New Jersey has a long sporting history of excellence but there have been far too many teams that play in our wonderful state but retain a ‘New York’ moniker. Now, we love the Giants and Jets – and even the Red Bulls – but we think there should be some home state pride when it comes to the names too.
Luckily, we still have plenty of major and minor league teams to get behind that see the value of being connected to New Jersey. With sports betting New Jersey sites leading the way, we like to think that we have some pretty decent teams too. Here are some to check out until the Giants, Jets and Red Bulls see the error of their ways.
New Jersey Devils
We kick off with the most successful sports franchise in New Jersey history. The Newark Eagles might have been the first team from the state to win a championship, back in 1946, but the Devils have won hockey’s Stanley Cup on three occasions since relocating from Denver in 1982.
Playing home games at the Prudential Center in Newark, the Devils last won a championship in 2005 and compete in a very competitive New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia region. The fiercest rivalry is with the Flyers and Devils fans can more than hold their own with those from Philly.
Metropolitan Riveters
Although the Devils are the only professional sports organization in the state to actually bear the state’s name in their title, there is another hockey team for Garden State residents to get behind. The Metropolitan Riveters actually began life in Brooklyn but now play at the American Dream rink in East Rutherford.
The Riveters moved to New Jersey in 206 and there was an affiliation with the Devils for a few years. That ended in 2019, but not before the team won the Isobel Cup in 2018. Now back in the original colors, the Riveters are one of the best teams in women’s hockey.
NJ/NY Gotham FC
Originally founded in 2006 under the name, Jersey Sky Blue, it has been 17 years of up and downs for this organization. There have been plenty of off-field problems in that time – but some spectacular on field successes too. Now called NJ/NY Gotham FC (we’ll let them off the NY bit), this women’s soccer team play at the highest level in the country.
After surprising everybody by winning the then WSL championship in 2009, after changing the name to Sky Blue, there hasn’t been a lot of playoff activity for the team. But with minority owners including Kevin Durant and Eli Manning, and now playing home games at the Red Bull Arena in East Rutherford, there is hope for the new coach to take the Goths back to the top in 2023.
About the Author/s
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.
