"We're lucky enough to have very high quality [executives in our ] organization, including Tom Fitzgerald to step in as acting general manager. Marty [Brodeur], who, as you know, is one of the greatest NHL players ever who is going to take on an added role of advisor to hockey operations. And we're gonna start a search for our next GM, which will include very strongly considering Tom. And look, we're optimistic about our future. These things are never easy. But we thought this was the right thing to do and we're moving forward for our fans. We're really committed to winning. We weren't winning enough."
And that's the key sentiment. The Devils "weren't winning enough."
There was much hope and optimism surrounding this franchise heading into the 2019-20 season. But the busy off-season has not translated into dashes in the win column. The club opened the season with six straight losses. Then they continued to struggle to find their footing, ultimately leading to the firing of head coach John Hynes.
Interim Head Coach Alain Nasreddine stepped in and the results have been much better as of late. Since recording his first win behind the bench on December 14, Nasreddine's Devils are 7-4-2 and showing growth despite key injuries.
But in the end, the Devils front office demands even more. The team, moving forward, felt that meant changing up the leadership in hockey operations.
"We're going to put [all of our efforts] into delivering you a winning franchise here in New Jersey," said Harris.
Fitzgerald takes over, having played more than 1,000 games in the NHL and racking up plenty of executive experience in the league as well. He jumped behind the bench in October when the team was struggling and observed the roster and coaching staff up close before returning to executive duties. Now, he's in the big chair with an opportunity to prove it's where he belongs.