Devils Name USA Hockey Star Meghan Duggan to Front Office Role

NEWARK, NJ - The New Jersey Devils sent shockwaves across the league through the landmark hiring of former USA women's hockey star Meghan Duggan, who becomes the first openly gay person to work in NHL's front office operations.

Duggan will assume the position as manager of player development, a newly created role, according to a statement issued by the Devils on Wednesday morning. She will work closely with Dan MacKinnon, the team's senior vice president and assistant general manager across all levels of the development department’s operations, with a specific focus on on-ice and off-ice information.

The announcement was made by Tom Fitzgerald, the Devils' executive vice president and general manager.

“We are incredibly excited to announce that Meghan has joined our Player Development Department,” explained Fitzgerald in a statement. “As our group has evolved over the past few years to include as much about off-ice as on-ice for development, we believe Meghan will be perfect for this position."

"Her successful track record as a teammate, leader, captain and driver of initiatives will be resources to all players in our organization," he continued. "We look forward to her utilizing her perspective of the game, attention to detail and creative thinking to help our players reach their potential.“

Duggan will be responsible for staff schedules, synthesizing information regarding prospects and AHL/ECHL players while assessing all players through in-person and video scouting. Additionally, she will join the Devils’ staff in on-ice development throughout the year.

"I'm looking forward to getting to work, and adding value in an area that I've committed my entire life to," Duggan said in an interview with ESPN. "But I also hope people see this and realize there's a space for those who haven't traditionally been in these roles -- women, or BIPOC community members; there's a space for that. Times are definitely changing, and I'm excited to be part of it."

The three-time Olympic medalist recently announced her retirement from professional ice hockey in October of last year and is considered to be one of the most successful players in international hockey history. Duggan captured silver in 2010 at Vancouver and 2014 in Sochi and triumphantly won gold in 2018 with a win over Canada in a rematch at PyeongChang, where she served as captain.

In eight IIHF Women’s World Championships, she was part of seven World Championship squads (2008-09, 2011, 2013 & 2015-17) and finished runner up once (2007). Her illustrious career led to her being named to the USA Hockey Board of Directors in 2014 and USA Hockey’s Women’s Advisory Committee in 2017.

Duggan has a long track record of improving accessibility, diversity and participation in the game of ice hockey. She was part of the inaugural group that was named to the National Hockey League’ s Player Inclusion Committee last season. She has served as a member of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PHWPA) and the Women’s Sports Foundation as a Board of Trustees member.

Throughout her career, she has used her platform for mentorship and motivational speaking with a focus on gender equality, diversity & inclusion, leadership, LGBTQ+ advocacy and teamwork.

"The Devils know I'm a young mom. They know I have a 15-month-old son, and they're excited about that too. They're excited to welcome my family, my wife, into their group, and that speaks volumes to me," Duggan added in the interview with ESPN. "Setting the standard in hockey too -- not only can women do things like this but working moms can do things like this -- that's important. I know that being a mom empowers me and makes me a better person, a better leader."

Undoubtedly, there will be a lot of fans watching closely and rooting for Duggan's success as she sets path as a trailblazer in the sports industry.