Ray Shero, former NHL general manager, has died. He was 62 years old. The late successful GM was a hockey player himself while attending college, and he went on to lead two major franchises. While Shero’s official cause of death has not been disclosed, rumors have circulated about an alleged illness that he was rumored to be battling.
The Pittsburgh Penguins issued a statement in response to the news of Shero’s death. Noting that the team is “deeply saddened” over his passing, the Penguins noted in its social media statement that Shero “was instrumental in ushering in a new era of Penguins hockey, highlighted by the 2009 Stanley Cup Championship.”
The New Jersey Devils’ president and general manager, Tom Fitzgerald, followed suit and shared a statement as well, noting that the team was “stunned and deeply saddened by the passing” of Shero.
The Penguins organization joins the family, friends and colleagues of former Penguins General Manager Ray Shero as we mourn his passing. pic.twitter.com/2TaU2AtBBj
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 9, 2025
“The organization is extremely grateful for the impact Ray had during his tenure in New Jersey, and it is without question that his fingerprints are on the current group we see today, both on and off the ice,” the statement continued.
Below, get updates on Shero’s cause of death and learn about his life and career.
Shero was the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils franchises. Before becoming a GM for the league, the Minnesota native played ice hockey for most of his life. Throughout college, Shero played for the St. Lawrence Saints men’s team, and he became captain during the 1984 through 1985 season.
In 1982, Shero almost got his big break when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings, though he never officially played in the NHL. So, he eventually worked as an assistant general manager for the Ottawa Senators, then for the Nashville Predators.
