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U.S. Finalizes Management Staff For NHL 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team

By USA Hockey, 04/12/24, 11:58AM EDT

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Drury, Fitzgerald, Zito tabbed assistant general managers; Kelleher to serve as director of player personnel

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today that Chris Drury (Trumbull, Conn./New York Rangers), Tom Fitzgerald (Melrose, Mass./New Jersey Devils) and Bill Zito (Milwaukee, Wis./Florida Panthers) will serve as assistant general managers and Chris Kelleher (Belmont, Mass./Minnesota Wild) as director of player personnel for Team USA in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off and also for the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.

The group will support Bill Guerin (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnesota Wild), who was previously named general manager for both teams, and also work with John Vanbiesbrouck (Detroit, Mich.), assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey.

“We’ve got a great management group and I’m excited to work with them in representing our country,” said Guerin, a three-time Olympian as a player and the current president of hockey operations and general manager of the Minnesota Wild. “It’s an exciting time in USA Hockey and we’re focused on bringing home championships from both events.”

The 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off will take place Feb. 12-20, 2025, while the 2026 Olympic Winter Games are set for Feb. 6-22, 2026, in Milan, Italy.

ABOUT DRURY

Chris Drury was promoted to president and general manager of the New York Rangers in May 2021, and is in his eighth season with the team’s front office, having served as assistant general manager since 2016 prior to his promotion.

As a player, Drury spent 12 seasons (1998-2011) in the NHL, registering 615 points in 892 regular-season games with the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers. Internationally, he represented Team USA at eight major international events, including three Olympic Winter Games (2002, 2006, 2010), three IIHF Men’s World Championships (1997, 1998, 2004), one World Cup of Hockey (2004) and one IIHF World Junior Championship (1996).

Drury, who played college hockey at Boston University, was enshrined into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.

ABOUT FITZGERALD 

Tom Fitzgerald is in his ninth season in the front office of the New Jersey Devils. He was promoted to president of hockey operations and general manager in January 2024, having served as the executive vice president of hockey operations and general manager since 2020.

Prior to joining the Devils in 2016, Fitzgerald was the director of player development (2007-09) and assistant general manager (2009-15) for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On the ice, Fitzgerald spent 17 seasons in the NHL, posting 329 points in 1,097 career regular-season games with the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins.

Fitzgerald, who played college hockey at Providence College, represented Team USA at the 1989 and 1991 IIHF Men’s World Championship, as well as the 1987 IIHF World Junior Championship.

ABOUT ZITO

Bill Zito was hired as the general manager of the Florida Panthers in September 2020 after seven seasons in the front office of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Internationally, Zito served as the general manager of the bronze medal-winning 2018 U.S. Men’s National Team and was also part of the management team for the bronze medal-winning 2015 U.S. Men’s National Team.

Prior to joining the Blue Jackets organization, Zito spent two decades building Acme World Sports into one of the top hockey agencies in the world.

Zito, who played college hockey at Yale University, attended law school at the University of Wisconsin, where he served as an assistant coach for the Badgers men’s ice hockey team while earning his JD degree.

ABOUT KELLEHER

Chris Kelleher is in his second season as the Minnesota Wild’s director of player personnel and 17th overall with the organization. He previously held roles of director of professional scouting (2019-22), and professional scout (2008-18) with Minnesota.

On the ice, Kelleher played nine seasons of professional hockey including in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch (1998-99), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (1999-01) and Providence Bruins (2001-03). He appeared in one NHL game with the Boston Bruins and also played two professional campaigns in Europe.

Kelleher, who played college hockey at Boston University, represented Team USA at the 1995 IIHF World Junior Championship.


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