Former Devils owner John McMullen inducted into Ring of Honour

New Jersey Devil's owner John McMullen poses with the Stanley Cup Monday, July 31, 2000, in New York. Having the Stanley Cup for the second time in five years doesn't mean McMullen is about to call off the sale of his team to YankeesNets for $175 million. The buyers have until Aug. 31 to come up with the required portion of the purchase price. (Stuart Ramson/AP)

NEWARK, N.J. — Former New Jersey Devils owner John McMullen is the first member of the team’s Ring of Honour.

The man who brought the NHL to New Jersey in 1982 was posthumously inducted before the Devils’ game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night at the Prudential Center.

Former Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello, now the Maple Leafs’ GM, attended the 15-minute ceremony. Brendan Shanahan, a former Devils forward and the current Toronto team president, also was on hand along with Ken Daneyko, Claude Lemieux and several more former players.

McMullen purchased the Colorado Rockies in 1982 and moved the franchise to the Meadowlands, renaming the team the New Jersey Devils after a fan vote. He was influential in bringing Soviet talent to the NHL. The Devils relocated to Newark for the 2007-08 season.

McMullen died in 2005 at the age of 87.

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