From Underdog to Legend: The Untold Story Behind Mogilny’s Hockey Hall of Fame Triumph

When Alexander Mogilny landed in New Jersey back in March, he wasn’t just joining any team—he was stepping onto a Devils roster packed to the brim with talent. Picture this: Martin Brodeur locked down in goal, stalwart defenders like Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer patrolling the blue line, and up front, heavy hitters including the iconic ‘A Line’ featuring Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora, Jason Arnott, alongside the relentless Gomez, Claude Lemieux, and Bobby Holik. The Devils were already cruising at 40-17-5 when Mogilny arrived, and yet, fitting right into that dynamic mix felt surprisingly seamless for him. Playing alongside Gomez and Lemieux, he didn’t just blend in—he elevated the squad, making the puck dance wherever he pleased and turning every opportunity into something special. It wasn’t just his skill—it was the comfort of knowing this team had welcomed Russian players before him, a legacy that allowed Mogilny to feel at home from day one. The results? The Devils clinched the Stanley Cup in 2000, with Mogilny’s presence proving to be a catalyst, even if his stats didn’t scream domination. And as the next season unfolded, his chemistry with teammates like Gomez and Brylin blossomed, driving the Devils back to the Stanley Cup Final. It’s no wonder Scott Stevens calls him “one of the most skilled players” he’s ever shared a rink with. LEARN MORE

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Mogilny joined a loaded Devils team that featured Martin Brodeur in net, Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer on defense, the ‘A Line’ of Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora and Jason Arnott, plus Gomez, Claude Lemieux and Bobby Holik up front.

They were 40-17-5 (eight ties) when Mogilny arrived March 14.

He played on a line with Gomez and Lemieux.

“I don’t know if I was just being a rookie, but I was like, ‘Hey, where do you want the puck?'” Gomez said. “You know, me passing the puck, ‘Where do you want me to put it?’ And he kind of looked at me, and the guy is so cool, and he said, ‘Just put it wherever.’ And he could tell I was kind of nervous talking to him, and I was like, ‘No, seriously. If we have a 2-on-1, where do you want it?’ That’s just how much pride I took in passing. And he looked at me again and was like, ‘No, seriously. Throw it wherever.’ And I’m like, ‘OK.’

“So we started practice, and I started feeding him one-timers or whatever and he was like, ‘Throw it wherever you want.’ And I was throwing it behind him, in front of him, and every shot was just, like, perfect. Then afterward he said to me, ‘See, I told you. Just throw it anywhere.’ I was like, ‘Holy cow, this is awesome.’ So I got a lot of assists just throwing it to ‘Almo.'”

It helped, Lamoriello said, that Mogilny knew how Russian players like Slava Fetisov and Alexei Kasatonov had been treated by the Devils. Sergei Brylin and Sergei Nemchinov were on the Devils when Mogilny got to New Jersey.

There was an instant comfort that he felt.

“He just fit like a glove, but that was a tough team not to fit,” Lamoriello said. “We couldn’t have asked for any more out of him. He was just a pleasure to have on the team and in the organization. Boy, he could score.”

The Devils won the Stanley Cup in 2000. Mogilny didn’t dominate, with six points (three goals, three assists) in 12 regular-season games and seven points (four goals, three assists) in 23 Stanley Cup Playoff games. But he was a part of it, so dangerous that it made others around him better.

The next season, playing with Gomez and Brylin, he had 83 points (43 goals, 40 assists) in 75 games. New Jersey again reached the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Colorado Avalanche in seven games.

“One of the most skilled players I ever played with,” Stevens said of Mogilny.