The New Jersey Devils have announced Sunny Mehta as their new general manager.
The New Jersey Devils have announced Sunny Mehta as the next General Manager #njdevils
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) April 16, 2026
This was one of the bigger lock searches in the world of general managers. Once it was announced that the Devils had permission from the Florida Panthers to interview Mehta, it was almost certain they were bringing one of their own home.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Sunny and his wife, Nicole, back home to New Jersey,” said Devils’ Managing Partner David Blitzer said in a press release. “We quickly realized this job was in high demand and were incredibly fortunate to meet with many qualified candidates. Sunny’s familiarity with our organization and experience with a two-time Stanley Cup-winning team will serve as a foundation for future success. Our expectations are to be a perennial playoff team and compete for the Stanley Cup, and I look forward to Sunny leading us there.”
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Sunny Metha previously worked in the Devils analytics department from 2014 to 2018 before moving to the Florida Panthers. He spent the last six seasons inside the organization. In the first three seasons, he served as the vice president of hockey strategy and intelligence. Over the last three seasons, he served as assistant general manager and head of analytics, helping the team win two Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025.
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Sunny Mehta Hired As the New General Manager of the New Jersey Devils #njdevils pic.twitter.com/tZhLnxPxum
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) April 17, 2026
Mehta is believed to be part of the collaborative effort alongside Panthers GM Bill Zito to help put together the Panthers championship roster. His models helped management and the coaching staff with evaluations of amateur and free-agent players, decisions on whom to bring in at the trade deadline, and other roster decisions.
In the new day and age of the NHL, New Jersey Devils ownership wanted someone who was data-centric and process-oriented, hoping their vision could match and support the team in scouting, drafting, player development, and player evaluation.
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But given that he was raised in Jersey and had worked in New Jersey before, it seemed the most likely outcome.
“This is a dream come true for a New Jersey kid, who grew up watching Devils’ practices just 20 minutes away in Totowa,” said Mehta in a press release. “After meeting with David Blitzer, Josh Harris, Bob Myers, and other members of the organization, I knew this was the place I wanted to be. Thank you to Vinnie Viola, Bill Zito and the entire Florida Panthers organization for a fantastic six years and for the opportunity to take the next step in my professional career. New Jersey has a tremendous young core that will be looking to get back to being a contender, a complement of young assets and draft picks, and a passionate fan base hungry for success. I was fortunate enough to watch the New Jersey Devils raise three Stanley Cups and am excited to get to work to return to that level.”
Sunny Mehta will have an introductory press conference on Tuesday, April 21st. He will run the hockey operations department. He will evaluate everything, including head coach Sheldon Keefe.
