Patrik Elias Honored to Have No. 26 Jersey Retired on Saturday

NEWARK, NJ – Retired forward Patrik Elias will be immortalized as a New Jersey Devil as his No. 26 jersey will be raised into the rafters in a special ceremony on Saturday evening before their game against the New York Islanders at the Prudential Center. Elias will become the fifth Devils player to receive the highest honor a franchise can bestow as he joins former teammates Ken Daneyko, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Martin Brodeur as the only other players to have their jersey number retired.

Elias, who is the all-time franchise leader in goals (408) and points scored (1,025) led the Devils to two Stanley Cup Championships (2000, 2003) over a 20-year career is participating in a farewell tour of sorts this week in Newark before his final send off in front of what expects to be a sellout crowd on Saturday.

Prior to the Devils home game against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday evening, Elias was met with a loud ovation as his name was announced before participating in a ceremonial puck drop at center ice with former teammates Andy Greene and Zach Parise. And on Wednesday evening, he and the “A Line” mates – Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora – hosted an intimate Q&A discussion with fans in a private event.

“It’s a great honor and I appreciate the Devils organization for putting together this special event for me,” Elias said of the upcoming jersey retirement ceremony at a press conference on Thursday afternoon. “I don’t look at it as a celebration of just my career or achievement – there’s a lot of people that play a big role in someone’s life to be successful – from my family to teammates and coaches, you realize how much the people behind the scenes influence your life. The celebration that’s going to be happening is also a thank you to all you guys.”

Saturday’s jersey retirement ceremony will cement Elias’ 20-year legacy with the franchise in which is defined on both the stat sheet as the team’s leader in just about every offensive category and beyond that, his character off the ice.

“The fans are the reason we come in and play,” Elias explained, thanking the Devils fans for their loyalty over the years. “When you win championships, you build a special relationship with the fans because we share something that we all wanted to accomplish, and that’s winning the Stanley Cup. Playing here for that long, my relationship with the fans got better and it grew over the years.”

If there is one person who can attest to the value of that relationship with the fans, it is Daneyko, who played with Elias for nearly a decade.

“There’s always a special bond when you win something together and you go through what we’ve gone through with the blood, sweat and tears to accomplish a championship,” Daneyko explained. “It’s something that I’ll always cherish and I know a big part of it was because of (Patrik). It was a real honor to be your teammate and be part of something special with you over the years.”

Danyeko recalled the qualities of Elias and likened the Czech native’s attitude, loyalty, belief in the organization to that of himself and said ‘it’s like looking into a mirror.’

“It’s humbling -- you want to go through life and leave something behind you and have people think of you in a nice way,” Elias said to a pool of reporters after the press conference. “To hear (those remarks) from Kenny means a lot to me because he means so much and he has accomplished a lot.”

Following his retirement, Elias has continued to show his commitment to the organization, as noted by Devils coach John Hynes.

“I’ve been able to develop a pretty special relationship with Patrik,” Hynes said. “Last year we went through some struggles and he was a guy I relied on as coach and he was always there. It’s his care for the organization that struck me in getting to know him over the past couple of years.”

Hynes explained that Elias’ leadership has had a lasting impact on veteran players such as Travis Zajac and Andy Greene and that his name is often cited as an example of how a player should conduct themselves.

“He’s such a foundational part of what the organization was,” Hynes added on the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer. “He was such a special player on the ice, but I think he exemplifies everything that we want our organization to be. He’s of high character, he’s a highly-talented individual, but he didn’t rely on talent. It’s his commitment, the dedication and the pride that he has in the Devils organization (that makes him special).”

Saturday’s jersey retirement ceremony figures to be an unforgettable night for Elias and his family as well as his former teammates and coaches in attendance. When his No. 26 jersey gets raised to the rafters, it will signal the dawn of the franchise’s winningest era.

* Note: The lead photo used in this story is credited to Andy Marlin/New Jersey Devils.