In 1982, the National Hockey League landed in New Jersey. A Denver-based team, the hapless Colorado Rockies, had been purchased by new ownership and relocated to the Garden State at a cost of roughly $32 million (more than $96 million in today's dollars).
The Rockies were — get this — named after the Rocky Mountains range, which lies more than 1,800 miles (2,896 kilometers) west of New Jersey. Obviously, a rechristening was in order. A statewide "Name the Team" contest drew more than 10,000 votes. Some of the most popular names included the "New Jersey Gulls" and the "New Jersey Meadowlanders."
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But in the end, fans chose a name that sounds way more sinister (at least, to the uninitiated): the New Jersey Devils. Hockey buffs didn't just pick this at random. Like the Colorado Rockies, the new name had a distinctly local flavor; it pays tribute to regional folklore.