The New Jersey Devils have won three Stanley Cup titles in June. They have also lost two championship series in the month, including their most recent defeat on June 11, 2012.
June is a special month for New Jersey Devils fans. It marks the beginning of summer and the time to reminisce about the franchise's three Stanley Cup titles, won on June 24, 1995, June 10, 2000, and June 9, 2003.
Despite all the successes in the month, there were some heartbreaking moments, too, like the Game 7 loss in the 2001 Stanley Cup Final and their most recent defeat in the championship series to the Los Angeles Kings on June 11, 2012.
After being one of the NHL's top teams for almost 20 seasons, the 2012 Stanley Cup Final marked the end of an era of contention for the Devils. It was also the last time Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur would skate in the playoffs.
Additionally, the 2012 season was the final time the Devils would participate in the postseason for six years, ending a stretch in which they qualified for the playoffs 18 times from 1990 to 2012.
After missing out in 2011 and finishing fourth in the Metropolitan Division, New Jersey improved by 21 points to finish fourth again but earn a spot in the NHL's second season.
In the first round, they defeated the Florida Panthers in Game 7 with a triple overtime winner from then-21-year-old Adam Henrique. The Devils drew the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 2 and beat them in five games before facing off against their Hudson River rivals, the New York Rangers, in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Unlike their third-round meeting in 1994, which the Rangers won in overtime in Game 7, the Devils punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final in six games. Henrique was the hero again, clinching the series in another overtime classic on home ice.
The 2012 Stanley Cup Final against the Kings began on May 30, 2012, at the Prudential Center, the first time the new building would host the NHL's championship series.
Just like their last appearance in the Final, the Devils dropped the opener, this time 2-1 in overtime on an Anze Kopitar winner. This extended their losing streak in the Final to three games since they lost Games 6 and 7 in 2001.
New Jersey didn't end the streak in Game 2, as they watched Jeff Carter give the Kings a comfortable 2-0 series lead with an overtime goal in another 2-1 victory.
Once the series shifted to Hollywood, the Kings only got better, as Jonathan Quick pitched a 22-save shutout to put the Devils in an inescapable hole, down 3-0 in the best-of-seven series.
However, New Jersey was resilient, capturing Game 4 by a score of 3-1 to avoid a sweep and prevent Los Angeles from celebrating its first Stanley Cup title on home ice.
Back at The Rock for Game 5, Brodeur stood on his head to extend the series for another game, making 25 saves in a 2-1 Devils win, cutting the Kings series lead to 3-2.
But as the old saying goes, all good things must end, and that happened on June 11, 2012, at the then-Staples Center in Los Angeles, when the Kings rolled over the Devils 6-0 to win their first championship.
Twelve years later, the 2012 Stanley Cup Final remains the furthest New Jersey has played in the playoffs. As pillars of the previous era began to depart, the team rebuilt through the draft with Jake Hughes and Nico Hischier.
Today, they are just a piece or two from resuming their quest for a fourth title, a drought that has now been going on for 24 years.
Whether you are a die-hard fan or new to the team with the influx of young, promising talent, June 11 is a memorable date because it was one of the final moments of an era, the best era in franchise history.