Sunny Mehta, who was hired as general manager of the New Jersey Devils, has become the latest NHL executive with roots in the analytics movement and a nontraditional path to the front office. ESPN's Greg Wyshynski recalls having endorsed Mehta's candidacy in a podcast interview, provided he would have an experienced executive above him. Now Mehta is running the whole show, and he is taking some satisfaction in the moment.
Mehta, 48, previously worked as a derivatives trader in Chicago and as a professional poker player, authoring two books on card-playing strategy. Like Eric Tulsky, the analytics standard-bearer who built a Stanley Cup winner in Carolina, he entered the NHL first as a data consultant, then as an analytics director, before becoming an assistant general manager. Mehta won the Stanley Cup twice in that role with the Florida Panthers before replacing Tom Fitzgerald as Devils general manager this year.
What sets Mehta apart is that he is also a lifelong Devils fan. As a kid in the Meadowlands stands, he loved Pat Verbeek, whose 46-goal season in 1987-88 set a Devils record at the time. Verbeek later moved from NHL player to NHL general manager, and Mehta now works as his peer. Mehta says he spoke with Verbeek about that season while still an assistant GM in Florida, and the two still joke about it.
Mehta acknowledged that some people, including owners at certain points, had worried that veteran hockey executives might not treat him as one of their own. He said he never felt that concern personally. He believes general managers attract calls and relationships because other teams and agents need to deal with them, making it easy to build new friendships around the league.
Source: ESPN NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing