It seemed like a harmless post from the New York Sirens following suit with PWHL teams across the league wishing other franchises in their markets, whether it's from the NHL, WNBA, NWSL, NBA, or MLB luck. The Sirens however, appear to have picked the wrong team to promote, as they wished the New York Rangers, not the New Jersey Devils, good luck ahead of the NHL season. It was a decision that angered New Jersey fans, where the Sirens are located. Last season the Sirens also wished the New Jersey Devils luck, and they may again this season when the Devils drop the puck on October 9, but New Jersey fans weren't interested in that nuance. Why does it matter? In the New York Sirens' two-year history, the team has played home games in Bridgeport, Connecticut and at UBS Arena, home of the New York Islanders and their AHL affiliate. They also currently call Newark, New Jersey home. The team shares the Prudential Center in Newark with the NHL's New Jersey Devils. Conversely, the team has never played at Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Rangers, nor anywhere in the Burroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens. When the post came out Tuesday morning, it was met with hundreds of replies and quotes, riddled with anger at the team for mentioning the Rangers, while ignoring their Prudential Center co-tenants, and the geography of where the team is located. The Hudson River rivalry between the NHL's New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers, whose arenas are located only 10 miles apart, has been heated for decades. The rivalry reached a fever pitch during New York's 1994 Stanley Cup win, followed by New Jersey's 1995 Stanley Cup victory. These wins involved intense competition from their cross river rivals, and the contempt continued through other notable match ups in 2012, and more recently a 2024 brawl. Responses spanned from hockey fans telling the Sirens to go play at Madison Square Garden, and asking if they forgot where they play, to profanity soaked insults. Many of the responses appear to come from New Jersey Devils fans, but for a team looking to build a fan base in Newark after finishing last in PWHL attendance two consecutive seasons, isolating hockey fans who are centered in New Jersey could be a mistake. Here are the original posts from both X and Instagram, including replies and responses.
