Devils past and present reflect on Elias' impact ahead of jersey retirement

The New Jersey Devils will retire Patrik Elias' No. 26 prior to Saturday's game against the New York Islanders, joining defensemen Ken Daneyko (No. 3), Scott Stevens (No. 4), Scott Niedermayer (No. 27), and goaltender Martin Brodeur (No. 30).

In advance of the honor, Devils past and present reflected on Elias' game and impact on the organization, both on and off the ice. Here are some excerpts from those remarks, via Mike Morreale of NHL.com.

Head coach John Hynes:

Patrik is one of the best players to ever play here. He epitomizes what a Devil is. He's a highly talented player but driven, competitive, and loyal. My first year in the NHL was his last, but his insights, care level for the organization, and the impact he has had on the leaders we have now, like the Andy Greenes, the Travis Zajacs, has been tremendous. He continues to impact those guys, and his legacy is still in our locker room.

Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise:

He was always good to me as a young guy, and I learned a lot from him. I had a lot of fun playing with him. I thought we had some good chemistry when he and I played together. I didn't know much about him until I got here; I knew he had good seasons, but I don't feel like he ever got the attention or the accolades he deserved, and I think he's one of those guys that you understand how good of a player he is when you play with him.

General manager Ray Shero:

I remember seeing him for the first time and thinking he was a lot bigger than I thought he was; he's a big dude. I know I only got to see him play 16 games as general manager here in New Jersey, but one of the best things for me and coach John Hynes is that he's been incredible to deal with, especially in our first year ...

I couldn't speak more highly of him as a person. He made players around him better. He had a great awareness on the ice and great instincts you couldn't teach. He was so clutch in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and has created so many great memories with the same organization and that's something you don't see that often. The fans just adore Patrik Elias, and that's something I believe he really appreciates.

Scott Stevens:

He kind of went under the radar a little bit but was just a smart hockey player who could play in any situation. I mean, let's be realistic, we were a great defensive team, but when we needed a big goal he was either scoring that goal or setting that goal up. That's what he was for us. There's no question he's the most deserving forward in the history of the Devils because of what he brought to the table for us. He was a great all-around player, a smart player, could slow the game down and make plays and scored big goals.

Captain Andy Greene:

Just the way he handled himself on and off the ice and taught me how to be a pro. Watching him prepare in the summers, during the season and workouts and the way he trained and (handled his) diet was great. I just think the loyalty he showed here, and how much he loved being a Devil and what that meant to him and his family were tremendous. Yes, he was a really good offensive player, but he was also a really good defensive forward, too. Whatever the team needed him to be, he did it and sacrificed. He always put the organization first.

Elias is the franchise leader in points (1,025), goals (408), assists (617), and points in a season (96 in 2000-01), and he's also a two-time Stanley Cup champion (2000, 2003).

He announced his retirement last March after being limited due to a knee injury.

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