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Ryan S. ClarkApr 6, 2026, 07:15 PM ET<\/p>\n
Close<\/a>Ryan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.<\/p>\n Multiple Authors<\/p>\n Tom Fitzgerald is out as the New Jersey Devils<\/a>‘ general manager, the team announced Monday.<\/p>\n “Tom and I had a thoughtful conversation today and agreed it was time to move in a new direction,” Devils co-owner David Blitzer said in a statement. “Tom changed the trajectory of our team here, including setting a franchise record for points in a season and helping make New Jersey a hockey destination. He is a well-respected leader across the Devils’ organization and NHL, and I am grateful for our friendship. I wish Tom and his family all the best. As we prepare to move forward, it is important I acknowledge our fans.<\/p>\n “I recognize we have not delivered in the way you expect and deserve and I understand and share in your frustration. This is a critical offseason for our franchise, and we will explore all avenues that best position the Devils to compete for a Stanley Cup once again.”<\/p>\n Although the Devils (40-34-3) entered Monday still mathematically eligible for the playoffs, they were seven points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with five games left.<\/p>\n “After talking with David Blitzer, it was apparent to everyone that the best course of action is to move on for the benefit of the team,” Fitzgerald said in a statement. “I am incredibly appreciative to David, Josh Harris, and the entire New Jersey Devils organization for being a part of my life for the past decade. The Devils are fortunate to have a core of great players, vocal and passionate fans, but most importantly, tremendous people who worked with me toward a common goal. I’ve always said that New Jersey is a hidden gem and I’m proud of the effort that we put in to raise the standard and make it a destination.<\/p>\n “I look forward to the next step in my hockey career and will always look back fondly on my time with the Devils.”<\/p>\n Fitzgerald, who was hired as an assistant GM at the start of the 2015-16 season, was named interim GM in January 2020 after Ray Shero was fired<\/a> and was promoted to the full-time role later that summer. As a first-time GM, he was charged with trying to build the franchise back into a long-term winner with talents like captain Nico Hischier<\/a> and Jack Hughes<\/a>, among others.<\/p>\n New Jersey had missed the playoffs for four straight seasons until the 2022-23 campaign when the club began to tap into its promise and Fitzgerald made the trade that landed star forward Timo Meier<\/a> from the San Jose Sharks<\/a>.<\/p>\n That season would see the Devils advance to the second round, where they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> in five games.<\/p>\n Seeing one of the NHL’s most promising rosters advance to the second round created the belief that the Devils were potentially ready to establish themselves as a perennial playoff team that could someday win a title.<\/p>\n However, they would miss the playoffs in the 2023-24 season and would eventually move on from head coach Lindy Ruff. Fitzgerald promoted assistant and former Vancouver Canucks<\/a> head coach Travis Green as the team’s interim coach before hiring former Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> coach Sheldon Keefe as New Jersey’s coach.<\/p>\nTom Fitzgerald had been the Devils’ general manager since January 2020 when he was elevated to interim GM and then promoted to the full-time role later that summer.\u00a0Bruce Bennett\/Getty Images<\/p>\n