Who was Ray Shero? Long-time NHL executive dies at 62

Ray Shero, a long-time NHL executive and son of Hockey Hall of Fame coach Fred Shero, has died at the age of 62, the National Hockey League announced on Wednesday.

As part of his three-decade long career working in the front offices of the league, Ray Shero worked as the General Manager of New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins, The Athletic reported.

Who was Ray Shero?

Born on July 28, 1962, in the city of St. Paul in Minnesota, Ray was one of the two sons of Fred Shero, who coached the Philadelphia Flyers side that won two consecutive Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975. He even won the coach of the year honor in 1974 and was the first head coach in the league's history to have hired an assistant, besides introducing the practice of morning skates.


Fred used to encourage both his sons to join him during the practice sessions, while Ray took part in them on a regular basis, reports said.

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Early career

During his starting days, Ray Shero was associated with the St. Lawrence University for four years, having served as the captain of the side for half of that period.

Although being selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1982 draft's 11th round, Ray decided to build his path in the ice game.

As per ESPN, Ray always had hockey in his blood, but never pursued a career in the game on a professional basis. After graduating from St. Lawrence, he served as a hockey agent for seven years and later shifted his focus towards management in 1993 by joining Ottawa Senators.

Thereafter, he became the general manager of the Nashville Predators in 1998 and remained with the side for eight seasons under David Poile.

Rise to fame

Ray came under the spotlight when he served as the general managers for the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins. He even went on to make the latter team a strong side to win the Stanley Cup in 2009, after it failed to navigate past the playoffs in five seasons.

He served on his post with the Penguins from 2006 until 2014 and even guided the club to postseason every year during his tenure.

On leaving the Penguins, Ray went on to join the New Jersey Devils, were he stayed from 2015 to 2020, adding the likes of renowned names like Taylor Hall, Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, ESPN reported.

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Paying tribute to Ray Shero, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in a statement said that the popular NHL executive used to "lit up every room he walked into" with his smile and personality.

Bettman said Ray was widely respected throughout the hockey arena and was known for his "team-building acumen and eye for talent".

FAQs

1. Who all are there in Ray Shero's family?
He is survived by two sons, Chris and Kyle. They work as amateur scouts for Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers.

2. What all teams did Ray Shero work with?
He was best known for being the GM for New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins.