Jamie Langenbrunner Leaving Bruins Organization
Although the Boston Bruins did not lose Assistant General Manager Evan Gold to the Vancouver Canucks, they’re still losing their other Assistant General Manager heading into the offseason. According to Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Jamie Langenbrunner is leaving the Bruins organization to pursue other opportunities.
Langenbrunner, 50, has been with Boston for the last 11 years. After retiring in January of 2014, Langenbrunner joined the Bruins as a development coach ahead of the 2015-16 season. He spent several years in that role before becoming the team’s Director of Player Development in 2019-20, a position now held by former defenseman Adam McQuaid.
Since the 2022-23 season, Langenbrunner has been Boston’s Assistant General Manager alongside Gold. Langenbrunner has managed the player personnel responsibilities, while Gold has managed the day-to-day operations. If the Canucks had hired Gold as their next General Manager, the expectation was that Langenbrunner would have been brought to Vancouver with him. Additionally, Langenbrunner was loosely linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ General Manager vacancy before the team ultimately landed on John Chayka.
A few days ago, the New Jersey Devils felt like a logical fit for Langenbrunner. The native of Cloquet, MN, played nearly a decade with the Devils and served as captain of the team for four years. New Jersey had an opening for an Assistant General Manager after Sunny Mehta took the reins. This position was filled by Braden Birch, who had worked closely with Mehta in the Florida Panthers organization.
Given that Ryan Johnson has been promoted as the Canucks next General Manager, the team technically has an opening at the AGM position, which could entice Langenbrunner if it comes with more responsibility. Additionally, the Nashville Predators remain the only current team with a vacancy at the General Manager position, for which Langenbrunner could be a candidate.
Latest On Predators GM Search
It has been four months since the Nashville Predators announced general manager Barry Trotz‘s plans to step down from his role this summer. They have been in the thick of a search for a replacement ever since, building up a long list of candidates along the way. That list is expected to continue growing with the NHL regular season now wrapped up, which allows Nashville the chance to speak with candidates that they did not have immediate permission to interview per hockey insider Frank Seravalli.
The influx of options after the end of the season has helped Nashville begin checking names off of their list. Internal candidates Jeff Kealty and Scott Nichol, both currently assistant GMs with Nashville, have been informed they are no longer candidates according to Seravalli. That means the Predators’ next GM will likely come from outside of the organization, putting much more focus on the team’s upcoming interviews. That importance is clear to the Predators’ ownership. Minority owner and record-holding college football coach Nick Saban has even sat in on some interviews, adds Seravalli.
Through early interviews, three candidates have emerged above the rest. Edmonton Oilers AGM Bill Scott, Florida Panthers AGM Brett Peterson, and Dallas Stars AGM Scott White have each had multiple in-person interviews for the role according to Seravalli.
Scott handles the Oilers’ day-to-day cap management and contract negotiations with players and staff. He was a minor-league GM for four years before joining the Oilers, with a focus on interpreting the league’s by-laws and collective bargaining agreement. Scott now serves as the Oilers’ liaison to the NHL for any matters related to the CBA.
Peterson was vice president of the Wasserman Media Group before joining the Panthers’ staff in 2020. During his own playing days, Peterson – a member of the 2001 National Championship-winning Boston College Eagles – was represented by current Panthers GM Bill Zito. That connection eventually transformed into a role in Florida’s front office, where Peterson offers expertise in roster and cap management. He was also named the GM of Team USA for the 2026 World Championship.
White handles GM duties of the AHL’s Texas Stars and also serves as Dallas’ Director of Hockey Operations. He has been with the Stars since 2005, took over GM duties for the AHL’s Stars in 2009, and became an NHL AGM in 2016. In that time, White has overseen a Texas Stars team that won the 2014 Calder Cup and finished as runner-ups in 2010 and 2018. In total, the AHL Stars have made 12 of a possible 15 postseasons since White took over management duties – excluding the cancelled 2020 postseason. He also brings a key focus on roster management, a trait that seems to be a major focal point of Nashville’s GM search.
The Predators also spoke with New York Rangers AGM Ryan Martin, a veteran of NHL front offices who began his career with the Detroit Red Wings in 2005. Martin was Detroit’s Director of Hockey Administration during their 2008 Stanley Cup win, then led the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to Calder Cup Championships as their GM in 2013 and 2017. He also supported the USA World Junior Championship roster as a scout for their 2021 Gold Medal win. Martin
Despite a trio of candidates rising to the top, the Predators’ next GM may not have had their first interview just yet. Nashville plans to interview former New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald later this week. Fitzgerald was named the first captain in Predators’ history in 1998. He held the honor for four seasons and was leaned on as a defensive-winger during his time with Nashville. He moved on in 2002 and retired from playing in 2006.
Fitzgerald’s managerial career began in a player development role with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the following season. He was promoted to AGM in 2009 and held onto the role for six years, leaving right before the club won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. While his old club sized rings, Fitzgerald moved to an AGM role with the Devils, a position he would be promoted from partway through the 2019-20 season. The Devils made two of a possible six postseasons under Fitzgerald’s reign. Questions around his ability to make meaningful changes and upgrades to the roster boiled to the surface, though experience in the Predators’ organization and an already-established prospect pool could be enough to put him on the right track in his second GM role.
