On Thursday, April 16, the New Jersey Devils announced they have hired Sunny Mehta as their next general manager (GM).
Mehta’s NHL management career kicked off in New Jersey, where he was named the Director of Hockey Analytics in 2014. Mehta spent the last six seasons working with the Florida Panthers. His last three seasons with the Panthers were spent as the assistant general manager. He has experience leading in the front office and now has the opportunity to become the decision-maker for the Devils.
Mehta is a New Jersey native and is excited to return home. In the initial press release, Mehta stated, “This is a dream come true for a New Jersey kid, who grew up watching Devils’ practices just 20 minutes away in Totowa. After meeting with David Blitzer, Josh Harris, Bob Myers, and other members of the organization, I knew this was the place I wanted to be. Thank you to Vinnie Viola, Bill Zito and the entire Florida Panthers organization for a fantastic six years and for the opportunity to take the next step in my professional career. New Jersey has a tremendous young core that will be looking to get back to being a contender, a complement of young assets and draft picks, and a passionate fan base hungry for success. I was fortunate enough to watch the New Jersey Devils raise three Stanley Cups and am excited to get to work to return to that level.”
Although the Devils’ 2025-26 season is over, the offseason is just beginning. Mehta will make the decisions for the Devils, both on and off the ice. He will oversee which unrestricted free agents (UFAs) and restricted free agents (RFAs) will receive contracts and whether or not Sheldon Keefe will return as head coach. Some big names this season for the Devils are expected to hit the free agency market, including Arseny Gritsyuk and Simon Nemec. Mehta will have some big decisions to make as he steps into his new role.
Mehta will host a press conference on Tuesday to introduce himself to the local media.
