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Do the Devils Have a Moses?


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Religion and hockey are a weird mix. Lately, I've been reading a book called America's Prophet by Bruce Feiler. Talks about Moses as a reoccuring figure and symbol throughout the history of America.

Regardless on your views of religion, the story of Moses can be broken down simply. Moses was chosen by God to lead the Jews from slavery out of Israel. Parted the Red Sea, 40 years in the desert, etc. Great leader and did everything possible for his people. Only catch is that while he guided his people to freedom and then 40 years in the desert very humbly, he never got to reach the Promised Land that he led the Jews to. He saw it, but was barred from entering and died shortly thereafter.

My question is, do you think the Devils currently have a player/coach/manager that can relate to Moses? Elias comes to mind, but he's already made the Promised Land (Cups). It would be hard to pick someone from 95-03 considering all the success had. I would think it would have to be an elder player from early 90's, or a current player now. Maybe Schneider? An all world goalie who keeps the Devils in games and by the time the Devils turn it around he may not be the same.

I am interested in hearing thoughts on this. If you don't believe in the Bible or the story itself, the concept still resonates.

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this sounds like a PK topic to me.

 

i think, at this point, you'd almost have to say Andy Greene, no?

It's the Doldrums, sundy. Throw me a bone here.

Greene's a good one. Feels like he's been here forever, been through a lot of ups and downs. Isn't part of the old, old cup winning guard.

I have a feeling CR is going to be all over this dropping some names from 90-94. I hope so at least. Loving learning a little more.

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It's the Doldrums, sundy. Throw me a bone here.

Greene's a good one. Feels like he's been here forever, been through a lot of ups and downs. Isn't part of the old, old cup winning guard.

I have a feeling CR is going to be all over this dropping some names from 90-94. I hope so at least. Loving learning a little more.

 

I'm an atheist, but going strictly by your description of who Moses was and what he did, I would say the one and only Devil who comes closest to him was Chico Resch.  The problem with trying to select guys like Stevens and Brodeur was that they DID get to the promised land as Devils, and multiple times at that.  Chris Terreri was also a key transitional piece that enjoyed the ultimate reward, and at least was making the playoffs consistently when he was the Devils' #1 before he gave way to Marty.  Chico never came close to making the playoffs here (yes, he did as an Islander and was part of a Cup winner there, but this is about his Rockies/Devils tenure only), and since I've told Chico's Devils story multiple times on here, I'll sum up:  he's playing for the best team in the NHL in the Islanders, but has simply become expendable, so he gets dealt to the Rockies.  The team is awful and due to unsettled ownership and constant change-of-plans, the Rockies are forever their own worst enemy.  Chico is signed to a multi-year deal to stay in Colorado, and is promised that the team is committed to both improving the on-ice product and staying in Denver.  It becomes very obvious during Chico's first full (and last) season in Colorado that neither of these promises are going to be kept.  The team is sold and moved to NJ, where it's made clear that the team is going to build very slowly and piece-by-piece.  After Chico's first season as a Devil, he is frustrated beyond belief and considers asking for a trade, but has a change of heart and decides not only is he going to stay, but he is going to be as positive of an influence as possible on the young players who will be coming up through the system, and will do his best to keep everyone sane as the losses will inevitably pile up.  He somehow kept a smile on his face and was a great presence, despite the fact that he knew that his team had no chance to win, and that his personal stats took a massive beating.  He was traded to the Flyers on March 11, 1986, two seasons before the Devils would earn their first slice of respectability by reaching the Wales Conference Championship and coming within one game of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.  Even if Chico had still been with the team as a little-used 3rd netminder at that point, even that could've been considered reaching the "promised land" in a way, considering his history with the Devils...but for obvious reasons (Chico was 37 going on 38 when he was dealt), there was no way that was going to happen. 

 

It's funny you bring up Schneider, because though he is a better player in his era than Chico was in his (Chico was solidly good, but was never really a top netminder...think a bit better than Terreri), just yesterday I was thinking about if Schneider is destined to be this Devils generation's Chico Resch.  It's not a perfect comparison - Chico was dealt to the Rockies towards the end of his prime (he was wrapping up his age 32 season), while Schneider is solidly in his - but it was something I was actually considering posting about.   

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976
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Lol, I typed out a response to this and then deleted it because I just didn't feel like dealing with it.  So I very much feel the same way.

Thanks for your contribution to this thread! I don't know where we'd be without it!

If you don't have anything to contribute, fvck off. Take your high horse and get the hell out of the thread. I didn't ask if anyone believes in any religion or anything along those lines. CR seemed to have no trouble grasping the concept.

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And though I'm not a Yankee fan, I would say Don Mattingly also fits the "Moses" bill perfectly. 

 

The problem with this kind of thing is it can turn into a list of "good to great player stuck on a bad team" thing very quickly.  I do remember Chico and Mattingly trying their best to lead and be everything possible to their teams though, in all ways.

