longer than any player, skating in green and red during his rookie season (1992) and after the colors switched to red and black in 1993 until 1998.

He was a member of the New Jersey team that won the Stanley Cup in 1995 and scored a respectable 85 goals and 218 points in 375 games. As of 2024, Zelepukin has played the most games in this uniform number.

Jason Arnott (1998 - 2001)

Arnott gets the nod for first place on the list because he scored one of the most iconic goals in the Devils' history. Even though Zelepukin won the Stanley Cup first, wearing No. 25, Arnott is the only one in franchise history with a Cup-clinching goal in overtime.

He wore the number throughout his New Jersey tenure, lasting 364 games from 1998 to 2001. Arnott scored 110 goals and 245 points in the sweater, which ranks first among the 23 skaters who have don No. 25 since 1982.