The team was officially renamed the New Jersey Devils on June 29, 1982, a name influenced by the legend of the Jersey Devil, an ominous cryptozoological creature supposed to inhabit the Pine Barrens. Even though the team moved to New Jersey, the New Jersey Devils didn't fare much better than their predecessors, finishing with a losing record in their first five seasons. The New Jersey Devils changed this trend during the 1987-88 NHL season, where the team finished with a winning record and a Cinderella run to the Wales Conference Final, where they lost to the Boston Bruins. 1987 was also significant because the New Jersey Devils hired Lou Lamoriello as team President in April, then named him President/General Manager before the start of the 1987-88 NHL season. With his astute business sense and keen ability to spot hockey talent, Lamoriello would become the architect of the New Jersey Devils championship teams. Lamoriello also changed the face of the NHL when he helped Viacheslav Fetisov (who is considered one of the best defensemen to ever play the game) and Segei Starikov leave the U.S.S.R. to become two of the first Soviet-born players to play in the NHL. -Wikipedia.com