Ray Shero, a Stanley Cup-winning executive and longtime NHL figure, has passed away, the league announced Wednesday. He was 62.
Shero spent more than 30 years in the NHL, serving as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils, among other executive roles. In 2009, he led the Penguins to a Stanley Cup championship and was named the NHL General Manager of the Year for the 2012-13 season. He was the second Shero to have his name etched on the Cup, following his father, Fred Shero, a Hall of Fame coach.
Shero played four years at St. Lawrence University before pursuing a professional hockey career. He spent seven years as a player agent before transitioning to team management, beginning with the Ottawa Senators. In 1998, he became assistant general manager of the expansion Nashville Predators, where he worked for eight seasons under Hall of Fame GM David Poile.
That experience led to Shero’s hiring as the Penguins’ GM in 2006 where we worked until 2014. He later served as GM of the Devils from 2015 until 2020 and most recently worked with the Minnesota Wild, where he remained until his death. A respected figure in the hockey world, Shero also held an executive position for the United States Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey Team in 2010 and 2014.
The Wild’s public relations team released a statement expressing gratitude and condolences. The Shero family has asked for privacy during this time.
