New Jersey Devils legend gets hired to new general manager role

The New Jersey Devils made a huge change this offseason. Tom Fitzgerald was shown the door after more than six years as acting general manager, and eventually president of hockey operations. Fitzgerald made multiple mistakes that led to this situation, and now, Sunny Mehta is being tasked with developing the future of this franchise.

For generations, Lou Lamoriello led this team with an iron fist. His methods of leadership were what brought three Stanley Cups to the Garden State. He was the embodiment of making hard decisions, and the entire organization, including the players, respected him for it. 

Now, players that grew up in the Lamoriello system are taking on bigger jobs in front offices. Of course, Martin Brodeur is the executive vice president of hockey operations for the Devils. Andy Greene is currently an advisor for the Devils. Former Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner reportedly interviewed to be the Devils next GM, and he’s considered one of the people who is expected to be hired in the next round of GM hires. Pat Verbeek and Bill Guerin both hold GM jobs themselves after spending some time with Lamoriello’s Devils.

Now, probably the biggest Devils legend short of Brodeur is taking on a GM job, but this one lives on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. 

Patrik Elias was named GM of the Czech national hockey team

Patrik Elias is one of the biggest Devils legend, and clearly the most important forward in franchise history. He’s someone Devils fans have been fighting to get into the Hall of Fame, especially since the Hall finally honored Alexander Mogilny. Now, he’s looking to deliver at the highest level for his home country. 

Jiří Šlégr took over as GM in October 2024, helping the team through the 2026 Olympic Games. They only won one game against France in Group A and took Canada all the way to overtime after beating Denmark in the qualifying round. It was a positive outcome for a team that had a rough draw. Now, Elias is looking to follow another Czech legend in the big chair.

Elias has held multiple leadership roles in his home country since retiring in 2016. He was an assistant coach for the Czechia World Junior Championship team in 2019 and 2020. He’s been a team consultant and sports manager for HC Slavia Prava of the Czechia2 league. 

There’s a long history of country legends taking over the teams they send to national tournaments. However, he’s more than a figure head. He has work to keep momentum pushing for hockey in the country.