Ray Shero, a long -standing executive of the NHL which was recently senior advisor to the director general of Minnesota Wild, died on Wednesday. He was 62 years old.
“The smile and the personality of Ray Shero illuminated each piece in which he entered and lost the day of all those he met,” said the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, in a statement. “Widely respected throughout hockey for his sense of team consolidation talent, he was even more liked about the way he treated everyone quite lucky to have known him.
“The son of the Legendary NHL coach, Fred Shero, Ray forged his own way in the NHL after his successful player career at St. Lawrence University. After stays as deputy director general in Ottawa and Nashville, he became director general of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006 and brought together the missing pieces of a team that became finalists of the Stanley Cup in 2008 and the Stanley nornce in 2009. Jersey Devils, editorial staff of current stars Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier Seasons as a main advisor to Minnesota GM Bill Guerin.
“Whenever we have encountered a ice rink when he scoured, it was clear that he loved what he was doing and I have always amazed his contagious enthusiasm. The whole family of the National Hockey League mourns its death and sends our deepest condolences to the Shero family and Ray’s many friends in the world of hockey. ”
Shero was in his fourth season as a senior advisor to Wild GM Bill Guerin, whom he acquired as a player in 2008-2009 and hired as a development coach in 2011-12 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Shero spent 13 seasons as the NHL GM, with the Penguins from 2006-14 and the New Jersey Devils from 2015 to 2000. He was also part of the United States management team for two Olympic Games, in 2010 in Vancouver and in 2014 in Sochi.
Previously, he was assistant GM with the Senators of Ottawa from 1993 to 1998 and held the same position with the predators of Nashville from 1998 to 2006.
“GM work is now difficult work,” Shero told NHL.com in January. “It’s great to be able to come back with Billy, knowing what it is a person and how he cares about players and families. His experiences on and outside the ice have really helped many people. He has a lot of good people. It’s really good to contribute.”
Shero was Penguins GM when they won the Stanley Cup in 2009, months after acquiring Guerin before the NHL trade deadline. He also won the Jim Nill GM of the Year Prize in 2012-13 when he guided Pittsburgh towards his first division title in five seasons and heading for the conference final for the first time since 2009.
He was Devils GM when they selected Hischier, their current captain, with the n ° 1 choice of the NHL 2017 NHL, and Jack Hughes with the N ° 1 selection at the NHL 2019 draft.
“On behalf of the property, management, staff and players from the New Jersey Devils, we are all amazed and deeply saddened by the death of former director general Ray Shero,” said DEVils Tom Fitzgerald in a statement. “Ray was a very respected, enthusiastic executive framework, and above all, a great friend for many during his stay in New Jersey. Ray came from a family who devoted himself to the game, and he continued to transmit this commitment.
“The organization is extremely grateful for the impact that Ray had during his mandate in New Jersey, and it is undoubtedly that his fingerprints are on the current group that we see today on and out of the ice. We send our sincere condolences to his family and countless friends in the world of hockey. ”
Shero was proud of the way The Wild was playing this season after not having qualified for the playoffs in 2023-24.
“We have skills, but there is an identity to the team, how we play. It’s a heavy team. It’s size. Many good things are going on.
“It’s a fun group to watch. If people have not seen a game in St. Paul, it’s an incredible place. It is crowded every night, and they are an excellent fans base. They had something to delight, and I hope it can continue.”
The native of St. Paul, Minnesota, was selected by the Kings of Los Angeles in the 11th round (n ° 216) of the NHL recovery of 1982 but never played in the NHL. Before that, Shero played four seasons for St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, from 1980 to 1985, especially as captain during his senior season in 1984-1985.
“Ray was respected throughout the Hockey Community and even more in the ranks of scouting,” said Dan Marr, vice-president and director of the central scout. “He liked to be in the rinks with scouts during games and tournaments and was very avant-garde to approach new concepts concerning the NHL recovery and the NHL recovery.”
Shero’s father, Fred Shero, played for New York Rangers from 1947 to 1958 and was a coach for the Philadelphia flyers (1971-1978), winning the Stanley Twice Cup (1974, 1975) and the Rangers (1978-1981). He was inducted into the temple of renowned hockey in the manufacturer’s category in 2013.
