Ray Shero is a former ice hockey player and executive who has had a successful career in the sport. He was born on July 28, 1962, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and grew up in a family with a strong hockey background. His father, Fred Shero, was a legendary coach who led the Philadelphia Flyers to two Stanley Cup championships in the 1970s.
After playing college hockey at St. Lawrence University, Ray Shero began his professional career as a player in the International Hockey League. He played for several teams over the course of his career, including the Albany Choppers, the Carolina Thunderbirds, and the Knoxville Cherokees. However, he never made it to the NHL as a player.
After retiring as a player, Shero began working in the front office of various NHL teams. He started as an assistant general manager for the Ottawa Senators in 1993, and then moved on to the Nashville Predators in 1998. In 2006, he was hired as the assistant general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he helped build a team that would go on to win the Stanley Cup in 2009.
In 2010, Shero was promoted to general manager of the Penguins, a position he held until 2014. During his tenure, he made several key moves that helped the team remain competitive, including trading for star forward James Neal and signing free agent defenseman Paul Martin. He also made a controversial decision to fire head coach Dan Bylsma after the team's disappointing performance in the 2014 playoffs.
After leaving the Penguins, Shero took a brief hiatus from hockey before returning to the sport as the general manager of the New Jersey Devils in 2015. He inherited a team that had missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, but quickly set about rebuilding the roster. He made several shrewd trades and signings, including acquiring Taylor Hall from the Edmonton Oilers and signing veteran forward Brian Boyle.
Under Shero's leadership, the Devils made the playoffs in 2018 for the first time in six years. However, the team struggled in the following season and Shero was fired in January 2020. Despite this setback, he remains one of the most respected executives in the NHL and is widely regarded as a shrewd talent evaluator and strategist.
Overall, Ray Shero's hockey career has been marked by a combination of playing experience, front office expertise, and a deep understanding of the game. He has helped build successful teams in multiple cities and has earned a reputation as one of the most innovative and effective executives in the sport.
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