NJ Devils Mourn Death Of Beloved Hockey Superfan, ‘Dancing Earl’

NEWARK, NJ — The New Jersey Devils are mourning the death of one of the most beloved members of their fanbase: “Dancing Earl.”

On Tuesday, the hockey team announced the passing of Earl Laycock Jr., a Prudential Center usher who became well known for his Jumbotron dances and enthusiastic optimism for his favorite team.

“Since the Prudential Center opened in 2007, Earl's smile and jovial personality brought our team and fans immeasurable joy,” the Devils wrote on social media. “Our thoughts are with Earl's family and those grieving his loss.”

Laycock’s meaning to the team and its fans was summed up well in a post on pucksandpitchforks.com:

“Dancing Earl was one of the best parts of every New Jersey Devils game. He would learn the names of season ticket holders, and he would talk to anyone who would lend him their ears. We use the moniker 'larger than life' too often. Earl Laycock Jr. was much more than a normal usher, and larger than life just felt right when it came to his presence on the concourse. Earl obviously danced during timeouts and was a fixture on the jumbotron at The Rock since it opened in 2007. He spent 14 years as a main member of the Devils fanbase. During the pause and ensuing empty arenas due to the pandemic, many wondered when the Prudential experience was coming back. Earl was one of the central parts of that experience.”

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