The New Jersey Devils have extended the contract of their general manager Tom Fitzgerald while also giving him the title of President of Hockey Operations.
TSN hockey expert Darren Dreger announced this on Tuesday.
Fitzgerald, 55, is a former National League player who was named interim general manager on January 12, 2020; About six months later he got a job. After four straight playoff eliminations, the Devils returned to the playoffs last spring, reaching the second round after amassing 112 points in the regular season and defeating the New York Rangers in the opening round.
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In the current season, the club has collected 51 points in 45 games and is in ninth place in the Eastern Association.
Under Fitzgerald's reign, New Jersey drafted some of its future core roster, including Simon Nemec, Nico Daws, Alexander Holtz, Dawson Mercer and Luke Hughes. The GM also acquired forward Tyler Toffoli in a trade in June and signed forward Timo Meier when the free agency market opened shortly thereafter.
“Over the years, he has built a young and high-performing team that our organization can be proud of,” franchise minority owner David Blitzer said in a statement. Tom has worked tirelessly to renew his roster through new hires, trades and draft picks. He has created a group of established players that we will count on not only today but for years to come.”