November 25: After a little more than a month serving as assistant coach, Fitzgerald will move back upstairs to serve as assistant GM once again.
October 16: The New Jersey Devils haven’t fired their head coach, but they have made a change behind the bench. Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald will be joining John Hynes’ staff as an assistant coach, obviously putting even more pressure on the head coach.
Fitzgerald actually has experience with this kind of situation, previously serving as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins while still holding his AGM title. This move will give Devils’ GM a sort of inside-man, but will also lend a hand to Hynes as the team tries to turn around their early season struggles.
The Devils are off to a dreadful start, allowing an Eastern Conference-leading 29 goals through six games and putting up a 0-4-2 record. First overall pick Jack Hughes still hasn’t recorded a single NHL point, while P.K. Subban has struggled to make the sort of impact the team had hoped.
With more than 1,000 NHL games played, Fitzgerald can lend his expertise and leadership to a group that is floundering at the moment.
Fitzgerald always been a good player over the year now he can mentor some of the rookies like Hughes , good bottom six guy , played a lot of power play and penalty killing for many years. Good move by the Devils.
Hockey reference link for Hughes is wrong guy lol! First overall pick and doesn’t have a reference in the database. Maybe needs to register a point first!
Yep, @jmartin87’s right, Gavin. This is the correct link for the younger Jack Hughes:
link to hockey-reference.com
Fitzy should be a good choice to be on the bench with Hynes. Solid guy.
Yeah, I’ve changed it. It’s an automatic process, but I thought it had been fixed. Thanks for letting me know, I’ll make sure in future pieces.
You’re still the fastest of the fast! I’ll be emailing the trophy, unless I get hosed with more skittish internet connectivity! :)
You have to give Hughes time,is the Hall contract talks hurting this locker room?They must make a decision fast, it starting to look like he doesn’t want to be here.Get the best offer now,you wait to long you don’t get good value.
It went from ‘Lose for Hughes’ to ‘Lose WITH Hughes’ real fast lol