Meadowlands Arena

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The arena opened in 1981 as Brendan Byrne Arena, named after the sitting governor of New Jersey. It was originally built to accommodate the New Jersey Nets basketball team, but a key motivation was to lure an NHL team to New Jersey. Governor Byrne was part of an ownership group seeking to do so, and in 1978 businessman Arthur Imperatore purchased the Colorado Rockies and announced he would relocate the team to New Jersey. The Rockies were sold twice more before that became reality. The newly renamed, John McMullen-owned New Jersey Devils played their first game at the arena on October 5, 1982, against the Pittsburgh Penguins, with the game ending in a 3–3 tie. Don Lever scored the Devils' first goal in franchise history during that game, though it was not the first goal ever scored in the arena, which had been open since 1981. In 1984, the arena hosted the NHL All-Star Game. The Devils played their last game at the arena on May 5, 2007, losing 3–2 to the Ottawa Senators, eliminating them from the Eastern Conference semifinals 4–1. Scott Gomez scored the final goal in the building. The Devils subsequently relocated to the newly constructed Prudential Center in nearby Newark at the beginning of the 2007–08 NHL season.

In Their Own Story

On October 5, 1982, the newly renamed New Jersey Devils played their first game at the arena against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The game ended in a 3–3 tie, and Don Lever scored the first goal in the arena, which was the Devils' very first goal. On May 5, 2007, the Devils played their last game at the arena, losing 3–2 to the Ottawa Senators, eliminating them from the Eastern Conference semifinals 4–1. Scott Gomez scored the final goal in the building. The Devils subsequently relocated to the newly constructed Prudential Center in nearby Newark at the beginning of the 2007–08 NHL season.

Reader's Guide

Home games at the Meadowlands Arena were a distinct experience for New Jersey hockey fans. The arena was located on New Jersey Route 120 across the highway from MetLife Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack, next to the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex. The facility was designed by Grad Partnership and Dilullo, Clauss, Ostroki & Partners and was constructed at a cost of $85 million. The arena opened on July 2, 1981, with the first of six concerts by New Jersey rock musician Bruce Springsteen. The Devils played their first game there on October 5, 1982, a 3–3 tie against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The arena hosted the NHL All-Star Game in 1984. After the Devils' final season in 2007, Continental Airlines opted out of the naming rights agreement and the NJSEA signed an agreement with Izod for five years. The company paid $1.4 million per year for the first two years; when the Nets left, it dropped to $750,000 per year for the balance of the five-year deal. The columns of the Izod Center's exterior were repainted red as the arena assumed a new color scheme.

Did You Know?

• The arena opened on July 2, 1981, with the first of six concerts by New Jersey rock musician Bruce Springsteen.
• Don Lever scored the Devils' first goal in franchise history on October 5, 1982, but it was not the first goal ever scored in the arena, which had been hosting events since 1981.
• The arena hosted the NHL All-Star Game in 1984.
• Scott Gomez scored the final goal in the building on May 5, 2007.
• The arena was originally named Brendan Byrne Arena after the sitting governor of New Jersey, who was a member of an ownership group looking to lure an NHL team to New Jersey.