Like the rest of the hockey world, the New Jersey Devils are mourning the loss of Ray Shero. Shero was an NHL General Manager for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Devils before joining Bill Guerin‘s staff with the Minnesota Wild as a senior advisor. In addition, he served as an assistant with the Ottawa Senators (1993-98) and the Nashville Predators (1998-2006).
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The Wild made the announcement Wednesday afternoon. After the celebration for Devils Divisional Rival Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals this past Sunday, the hockey world went the other way. First, Sportsnet broadcaster for the Calgary Flames and former NHL goalie Greg Millen passed away suddenly Monday night. Then, on Wednesday, the hockey world heard about Ray Shero’s passing.
In a statement released by the Devils GM and President, Tom Fitzgerald had the following to say:
“On behalf of the ownership, management, staff, and players of the New Jersey Devils, we are all stunned and deeply saddened by the passing of former General Manager Ray Shero,” said Tom Fitzgerald, President & General Manager, New Jersey Devils. “Ray was a highly-respected executive, enthusiastic mentor, and most importantly, tremendous friend to many during his time in New Jersey. Ray came from a family that dedicated themselves to the game, and he continued to pass that commitment on. The organization is extremely grateful for the impact Ray had during his tenure in New Jersey, and it is without question that his fingerprints are on the current group we see today, both on and off the ice. We send our sincere condolences to his family, and countless friends throughout the hockey world.”
Fitzgerald knew the importance of what Ray Shero could bring to a team. He was part of Shero’s staff in Pittsburgh from 2006-14, where the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009. Fitzgerald and Shero moved to New Jersey to help the Devils rebuild after the lean years with Lou Lamoriello. The two were together from 2015-2020 and saw the Devils make the playoffs in 2018.
Shero wanted to get back to drafting and developing, a staple of who the New Jersey Devils were during their championship years. The Devils were a steady playoff contender from 1997 to 2010. New Jersey made the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, but since then, they have made the playoffs twice, and 2025 will be their third time.
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Ray Shero had a lot of work to do to fix the mess Lamoriello left. But he did it with the help of Fitzgerald and a good scouting staff. During his tenure as general manager, the Devils drafted Nico Hischier number one overall in 2017 and Jack Hughes number one overall in 2019. In addition, he found a gem in the sixth round of 2016 in Jesper Bratt.
“He was probably the biggest reason why I’m wearing the Devils jersey,” Bratt told the media on Thursday when asked about the passing of Ray Shero. “He was the one, together with the rest of the front office, who really believed in me and who took a chance on me in the draft.”
Along with Bratt, Shero drafted Nathan Bastian, Yegor Sharangovich, Akira Schmid, Fabian Zetterlund, Ty Smith, and Jesper Boqvist. Those latter draft picks allowed the Devils to get players like Tyler Toffoli and Ryan Graves, both of whom are no longer on the team.
Some of those players turned into Erik Haula, Paul Cotter, and Timo Meier, who remain on the squad and helped the Devils return to the playoffs in 2025. Again, you have to give up potential to get something for now, but Shero had an eye for talent.
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Let’s talk about the trades that he orchestrated. He brought in Taylor Hall, who won the Hart Trophy in 2018, the only one the Devils have in their history, for Adam Larsson (4th overall pick in 2011). He brought in Kyle Palmieri and Sami Vatanen, two crucial pieces in the Devils’ playoff run in 2014 for Adam Henrique. P.K. Subban was traded for in 2019 with the hopes of going back to the playoffs.
While some things did not work out, Tom Fitzgerald is using the life lessons he learned through Ray Shero to put together the roster the New Jersey Devils see today. While all things have to come to an end, Ray Shero left an imprint on the Devils roster we see today.
