The New Jersey Devils on Thursday named Sunny Mehta as their new general manager.
Mehta, 48, returns to the organization where he led the NHL's first full-time hockey analysis department. The move follows the firing of previous GM Tom Fitzgerald following a disappointing season in which the Devils were eliminated from playoff contention.
Mehta, a native of Wyckoff, New Jersey, previously served as the Devils' director of hockey analytics from 2014 to 2018. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he grew up in the area, played varsity hockey at Ramapo High School, and has a long association with the franchise.
He left the Devils to join the Florida Panthers in 2020 as Vice President of Hockey Strategy and Intelligence, later being promoted to Assistant General Manager and Head of Analytics in 2023. At Florida, Mehta contributed to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025.
In a statement following his appointment, Mehta said: "This is a dream come true for a kid from New Jersey who grew up watching Devils practices just 20 minutes away in Totowa. After meeting David Blitzer, Josh Harris, Bob Myers and other members of the organization, I knew this was where I wanted to be.
"Thank you to Vinny Viola, Bill Zito, and the entire Florida Panthers organization for a wonderful six years and for giving me the opportunity to take the next step in my professional career. New Jersey has a tremendous young core that wants to get back to being a contender, a complement of young assets and draft picks, and a passionate fan base hungry for success. I was fortunate enough to watch the New Jersey Devils lift three Stanley Cups and am excited to work to return to that level. "I am."
Mehta's background includes a master's degree in data science and prior experience as a professional poker player and musician. He consulted with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2010 before joining the Devils.
Ownership, led by David Blitzer and Josh Harris, sees their analytics-driven approach and championship experience as key to rebuilding contention around the team's young core, including assets and draft capital. The appointment signals a data-centric shift in hockey operations.
Despite belief that the Devils may also be interested in hiring a president of hockey operations, Mehta performs those duties as well.
There has been no immediate decision yet on head coach Sheldon Keefe.
