NEWARK, NJ- It has been more than a year since Ken Daneyko played his final game in the National Hockey League. After 20 season in a New Jersey Devils sweater, it was difficult to imagine him in street clothes. If it weren’t for the fact that nearly everyone inside a conference room at the New Jersey Center of Performing Arts was dressed to the nines, the well-heeled man would, surely, look out of place.
The Newark Bears’ selection of Chris Jones as manager for the 2005 season had attracted Yankee manager Joe Torre, Mayor Sharpe James and several other dignitaries. But, they had also invited one of their own; in September 2003, Daneyko played one game with the Atlantic League franchise.
"I grew up watching the game. I still go to batting cages every once in a while for fun. Even when the ball comes at 75-80, I have a tough time, so I can't imagine it at 95," he said with a laugh. But, I guess it's like anything else –you get better with practice.
"There’s such a fine line between the minor leagues and the pros. Major Leaguers can hit the 95 mile-per-hour pitch. It’s probably the most difficult thing to do in all of sports."
Daneyko, 40, has become the embodiment of a local hero. He was selected by the New Jersey Devils with the 18th pick in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft and would, ultimately, play each one of his 1,283 career regular-season games with them. Along the way, he set the franchise record for most consecutive games –388, from November 4, 1989 through March 24, 1994.
"It was a dream of mine to be drafted in the National Hockey League; I'll never forget that day," he said. "I was 18 years old and it was a great thrill for my family and me."
Daneyko is just one of five members to skate with each of the New Jersey Devils championship teams and, at the time of his retirement, no other current athlete in the four major professional sports had been with their original team longer. To this day, he remains with the organization in community relations.
"In my wildest dreams," he reflected, "I never expected to play twenty years for one team. I was a blue-collar guy, never a star, but a guy that understood how to make it. Now, I get a chance to reflect. Things such as integrity and loyalty mean everything to me. The kids that are drafted today lose sight of what that is about.
"I feel very fortunate that I was able to play for the same team during my career. It’s something that I took pride in. You don't see that in sports too often anymore. Not bad for a kid who didn't know where New Jersey was when he came here."
He found his way soon enough. "I would’ve run 3,000 miles to get my chance to play in the NHL. The Devils gave me an opportunity and I’m very grateful. But, the loyalty went two ways.
"The organization was always fair to me and that's all that mattered. Somehow, we always worked it out. Of course, I wanted to make as much money as I could, but I appreciated this team giving me an opportunity to play my first NHL game and win three Stanley Cups.
"I feel very grateful that I was able to go through those lean years. I could’ve been traded or shipped off somewhere else. Fortunately for me, I was still there in ’88, when we beat Chicago in overtime to make the playoffs. At that point, we were no longer a doormat.
"We were in disarray when the franchise moved here from Colorado. Slowly, young talent was brought in. Everything takes time. Still, we didn’t win the Cup until ’95. By then, we had a nucleus of five guys who had been here for ten years."
Photo by Joe McDonald. Reprinted from December 13, 2004
