New Jersey Devils: P.K. Subban’s fame could be a good thing

P.K. Subban has a change in scenery heading to New Jersey this season. His fame and public profile can help the New Jersey Devils achieve things they haven’t before.

Entering this off-season, it seemed the New Jersey Devils biggest priority was signing Taylor Hall to a contract extension. Not only for his one ice contributions, but locking up the Hart Trophy winner long-term was a way to add legitimacy to the franchise. It would help them attract free agents who would have placed the Garden State low on their list of preferred destinations.

Well, the hockey gods work in mysterious ways. The Devils got all of that and more, but not from the player they were expecting. While it wasn’t completely unexpected that P.K. Subban would be traded from the Nashville Predators this off-season, New Jersey wasn’t the destination people expected him to land.

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However, since the trade, Subban has completely embraced his new hometown. The Devils and their fans have embraced him back. They had a press conference in Prudential Center to introduce their new star defenseman, but it wasn’t just any press conference.

That sentiment was made clear when the Devils made the press conference open as a free event to all fans. Not only that, but Subban was ushered into the organization with a plethora of theatrics, including being bestowed upon a Ric Flair-esque robe.

For those who don’t know, the Devils and several other NHL teams use footage of the wrestler to hype up crowds during home games. It ended up being more of a party with a few scattered media than a press conference. That’s a sight that was in stark contrast to the tight ship of an organization former general manager Lou Lamoriello ran during his tenure with the team.

In my interview with 98.7 ESPN New York’s Don La Greca last month, he referred to Subban as perhaps the most famous athlete the Devils have ever had, based on the stardom and celebrity factors. Fame might not win hockey games, but it’s a stunning reversal in course for an organization like the Devils.

Even though they play in the New York media market, in their most successful years, they still find themselves in the shadow of the rival New York Rangers. Subban brings not only talent but bragging rights and attention to the Newark based hockey team that’s seemingly escaped them in their existence.

Subban himself plays into this notion as well. For as much as the induction press conference was written off as goofy and over the top, he said all the right things to get Devils fans excited about their arrival as if they weren’t already. The best quote of the day perfectly played off not only the Rangers and Devils long-standing rivalry but the New York and New Jersey’s rivalry as a region.

To Devils fans who feel they’ve always had to play second fiddle to the blue shirts at MSG, that’s music to their ears. Another thing La Greca noted in our interview is that although P.K. is playing close to New York, he’s not playing in New York enough to be overwhelmed with media attention.

But Subban loves the attention, and he’ll welcome it at every turn. While most Devils players have said they like the laid back nature of playing in the Jersey suburbs, he attacks that notion head-on.

Still, the most important part of making the Devils an attractive place to play is putting together a winning team. The arrival of Subban and the Devils reaction have shown that they have at least begun to create a culture of New Jersey being a fun and exciting place to play. With that culture, the winning usually follows.

New Jersey Devils: PK Subban’s fame could be a good thing

While the New Jersey Devils have made leaps and bounds forward over the past few months, they’re still a long ways away from bringing the franchise its fourth Stanley Cup championships. If the coming-out party for their newest defenseman is any indication the Devils will be ready to celebrate when their long-awaited success comes together. Until then, they should focus on finally getting Hall to commit to an extension, just like their summer started.