New Jersey Devils general manager Sunny Mehta has made his first hire. On Monday morning, the team announced that Braden Birch is the new assistant general manager. The Devils sent out a release making this news official. They expressed their excitement to add to the organization's new front office.
“Braden will be an extremely valuable addition to our senior hockey operations group,” said Mehta. “His blend of on-ice experience, management background, and intellect will serve him well in his new role. Braden will work to bolster all areas of our operation, and I look forward to him joining our existing front office, where his personality and work ethic will fit in excellently.” Birch will serve as the GM of the Utica Comets and work closely with Mehta in scouting, contract management, roster, and cap strategy.
Added a new Assistant General Manager to the front office roster.
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) May 11, 2026
Welcome to the Devils, Braden!
Last week, Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts mentioned that Birch could potentially join Mehta from Florida. “The other guy I heard could be on Sunny Mehta’s radar is a guy by the name of Braden Burch. Now, Burch’s official position is [Florida’s] Director of Hockey Operations and Salary Cap Management."
"He played hockey. He was drafted, actually by the [Chicago] Blackhawks in 2008, and then he went overseas. He’s kind of been around hockey all his life. When we were kind of talking… about how some of these teams felt that some of the people they were interviewing were too siloed and didn’t really have a lot of experience in a number of different areas, one of the future candidates, because I don’t think he’s ready yet, that a few people reached out to me about was Birch, and they wonder if he’s going to end up being Sunny Mehta’s right-hand guy with the Devils."
Birch has been in the Sunshine State since 2016-17 and was another integral part of the team's back-to-back Stanley Cups in '24 and '25. He was also a special assistant to GM Bill Zito. Birch comes in with a ton of experience on and off the ice.
He was a former defenseman who was drafted in the 6th round of the 2008 NHL Draft by the Blackhawks. He had five goals and 21 points in 128 games played at Cornell University. Birch played professionally in the ECHL for both the Florida Everblades and the Colorado Avalanche, and in Finland's top league, the Liiga, with HIFK.
He has a master's degree in sports management from Florida Atlantic University.
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