Surely filled with shame due to their 5-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday, the New Jersey Devils have fired general manager Ray Shero. With a 16-21-7 record, the Devils sit in last place in the Metropolitan Division.
Tom Fitzgerald, who served as director of player development under Shero in Pittsburgh, will be interim GM.
Last month the Devils fired head coach John Hynes. Alain Nasreddine has been interim head coach ever since. They traded forward Taylor Hall to Arizona on December 16.
The Devils have released this statement:
The New Jersey Devils and General Manager Ray Shero have agreed to part ways, effective immediately.
Ray is a talented hockey executive and I am confident he will have great success in the future. However, Ray and I are in agreement that the Devils need to move in a new direction and that this change is in the best interest of the team.
In the coming weeks and months, we will be launching a formal search for a new General Manager.
We are very optimistic about our future and have a lot of talent, both on and off the ice.
Tom Fitzgerald will serve as interim General Manager and he will receive support from Martin Brodeur, who will serve as an advisor to and on hockey operations.
Our organization remains deeply committed to creating a sustainably winning franchise. Our fans deserve nothing but the best hockey. We thank them for their continued support as we work toward our goals.
The Capitals will see the Devils again soon. They return to Capital One Arena on Thursday.
