BLOG: Fitzgerald Reaches Post-Playing Days Dream with GM Title

Becoming General Manager of an NHL franchise wasn't Tom Fitzgerald's dream when he was playing in the NHL. But after he hung up the skates and started working in hockey, he changed course and wanted to reach that level.
"I gotta tell you, I probably didn't dream about becoming a General Manager during my playing days but things got pretty clear once I stopped playing," Fitzgerald said during a press conference announcing him at the next General Manager of the New Jersey Devils. "Building a team from scratch, draft development, free agency, things like that were extremely exciting to me. I chose that path. Thanks to Ray Shero for allowing me to do that. But again, it was clear that managing was something I actually really had a passion for so here we are, my interim tag has been ripped off."

FULL COVERAGE
PRESS RELEASES
Devils Hire Tom Fitzgerald as EVP/General Manager
Devils Hire Lindy Ruff as Head Coach
VIDEO
DEVILS NOW | A Big Day for Fitzgerald and Ruff
Full Press Conference Introducing Ruff, Fitzgerald
Welcome, Lindy Ruff!
1-on-1 with Jake Reynolds
1-on-1 with Martin Brodeur
1-on-1 with Lindy Ruff
Zajac on the Coaching Hire
Zacha on the Coaching Hire
ARTICLES
BIG READ: The Path Forward
About Lindy Ruff
Who is Lindy Ruff? Stan Fischler Surveys the Hockey World
The History of Devils Coaches, From Stan Fischler
Stan Fischler Gets Thoughts from Scott Bowman, Chico Resch and Others on the Hire
QUICK HITS
Three Things on Lindy Ruff, presented by Wawa
Lindy Ruff Fast Facts
Stan Fischler's Coaching Sidebar
BLOGS
Ruff Ready to Develop Young Devils Team
Fitzgerald Reaches Post Playing Days Dream with GM Title
Blitzer Discusses Devils GM and Coach Hirings
"I've watched Tom and Josh [Harris] has watched Tom for the last five years. First obviously in an Assistant GM role and then in the Interim GM role over the last six months" explained co-Managing Partner David Blitzer. "I think we've always had said from the beginning that it was clear that Tom was always going to be a finalist for this position, no question. And I think we continued to gain more and more confidence in Tom being the permanent GM of this team as that period of time went on from January 13, through the stoppage and through right up until here we are today."
For Fitzgerald, even though he was the Interim General Manager, he didn't let the title keep him from giving the role everything he could.
"I went about my day as General Manager of this team starting on January 13th and never looked at it any other way, was never treated any differently from my peer groups throughout the league. The league itself never looked at me as an interim. So I'm very grateful to those guys."
When reflecting on this opportunity and achieving his goal of becoming General Manager, Fitzgerald thanked those who got him here.
"I'm happy for my family. You know I'm from a hockey family and with two boys playing pro hockey and a wife and mom who's basically the CEO of our company here," Fitzgerald started with praising his family. "They're proud of me and again it takes a village, in fact villages, has been so helpful with that and allow me to do what I love to do."
"My past mentors, talked about Ray [Shero], other people like Chuck Fletcher and Jason Botterill, guys that meant a lot to me and still do in this game. But I got a great staff that we've surrounded ourselves with and they've been, I have to thank them as well, for allowing me to grow in this six months, and just, I'm proud. It's a proud day for me, my family."