On Monday, the New Jersey Devils announced that general manager Tom Fitzgerald had been fired after seven years.
The team has gone 218-204-39 under Fitzgerald.
On Tuesday, one day after Fitzgerald's firing, New Jersey Devils players reacted to the news that Fitzgerald was no longer with the team.
“Obviously, sad for Fitzy and his family. His family and my family are super close. Lucky, I got to spend all these years with him at the helm. He’s just an unbelievable person. I feel really bad for him,” forward Jack Hughes said. “It’s just the way it is now. … Fitzy built the team. I think he’s done a pretty good job of that over the years. Most of it comes down to the players. We’re the ones competing every night. We’re the ones that can change the outcome of a hockey game. It’s just frustrating because I’m a big part of this team. I have a lot of love for Tommy Fitz. I’m sad to see him go. I wish we could have done better for him.”
Jesper Bratt had a similar reaction to the news, speaking with NJD.tv.
“I’ve been very thankful for all the years with Fitzy. He treated me well. He entrusted in me to be one of the leaders and part of this team for a long time,” Bratt said. “I feel disappointed in myself, and what the whole team feels like. When this happens it’s because the team doesn’t perform the way the GM built up the plan. Sometimes that unfortunately falls on them. We feel very responsible for that.”
Under Fitzgerald, the Devils set a franchise record for wins and points in 2022-23.
This season, however, the team went 40-35-3.
Luke Hughes shared his perspective on the news.
“It sucks. Fitzy put us all together. More importantly, he was a really great person. He treated me and my brother and the players in this locker room with a lot of respect. He really cared for us,” Hughes said. “That’s a testament to him as a person. Just a really great person. It sucks. It’s a tough day for everyone. It’s part of the business and it just sucks.”
The Devils fell 5-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, eliminating them from the playoffs. This marks the 11th time in 14 seasons that the Devils have missed the postseason.
Timo Meier spoke about the impact Fitzgerald had on his career.
“He gave me a chance to come here, traded for me and signed long term. It’s disappointing seeing this. He believed in me,” Meier said. “We didn’t get the results that we wanted to be in this position to have this happen. It’s obviously on us players and we want to be professional and handle this the right way.”
The final player to speak about the departure was captain Nico Hischier, who was drafted first overall in 2017.
“Fitzy and myself, I can be very thankful for him, what he’s done for me and the development of my career. I was 18 years old. He was assistant GM with Ray back in the day. It’s always a bit disappointing. You feel part of it. You understand the business. We’re the guys on the ice. He trusted us. We weren’t performing the way we should have. In business, things like that happen,” Hischier said. “Yeah, I’m a bit disappointed but understand the business side of it. Still, I’m very, very thankful for him and what he’s done for me.”
While the postseason chances are gone, the team still has four games remaining in its season.
They will hit the ice again on Thursday to face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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