Fletcher Hired as Senior Advisor to Ray Shero

Chuck Fletcher, the former Minnesota Wild General Manager who was fired this past April after the Wild bowed out of the first round in the playoffs to Winnipeg, has been named a senior advisor to Ray Shero of the Devils. This comes via a report yesterday by Chris Ryan of The Star Ledger.

According to Ryan, Fletcher spent nine seasons in Minnesota and previously was Shero’s Assistant GM in Pittsburgh for three seasons. They won a Stanley Cup together in 2009 with the Penguins.

Ryan mentioned that the Wild have made the playoffs for six straight seasons under Fletcher’s guidance, but had just two series wins in that time. He said that Minnesota “never advanced past the second round.” The Wild accumulated more than 100 regular season points three times under Fletcher’s tenure.

Ryan quoted Shero as saying “Chuck brings a vast array of experience working for teams at different stages of their growth. He has seen teams start from the beginning, teams that were building toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs and teams striving to be consistent contenders. Those experiences will serve valuable to us, as we look to take the next steps here in New Jersey. I personally know that Chuck’s knowledge, work ethic and demeanor will be benefits to our organization. We are excited for him to work directly with our management, scouting and coaching staffs moving forward.”

Fletcher will also assist the team’s hockey operations, Ryan said.

This is a good move by the Devils. You can never have enough experienced hockey men in your front office. While Fletcher might not have had the success he wanted in Minnesota, here, with a growing team, he should be able to contribute a lot.