It's the Truth | PERSPECTIVE

It may sound over-used at times and part of the hockey player lexicon.
"We are a family."
It's easy to let the words sift in one ear and out the other. I wouldn't be surprised if you were caught giving an eye roll or two as well.
But what I have learned in my going-on five seasons with the New Jersey Devils is that there is a foundational truth behind those words. I don't know if that is the case everywhere, but when I hear those words spoken by general manager Tom Fitzgerald, I can attest to its truth.
I have lived its truth and experienced it firsthand.

As a writer, as a reporter, you never want to be the subject, and you don't want the subject of the story to be the story. But on this occasion, I'm breaking that rule for a brief moment because the truth that I have lived is a confirmation that these words are not simply words. They are followed by an action.
Listen to Fitzgerald talk about recruiting free agents to sign with the Devils organization.
"I think first and foremost is we sell what we want to be and where we're going and how we're going to get there and having people, good people part of this, you know, understanding what it takes to win, the commitment that each player, each staff member or managing partners, anyone in our organization puts forth, we're looking for that selflessness."
Did you catch that? Commitment from each player, each staff member, the managing partners. The culture extends to everyone, those behind the scenes who you may rarely think of, but are part of the many important cogs in establishing the franchise as a first-class organization, where the culture leads the way, paves the path to success. Fitzgerald leaves no stone unturned in making sure everyone has the tools, the resources, and the supportive backing to turn his vision into the vision of everyone under his umbrella.
Fitzgerald's comments were part of a press conference after the signing of both Dougie Hamilton and Jonathan Bernier, but I got the same pitch four years ago. I, too, was asked for the understanding that everything and everyone involved in this hockey club is expected to embrace the commitment and to be a part of this extended family.
The New Jersey Devils family.
"I may be the front of the band here," Fitzgerald said, "but at the end of the day it's the people playing the instruments behind me that make me look good."
As someone uprooting their life, a comfortable life, living in my hometown of Montreal, family, and friends nearby, what Fitzgerald (and then GM Ray Shero) were selling to me was an opportunity at not only a dream job but the comfort in knowing there will be people here who have my back. They invited my family to come to take a tour; I brought my dad, who is no easy critic, just to see. He was obviously curious, but we are very close, and as his youngest daughter, I knew it would ease his mind in seeing me move to a foreign country if he could experience a moment of what my life would look like.
Immediately, he knew this was the right spot for me, noting the welcoming he received, the conversations that he engaged in with the people we met along our tour. The vibe, if you will.
And you can feel it. When you commit to the franchise, it commits right back to you and those you care about. It can be a simple gesture, like a warm call from Marie Carnevale, Director, Hockey Administration, as one of the first voices Hamilton and Bernier heard. Carnevale has been with the New Jersey Devils since the team's inception. She knows the ins and outs and is an integral part of the welcoming group, and a voice behind the scenes that is someone players can go to for just about anything, whether it's visa status, or help to move. She will extend herself to make sure the experience with the Devils is as smooth as possible.
Or perhaps it's a matter of making sure the wives, partners and families of newly acquired players are welcomed, separate to their partners. Like Martine Forget, wife of Jonathan Bernier, who received a call from Corinne Weltman of the Hockey Operations department to welcome her and her family immediately after Bernier's contract was announced. Should she need anything, or need to connect with other partners, the contact was made instantaneously. You want that family feeling to start from the first second.
Or, when Nico's family is making their way from Switzerland to New Jersey to visit their son there are lots of hugs and smiles going around the office between the Hischier family and the staff, and not just because Reno and Katja always show up with Swiss chocolate that gets devoured in a matter of moments.
These might seem like obvious things, but that isn't always the case.
"I've been on (teams), where you're on your own, and you just felt like you're on an island. And that's one experience I don't ever want any other player to go through. And this is important."
The words spoken by Fitzgerald aren't just some sort of lip service, it's not just a company line, nor does it extend itself only to those who wear the jersey every game night. It involves everyone who touches the team in some way, from the captain, to free agent, all the way down to the team reporter.
Here at the Devils, the feeling of being a part of a bigger family isn't just a feeling.
It's a reality. You take care of the franchise, the franchise will take care of you back.
Through his 1,097 games of NHL experience and stops with seven teams, Tom Fitzgerald has enough worldliness in the league and life to truly understand the culture-building aspect and stay loyal to it. Entering the league as a20-year-old, all the way through to retirement at 42 years old, he experienced all stages of life while playing in the NHL. He married his wife Kerry and had the addition of four boys along the NHL route, Ryan, Casey, Jack, and Brendan.
"I've experienced that on both ends," Fitzgerald said living and breathing a 17-year NHL career. "I've had unbelievable experiences as a player, going to certain teams that just rolled out the red carpet and treated you like you are family, there wasn't one stone unturned, you knew where to go to live, the doctors, whatever, you name you, they were at your beck and call. We have all that in place."
It is clearly working, and players are starting to take notice. It's easy to play along with the narrative of players going where they're offered the most money, but you don't just secure a top free agent like Dougie Hamilton, asking him to uproot his life to a city he is still just learning about and has little experience with, with just money.
"I think players are looking for a home, they're not looking for a workplace, they're looking for a home," Fitzgerald said, which echoed the comments of Hamilton in his introductory press conference when he added he was looking for an opportunity that would 'make me happy.'
"And I just wanted to make sure," Fitzgerald continued, "that players who have come into Jersey know that this is a family-oriented organization that really, really puts family first. (We) treat people the right way. We've got resources, again, great managing partners, that is allowing me and everybody else on my staff to put forth the best product we can possibly do. But we care about people. I think that's the most important thing. They're not just players, they're people and we care about them."
This offseason it was something for all the NHL to see.
"When a player like Dougie chooses us, and Jonathan, it says we're offering something unique and pretty fun," Fitzgerald said. "We've got good hockey players here, it's a great place to live, we have passionate fans. Now we're just continuing to add players of their stature to the organization to really show the commitment that we have to improve."
So, when Fitzgerald talks to free agents, prospective employees, anyone joining the team and he talks about being a family, please don't take those words lightly.
They mean something important.
As family always does.