The New Jersey Devils are rolling out new corporate branding on the ice this week, announcing a multi-year expansion of their longstanding partnership with Prudential Financial Inc. that makes the Newark-based insurance giant the team's first-ever away jersey patch partner. Prudential's asset management arm, PGIM, will simultaneously become the Devils' away helmet decal partner. Both new marks are set to debut Saturday, October 3, when the Devils face the New York Islanders at UBS Arena.
A Deal Decades in the Making
According to ROI-NJ, Prudential has backed the Devils for more than 20 years, and the company already appears on the team's home helmets. That home helmet presence traces back to December 2020, when Prudential became the first company in NHL history to sign a helmet branding agreement, a milestone detailed by Forbes at the time the NHL created the asset to help teams offset pandemic-related revenue losses. PGIM, which ROI-NJ describes as Prudential's $1.5 trillion global asset management business, now gets its own spot on the road helmets.
Prudential's roots in Newark run deep beyond the ice. The company first secured naming rights to the Devils' home arena, Prudential Center, under a 20-year, $105.3 million agreement reached in January 2007, according to Gameday Guides. The arena, which opened that October at a construction cost of roughly $375 million, now hosts more than 210 sports and entertainment events a year, per Prudential Center's own account, and recently drew local attention for a Newark concession shakeup detailed in Hoodline's report on Rutt's Hut's debut at Devils games.
Completing the Uniform Puzzle
Healthcare system RWJBarnabas Health became the team's inaugural home jersey patch partner in February 2024 under a multi-year deal extending a relationship of nearly 30 years. The deal covered the home jerseys, leaving the road jerseys without a sponsor. Devils center Jack Hughes is a brand ambassador for RWJBarnabas Health's statewide Get Checked preventive healthcare initiative, and the organization also co-organizes the annual charity run covered in Hoodline's Running with the Devils 5K story.
ROI-NJ reports that Prudential, as part of the broader relationship, serves as presenting partner of the Devils' Raise Jersey program, which amplifies the work of Newark-based nonprofits and social service organizations and connects fans with opportunities to make a positive impact across the city. The company also supports the Devils' Military Appreciation Night initiatives, per the outlet's reporting. Prudential says it will collaborate with the team to extend recognition of local heroes throughout the season and will expand its brand presence across broadcast, social, digital and in-arena channels.
League-Wide Jersey Patch Sponsorships
The jersey patch itself only became possible after the NHL Board of Governors unanimously approved 3-by-3.5-inch jersey patch sponsorships for all franchises starting in the 2022–23 season, following the earlier success of helmet decals, according to SportsPro.
As part of the expanded uniform partnership, Prudential and the Devils have also agreed to make an annual donation of 200 hockey helmets to a local Newark youth hockey organization selected jointly by both parties, a concrete community commitment reported by FF News.
Richard Parkinson, chief brand and marketing officer at Prudential Financial, said the partnership helps the company build meaningful connections with fans and customers while driving positive impact in Newark and across the state. The Devils, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, will wear both the new Prudential away jersey patch and the PGIM away helmet decal for the first time Friday against the Islanders.
