For the first time ever, the New Jersey Devils can say they own the Metropolitan Division... well, kind of. Just not in the way you would all hope or expect.
On Thursday, it was announced that the Carolina Hurricanes, who have won the Metro three times since 2020, have a group of three new investors taking ownership of the club.
Financiers Brett Jefferson, founder of Hildene Capital Management, and Marc Grandisson, a former chief executive officer at Arch Capital Group, bought into the ownership group, joining owner Tom Dundon, as did former NHL forward Bobby Farnham
Devils fans may remember the 37-year-old Farnham as the short-lived, fan-favorite sparkplug acquired by the team from Pittsburgh in 2015. In 50 games with the Devils, Farnham scored eight times, added two assists, and racked up 92 penalty minutes.
After leaving the Devils in the offseason, Farnham's NHL days were all but over. The Brown University product played three games with the Montreal Canadiens and 71 with the St. John's Ice Caps in 2016-17 before spending his last two North American pro seasons with the Springfield Thunderbirds.
In 2019-20, Farnham played a season with the Belfast Giants of the mostly British EIHL before his playing days came to an end.
According to the Hurricanes' press release, the former Devils tough guy "... graduated from Harvard Business School and later co-founded Fourth Line Capital, a private investment platform focused on real estate and direct investments. Farnham is also a member of the family ownership group of Market Basket, a New England-based supermarket chain."
According to Fourth Line Capital's LinkedIn page, they are a private investment group founded by former hockey players focused on real estate and high-tech investments. The team's complementary skill sets combine a scrappy, competitive mindset and extensive relationships to identify and partner with high-potential opportunities.
Farnham went to Brown University, punched some faces, and scored some goals in the NHL with the Devils, Penguins, and Canadiens, then went back to another Ivy League school, Harvard, and is now making things happen in the finance world. Not bad!