If not Fitzgerald, the Predators could also move forward with former Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin or Boston Bruins AGM Jamie Langenbrunner per Pagnotta. Those names will round out a lengthy shortlist for Nashville’s open GM chair. Their options include years of GM experience, assistants on the rise, and innovative and stat-driven thinkers. It doesn’t seem the Predators will be in much of a rush to make their decision, with interviews still on the schedule and the Stanley Cup Playoffs yet to play out. On the other side of the postseason, Nashville will face a choice that will define the club’s future through the 2020s.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports.
Jamie Langenbrunner Linked To Vacant Devils GM Role
The Devils are one of three teams currently on the lookout for a new general manager, joining Toronto and Nashville, whose search is nearing the two-month mark. New Jersey’s opening was newly created with this week’s departure of Tom Fitzgerald.
At this stage, the team is still putting together its list of candidates but one of them will be a familiar name for many fans. James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now and Anthony DiMarco of Daily Faceoff are among those reporting (Twitter links) that Jamie Langenbrunner is a potential target for the Devils.
Langenbrunner is certainly familiar with the organization, having spent parts of nine seasons there. He played in 564 games for the team, notching 142 goals and 243 assists, while having his best four individual seasons offensively. He also played an integral role in their 2004 Stanley Cup title alongside Martin Brodeur, who works in New Jersey’s front office as their Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations.
Since retiring, Langenbrunner has worked for the Bruins in a variety of off-ice roles. Starting off as a development coach in 2015, he then moved up to Director of Player Development for three years and has served as an Assistant GM for each of the last four seasons. The next logical stepping stone for him would be as a GM.
As things stand, Langenbrunner won’t be the only candidate with ties to the Devils. Former analytics staffer Sunny Mehta received permission from Florida to interview for the role earlier this week while long-time Toronto president Brendan Shanahan has been a speculative candidate for a role in the front office as well.
U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame Announces 2023 Class
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame will induct former NHL forwards Dustin Brown and Jamie Langenbrunner, longtime NHL executive Brian Burke, former Olympian and longtime Boston College women’s program head coach Katie King Crowley, and former NHL linesman Brian Murphy as their class of 2023, according to an announcement this morning.
The captain of the Los Angeles Kings from 2008 to 2016, Brown’s power-forward style translated into an 18-season, 1,296-game NHL career spent entirely with the Kings. Leading Los Angeles to Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014, he amassed 325 goals and 387 assists for 712 points in his career, scoring at least 20 goals and 50 points in a single season seven times. Among American NHL players, he sits seventh in the games played category, although he’s likely to be bumped down to eighth by Phil Kessel this season.
Langenbrunner, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time Olympian, played 16 seasons in the NHL. Born in Cloquet, Minnesota, Langenbrunner was well-known for his positional versatility with the Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, and St. Louis Blues. Across 1,109 NHL regular-season games, the forward amassed 663 points, including 243 goals and 420 assists. He also became quite a seasoned playoff performer, recording 146 career postseason appearances and 87 points.
Selected 35th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Langenbrunner debuted with the Stars in 1995 and later captained the Devils from 2007 to January 2011, when he was dealt back to where his career began in Dallas. He transitioned to hockey operations post-retirement and serves as an assistant general manager for the Boston Bruins.
Burke has a Stanley Cup victory and an Olympic silver medal on his managerial resume, which spans nearly 40 years. Raised in Edina, Minnesota, he played college hockey for the Providence Friars and later in the AHL with the Maine Mariners, winning a Calder Cup. He then attended and graduated from Harvard Law School, after which he ventured into NHL player representation.
Burke’s journey led him to the Vancouver Canucks’ front office, where he served as director of hockey operations from 1987 to 1992. He then assumed roles with the Hartford Whalers and the NHL office before returning to Vancouver as their general manager in 1999. Burke’s Stanley Cup win came at the helm of the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. His managerial tenure continued with the Toronto Maple Leafs as GM and the Calgary Flames as their president of hockey operations, followed by a short two-and-a-half-year stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Today, Burke serves as the inaugural executive director of the PWHLPA.
King Crowley, a three-time Olympic medalist, achieved rather legendary status during her nine-year tenure with the U.S. Women’s National Team from 1997 to 2006. Notably, she was pivotal in securing the inaugural gold medal in women’s ice hockey at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, amassing eight points in six games. She further contributed to Team USA’s Olympic success with a silver in 2002 and a bronze in 2006, boasting a total of 14 Olympic goals, which remains tied for the U.S. record with new PWHL Minnesota general manager Natalie Darwitz. In the IIHF Women’s World Championships, including a gold in 2005, King Crowley played 223 games, ranking third in all-time points (278).
Following her retirement as a player in 2006, King Crowley transitioned to coaching, joining Boston College’s women’s ice hockey program. She would assume the head coaching role in 2007, guiding the team to numerous accolades, including six NCAA Frozen Fours, 11 NCAA Tournaments, five Hockey East regular-season titles, three Hockey East tournament championships, and six Beanpot crowns. She’s also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. U18 Women’s National Teams, contributing to gold in 2009 and silver in 2010 at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.
Lastly, Murphy, hailing from Dover, New Hampshire, boasts an exceptional NHL officiating career spanning 32 years from 1988 until his recent retirement in 2020. He is among only eight individuals and one of two Americans to officiate over 2,000 NHL regular-season games. Murphy’s on-ice career includes nine Stanley Cup Finals and 304 playoff games, and notable events like the 1999 NHL All-Star Game and the 2010 Winter Classic. He also served as president of the NHL Officials Association from 2008 to 2015. Today, he serves as the supervisor of men’s officials for Hockey East.
This year’s induction ceremony will be held in Boston on December 6.