NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman pens a heartfelt condolence message for Ray Shero

Pierre LeBraun, Senior NHL Writer for The Athletic, shared on his X platform, “Awful, awful news. Ray Shero was an absolute gem. This will hit hard around the hockey world. On a personal note, he was so generous with his time and insight, in good times and in bad. A total class act. He will be unbelievably missed. RIP, Ray.”Ray Shero died at the age of 62. The news was informed by the NHL on Wednesday. Shero is survived by two sons, Chris Shero and Kyle Shero. Chris Shero works as an amateur scout for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Kyle Shero works as an amateur scout for the Philadelphia Flyers. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman’s statement for Ray Shero read:“Ray Shero’s smile and personality lit up every room he walked into and brightened the day of everyone he met. Widely respected throughout hockey for his team-building acumen and eye for talent, he was even more beloved for how he treated everyone fortunate enough to have known him.The son of legendary NHL coach Fred Shero, Ray, forged his own path in the NHL following his successful playing career at St. Lawrence University. After stints as an assistant general manager in Ottawa and Nashville, he became general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006 and assembled the missing pieces of a team that became Stanley Cup finalists in 2008 and Stanley Cup champions in 2009. From 2015-2020, he was GM of the New Jersey Devils, drafting current stars Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, and had spent the past four seasons as a senior advisor to Minnesota GM Bill Guerin. He also served on the United States’ management teams for the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. Whenever we ran into each other at a rink when he was scouting, it was clear he loved what he was doing, and I always marveled at his infectious enthusiasm. The entire National Hockey League family mourns his passing and sends our deepest condolences to the Shero family and Ray’s many friends throughout the hockey world.”Minnesota Wild expressed their condolences through their official X platform,“The Minnesota Wild is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Ray Shero. Ray worked in the NHL for over 30 seasons, including the last four seasons as Senior Advisor to General Manager for the Minnesota Wild. He also spent time with the Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the New Jersey Devils during his career, winning the 2009 Stanley Cup with the Penguins, and was named the NHL’s General Manager of the Year in 2012-13. Ray was also actively involved with USA Hockey and a member of its National Team Advisory Board. Our hearts go out to his family and friends and the countless people he impacted in the hockey community throughout his successful career. Ray was the best. He will be greatly missed by all of us. The Shero family asks for privacy during this difficult time.”Also Read: Evgeny Kuznetsov left the NHL for KHL and now leaves KHL for the NHL? | NHL News - The Times of India