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Thanks for your contribution to this thread! I don't know where we'd be without it!

If you don't have anything to contribute, fvck off. Take your high horse and get the hell out of the thread. I didn't ask if anyone believes in any religion or anything along those lines. CR seemed to have no trouble grasping the concept.

 

Did I or DF118, or anyone else that made comments not progressing your thread, say anything about believing or not?  Stop being so defensive.  It's a stupid Summer thread so I laughed at someone making fun of it.

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I like the inclusion of Greene in the discussion. I'm hopeful that Schneider will still be with the Devils when they experience a championship again (but I'm an optimist)

 

Similarly, I feel like Zajac could be in the mix, especially if he posted better numbers post-Parise, even 50 points/82 games consistently. The guy's a consummate professional, just doesn't have the skill to really be a first line center. Works his ass off every shift, does everything the coaches ask, never complains. Maybe he's the guy who helps younger forwards in the organization (Henrique, Boucher, Matteau, Zacha, etc.) learn the ropes and guide the way, only to be bought out/traded when the team really pulls it together.

 

Then again, his contract is long enough -- and I'm an optimist -- that maybe he's the older veteran presence on the 2nd/3rd line anchoring the forwards behind some of the aforementioned guys when the Devils are consistently contenders again. At least, I hope so.

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Giving it a bit more thoought, Marshall Johnston is probably the closest thing the Devils have. He was with the organization from day 1 I believe, and spent a decade or so as the director of player personnel and head of the Devils drafts before he left and Conte took over in I want to say 92 or 93. He was in charge of the drafts where Shanahan, Guerin, Brodeur and possibly Niedermayer were selected.

 

Really helped turn the team around, but left right before the great run of success begun. 

Edited by devilsrule33
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How about Fetisov. He was a Devil from 89-90 to 94-95, and was traded to Detroit mid year for a 3rd round pick. He was right there watching the Devils celebrating a Stanley Cup win that same season.

 

He's no Moses, though.

Also he won a Cup or two with Detroit. I did find it funny watching that ESPN doc on him and the Russian hockey history about how he and Lou embraced almost like brothers when he was allowed to play in the NHL and he was ended up traded.

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Chico is a good choice, but it really can't be him, at least not JUST him. He was too pious, too obeisant, which leaves out important points of the Moses story. I think the Devils' Moses has to be the entire team in the 80s and the team's early fans are the Israelites. They were an experiment in expansionism, they were pilgrims on a path to Canaan. The 80s were not only an exodus from Colorado, but also a slow exodus from the Red Sea of Mickey Mouse-hood. They entered into a covenant with Lou Lamoriello and obliged themselves through the blood, sweat, tears, and suffering. Their "40 days" was that final climb up Sinai to become a serious team and learn Lou's commandments in the process. Some fans joined the idolaters (Rangers fans from New Jersey) but many stayed to finish the journey. Finally they made the playoffs, and made the Devils into a legitimate team, but most of those players became diaspora long before the sands of the Promised Land were reached.

 

"And when the people, looking out upon the desert, asked of moneys and materials, the Lou thundered, "Thou shalt not worry about my cap."

Edited by Neb00rs
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Chico is a good choice, but it really can't be him, at least not JUST him. He was too pious, too obeisant, which leaves out important points of the Moses story. I think the Devils' Moses has to be the entire team in the 80s and the team's early fans are the Israelites. They were an experiment in expansionism, they were pilgrims on a path to Canaan. The 80s were not only an exodus from Colorado, but also a slow exodus from the Red Sea of Mickey Mouse-hood. They entered into a covenant with Lou Lamoriello and obliged themselves through the blood, sweat, tears, and suffering. Their "40 days" was that final climb up Sinai to become a serious team and learn Lou's commandments in the process. Some fans joined the idolaters (Rangers fans from New Jersey) but many stayed to finish the journey. Finally they made the playoffs, and made the Devils into a legitimate team, but most of those players became diaspora long before the sands of the Promised Land were reached.

"And when the people, looking out upon the desert, asked of moneys and materials, the Lou thundered, "Thou shalt not worry about my cap."

34837ccf6dfc71028abbff8ea39fb9ae.jpg
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My reaction any time religion is brought up in any context:

While this is normally my reaction as well, you should be more open-minded about learning and discussing something like this in an environment such as this one.  The man was simply making a connection between literature he's reading and other favorite thing, the Devils.  He was (very) politely inviting us to make our own connections in terms of the Devils.  The subject also very clearly says, "Do the Devils Have a Moses?"  If that is what you truly did when you heard religion, you wouldn't have posted this. 

