NEWARK, N.J. — Former Cornell men's hockey defenseman Braden Birch '13 has been named assistant general manager of the New Jersey Devils, the franchise announced Monday morning.
Birch is the first front-office hire of new Devils general manager Sunny Mehta, who was hired on April 16 to succeed Tom Fitzgerald. The two worked together in the Florida Panthers' front office for the past six seasons, a tenure that included back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025.
"Braden will be an extremely valuable addition to our senior hockey operations group," Mehta said. "His blend of on-ice experience, management background and intellect will serve him well in his new role. I look forward to him joining our existing front office, where his personality and work ethic will fit in excellently."
In addition to his duties as assistant GM, Birch will serve as general manager of the Utica Comets, New Jersey's AHL affiliate, and assist the Devils in scouting, contract management and salary cap strategy.
"I am really excited to take this next step in my professional career," Birch said. "I look forward to working with Sunny and his group on returning the Devils to the levels of success that we believe they can achieve."
Birch spent the previous 10 seasons with the Panthers, the last five as director of hockey operations and salary cap management. He joined the organization before the 2016-17 season as a special assistant to then-GM Tom Rowe and was elevated to director of hockey operations the following year. He had the salary cap management portion of his title added prior to the 2021-22 campaign.
Playing for the Big Red from 2009-13, Birch appeared in 128 games at Cornell, posting 21 points (5-16—21). He served as a tri-captain during his senior season, sharing the captaincy with Erik Axell and Nick D'Agostino.
After graduating in 2013, Birch played one professional season split between HIFK Helsinki in Finland's Liiga — where he served as an alternate captain — and two ECHL clubs. He totaled one assist in 17 games with HIFK before returning stateside, recording six points (1-5—6) in 31 games with the Florida Everblades and Colorado Eagles. The Everblades have been owned by Cornell hockey alumnus Craig Brush '72 since the franchise's founding in 1998.
