For the sixth time in the last eight seasons, the frustrating and familiar refrain for the New Jersey Devils continued. They failed to play beyond the 82nd game of the regular season, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs once again. They weren’t able to build on the momentum of last season, having made the postseason before bowing out in the opening round against the Carolina Hurricanes.
And while there was massive speculation that head coach Sheldon Keefe, who had previously let go from his position as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024, could face a similar fate, that speculation has been put to rest for now by new Devils general manager Sunny Mehta.
The New Jersey Devils Have Made Multiple Coaching Changes
In a statement released today, the Devils announced that goaltending coach Dave Rogalski was let go, while former Devils forward and multi-Stanley Cup winner Sergei Brylan, an assistant coach, will take on a new role within the organization.
The statement read:
“The New Jersey Devils today announced that Goaltending Coach Dave Rogalski has been relieved of his duties. Additionally, Assistant Coach Sergei Brylin will be taking on a new role within the organization. The search has begun for replacements for those roles.”
For now, Sheldon Keefe will remain the head coach of the Devils, a position that he took in 2024 to replace Travis Green, who was the Devils’ interim head coach for the remainder of the 2023-24 season following the firing of Lindy Ruff.
Rogalski took his role with the Devils in 2020. Before joining the Devils, Rogalski spent time as the goaltending coach for NCAA Division I program St. Cloud State and later worked with the St. Louis Blues as their Goaltending Development Coach. His coaching background also includes stops with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL and St. John’s University in Minnesota at the NCAA Division III level.
Brylan, who won multiple Stanley Cup rings during his playing career with the Devils, started his coaching career as an assistant with the American Hockey League affiliate Albany/Binghampton Devils and Utica Comets before taking a job as an assistant coach with the Devils in 2022.
Former Florida Panthers Assistant GM Sunny Mehta Is Now The GM Of The Devils
The Devils hired Sunny Mehta, a former assistant GM of the Florida Panthers that helped them win back to back Stanley Cup titles, to replace Tom Fitzgerald, who was fired on April 6.
Upon being introduced to the media as the club’s new GM, Mehta said that it was a “dream job” considering having grown up in New Jersey.
“This is a dream come true for a New Jersey kid, who grew up watching Devils’ practices just 20 minutes away in Totowa,” Mehta said in a statement. “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.”
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