 

Chico is a good choice, but it really can't be him, at least not JUST him. He was too pious, too obeisant, which leaves out important points of the Moses story. I think the Devils' Moses has to be the entire team in the 80s and the team's early fans are the Israelites. They were an experiment in expansionism, they were pilgrims on a path to Canaan. The 80s were not only an exodus from Colorado, but also a slow exodus from the Red Sea of Mickey Mouse-hood. They entered into a covenant with Lou Lamoriello and obliged themselves through the blood, sweat, tears, and suffering. Their "40 days" was that final climb up Sinai to become a serious team and learn Lou's commandments in the process. Some fans joined the idolaters (Rangers fans from New Jersey) but many stayed to finish the journey. Finally they made the playoffs, and made the Devils into a legitimate team, but most of those players became diaspora long before the sands of the Promised Land were reached.

 

"And when the people, looking out upon the desert, asked of moneys and materials, the Lou thundered, "Thou shalt not worry about my cap."

 

:koolaid:

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While this is normally my reaction as well, you should be more open-minded about learning and discussing something like this in an environment such as this one.  The man was simply making a connection between literature he's reading and other favorite thing, the Devils.  He was (very) politely inviting us to make our own connections in terms of the Devils.  The subject also very clearly says, "Do the Devils Have a Moses?"  If that is what you truly did when you heard religion, you wouldn't have posted this. 

 

 

:koolaid:

Thank you, sir. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Love it Neb00rs. Awesome to hear about Johnston too. Those are the tidbits I was hoping to learn about.

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Thank you, sir. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Love it Neb00rs. Awesome to hear about Johnston too. Those are the tidbits I was hoping to learn about.

That being said, the Moses of the current team would have to be Andy Greene.  I'd say Schneider, but he was traded for and not necessarily home-grown.  Greener will lead us to the promise land once again.

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I'm an atheist, but going strictly by your description of who Moses was and what he did, I would say the one and only Devil who comes closest to him was Chico Resch.  The problem with trying to select guys like Stevens and Brodeur was that they DID get to the promised land as Devils, and multiple times at that.  Chris Terreri was also a key transitional piece that enjoyed the ultimate reward, and at least was making the playoffs consistently when he was the Devils' #1 before he gave way to Marty.  Chico never came close to making the playoffs here (yes, he did as an Islander and was part of a Cup winner there, but this is about his Rockies/Devils tenure only), and since I've told Chico's Devils story multiple times on here, I'll sum up:  he's playing for the best team in the NHL in the Islanders, but has simply become expendable, so he gets dealt to the Rockies.  The team is awful and due to unsettled ownership and constant change-of-plans, the Rockies are forever their own worst enemy.  Chico is signed to a multi-year deal to stay in Colorado, and is promised that the team is committed to both improving the on-ice product and staying in Denver.  It becomes very obvious during Chico's first full (and last) season in Colorado that neither of these promises are going to be kept.  The team is sold and moved to NJ, where it's made clear that the team is going to build very slowly and piece-by-piece.  After Chico's first season as a Devil, he is frustrated beyond belief and considers asking for a trade, but has a change of heart and decides not only is he going to stay, but he is going to be as positive of an influence as possible on the young players who will be coming up through the system, and will do his best to keep everyone sane as the losses will inevitably pile up.  He somehow kept a smile on his face and was a great presence, despite the fact that he knew that his team had no chance to win, and that his personal stats took a massive beating.  He was traded to the Flyers on March 11, 1986, two seasons before the Devils would earn their first slice of respectability by reaching the Wales Conference Championship and coming within one game of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.  Even if Chico had still been with the team as a little-used 3rd netminder at that point, even that could've been considered reaching the "promised land" in a way, considering his history with the Devils...but for obvious reasons (Chico was 37 going on 38 when he was dealt), there was no way that was going to happen. 

 

It's funny you bring up Schneider, because though he is a better player in his era than Chico was in his (Chico was solidly good, but was never really a top netminder...think a bit better than Terreri), just yesterday I was thinking about if Schneider is destined to be this Devils generation's Chico Resch.  It's not a perfect comparison - Chico was dealt to the Rockies towards the end of his prime (he was wrapping up his age 32 season), while Schneider is solidly in his - but it was something I was actually considering posting about.

Expanding on the Moses/Chico comparison, Moses was at one point part of the Egyptian royal family. After witnessing a Jewish slave be brutalized, he rejected the royal family, everything it stood for, and sacrificed great personal wealth while becoming a slave.

Perhaps Chico knew he was a much better goalie than to have to sit through such a sh!t show (demanding trade, etc.). Then at a certain point there was a change of heart and wanted to be part of the building. Far from a perfect compraison, but definitely interesting.

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That being said, the Moses of the current team would have to be Andy Greene.  I'd say Schneider, but he was traded for and not necessarily home-grown.  Greener will lead us to the promise land once again.

It's not a fair comparison, Moses was from before free agency and before guys used to switch teams. If Moses played today, different story.

Of course, if Jesus played today, he'd be a goalie.

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Why do several of you find it nexessary to give your religious imput? He didn't say that it was real or you had to believe the story. He was simply relating it to a common connection that is made. People like you are the ones who give athiests a bad name. Nobody wants to hear what you think about the bible. This coming from someone who is not religious at all.

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