In the Devils' front-office structure, all lines on the hockey side lead to ownershipgetty images
The Devils' decision to dismiss GM Ray Shero shows the team is an "owner-driven operation," with co-Owners David Blitzer and Josh Harris "calling the shots" for the club's hockey operations department, according to Larry Brooks of the N.Y. POST. If fans "didn't recognize" ownership's influence, they "might have missed the summer trade for for P.K. Subban that was hatched in the owners' suite." Sources said that the Devils feature an organizational chart in which "all lines on the hockey side lead to ownership" rather than the GM, and that the "influence the analytics department had on ownership was an issue." Those sources added that Devils VP/Analytics Tyler Dellow was "reporting to Blitzer/Harris rather than Shero" with reports that the analytics department was "awarded prominence in weekly meetings between ownership and the hockey department." Brooks noted most GMs "expect a reasonable amount of autonomy without six or eight voices whispering into the bosses' ears." It is "unclear whether experienced front-office" execs would be interested in the Devils job "if it comes without customary authority." Blitzer and Harris have the "right to do as they please." Brooks: "They own the team. Shero was reminded of that often enough" (N.Y. POST, 1/19).
