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Devils Promote Two in Front Office

According to a blog post on the Devils’ official blog by Amanda Stein, the Devils have promoted Tom Fitzgerald and Dan MacKinnon within their front office.

Fitzgerald, who many fans were kind of worried last month would be hired away by the Minnesota Wild as their new GM (a job which ultimately went to former Devils player and Penguins Assistant GM Bill Guerin), was given a new title as Executive Vice President and Assistant General Manager.

Stein said that he “is involved in all matters related to hockey operations, including contract negotiations, transactions and working with the Devils development staff.” He also serves “as the Alternate Governor and General Manager of the AHL Binghamton Devils and represent the club at the AHL Board of Governor meetings.”

MacKinnon was moved to Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager. Stein said that he “has held the role of Senior Director of Player Personnel” for the last three years. She also said that he will now “oversee all areas of the teams pro scouting department as well as assisting the amateur scouting staff.”

Stein mentioned that with the new role comes a chance for MacKinnon to “assist in player evaluation, acquisition and the preparation for the NHL draft.” He will also play a big “role in integrating the newly added analytics department.”

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Devils Tap Penguins for New Senior Director of Player Personnel

According to an article on the Devils’ official website, the team has a new Senior Director of Player Personnel: Dan MacKinnon. According to the site, his job description is that he “will oversee all aspects of the club’s pro scouting operations. In addition, he will work with the organization’s hockey operations and pro/amateur scouting staffs regarding player evaluation, acquisition and draft preparation.” He will work out of Detroit.

MacKinnon was “acquired” from the Pittsburgh Penguins and, in fact, Ray Shero thanked Pittsburgh General Manager Jim Rutherford and the Pens “in allowing Dan to join the New Jersey Devils.”

MacKinnon’s bio reads that he is 42-years-old and had been with the Penguins for ten years from 2006 to 2016, winning two Stanley Cups with the organization. He was director of player personnel for the last seven years there, including this season’s Cup winning team. He oversaw the Pens’ professional pro and amateur scouting in both North America and Europe during that term.

Prior to the Penguins, where MacKinnon worked with Shero, he also worked with the current Devils’ GM in Nashville, where he worked from 2000 to 2006. In those six years, he was a professional scout for four and scouting coordinator for two. His bio on the Devils’ site also says he “worked in the league office for the American Hockey League” as well as the Mississauga Ice Dogs (OHL) front office.

His other credentials include him serving as an assistant coach at Ohio University (where he graduated with a master’s degree in Athletic Administration), playing one year at Mount Allison University (AUAA – Canadian college hockey, 1994-95) and two years at the University of Waterloo (OUAA – Canadian college as well 1996-98) and three years of junior hockey (1991 to 1993 with Pembroke of the CJHL and 1993-94 with Kingston of the MetJHL).