The New Jersey Devils have added an Olympic captain to the front office. Meghan Duggan, who announced her retirement as a player in October, has been hired by the Devils to a new role called Manager, Player Development in the team’s Hockey Operations Department. General Manager Tom Fitzgerald released a statement on the hire:
We are incredibly excited to announce that Meghan has joined our Player Development Department. As our group has evolved over the past few years to include as much about off-ice as on-ice for development, we believe Meghan will be perfect for this position. Her successful track record as a teammate, leader, captain and driver of initiatives will be resources to all players in our organization. We look forward to her utilizing her perspective of the game, attention to detail and creative thinking to help our players reach their potential.
Duggan, 33, is one of the most decorated women in U.S. hockey history, with eight World Championship and three Olympic medals. She served as captain for each of the past two Olympic Games and has been in a leadership role for almost her entire hockey career. During her four-year span at the University of Wisconsin, she took home three NCAA titles and won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the best collegiate player in the country during the 2010-11 season.
There is very little that Duggan failed to accomplish during her playing days, and she will now help the Devils development team push forward the next wave of young players. Her appointment follows the news of Hayley Wickenheiser’s recent promotion in Toronto, which elevated her to the highest position a woman has ever held in an NHL front office.
Can’t think of anyone more qualified for the position.
Not anyone?