Devils make decision on new head coach and GM

The New Jersey Devils' hunt for a new head coach is reportedly over. According to NHL.com reporter and analyst Kevin Weekes, the Devils have decided to hire former Buffalo and Dallas bench boss Lindy Ruff. Weekes is also reporting that the interim tag will be removed from Tom Fitzgerald's title and he will officially be named the Devils' general manager.

Ruff is currently serving as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers. The former NHLer, who managed 691 career games, was head coach of the Buffalo Sabres from 1997 to 2012. He brought the team to the Stanley Cup final in 1998-99, but lost to the Dallas Stars. He then went on to coach Dallas from 2013 to 2017 but was fired after the team missed the playoffs.

It had been reported that New Jersey interviewed former Vegas coach Gerard Gallant, as well as former NHLer and AHL and NHL assistant coach John Stevens for the position. Alan Nasreddine has served as New Jersey's interim head coach since the firing of John Hynes in December of 2019. Nasreddine served as an assistant under Hynes.

Meanwhile, Tom Fitzgerald has served as interim GM since Ray Shero and the Devils mutually agreed to part ways in January of 2020. According to Weekes, he'll be given the opportunity to move into that position permanently.

Despite picking up names like P.K. Subban, Nikita Gusev and Wayne Simmonds last summer, and taking Jack Hughes with the first overall pick in 2019, the Devils got off to a horrid start in October and never really recovered when the season was suspended in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team will not be taking part in the NHL's 24-team Return to Play format as it did not qualify.

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