An avid New Jersey Devils fan cheers on the team during Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., on June 24, 1995.© Mel Evans/NorthJersey.com ...

Two games later, the Devils completed a sweep of the Detroit Red Wings for the franchise's first championship. Dowd became the first New Jersey-born NHL player to win the Stanley Cup.

New Jersey, despite being a heavy underdog, swept the juggernaut Detroit Red Wings in a landmark moment for hockey throughout the state. It would start a dynastic run for the Devils, who would go ...