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James Devellano (born January 18, 1943) is a Canadian sports executive. He currently serves as the senior vice-president & alternate governor of the Detroit Red Wings
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) team and vice-president of the Detroit Tigers
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) team. He is also part owner and alternate governor of the
Saginaw Spirit The Saginaw Spirit are a major junior ice hockey team based in Saginaw, Michigan. They are members of the West Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of the Major Junior leagues of the Canadian Hockey League ...
. During Devellano's time with the Red Wings, he played a large role in building the teams that eventually won two consecutive Stanley Cup Championships, including bringing the
Russian Five The Russian Five was the nickname given to the unit of five Russian ice hockey players from the Soviet Union that played for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League in the 1990s. The five players were Sergei Fedorov, Vladimir Konstan ...
together, three of whom he persuaded to defect from Russia in order to play for the Wings.


Early career

Devellano is originally from the Toronto area, growing up in the Cabbagetown and
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
areas. In 1959, he dropped out of high school after failing grade 9
algebra Algebra () is one of the broad areas of mathematics. Roughly speaking, algebra is the study of mathematical symbols and the rules for manipulating these symbols in formulas; it is a unifying thread of almost all of mathematics. Elementary ...
, and found work in the Toronto garment district for 80 cents an hour. He also spent time coaching and playing hockey, and closely followed the
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
and
Toronto Marlboros The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated junior ice hockey and senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association and later the Ontario Hockey League. The Marlboros ...
. In the 1960s, Devellano was employed by the
Canadian government The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-in ...
as a
claims adjuster A claims adjuster, desk adjuster, field adjuster, or general adjuster (claim adjuster, claims handler, claim handler or loss adjuster in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, the Caribbean and New Zealand) investigates insurance cla ...
. During his frequent business trips, Devellano watched as many major junior hockey games as he could, and eventually found a job with the
St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
, working on spec (essentially no guaranteed compensation) as an amateur scout for general manager
Lynn Patrick Joseph Lynn Patrick (February 3, 1912 – January 26, 1980) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and executive. As a player, Patrick played ten seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers. He was twice named to the NHL ...
and head scout
Frank Mario Frank George Mario (February 25, 1921 — June 18, 1995) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 53 games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins between 1941 and 1945. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1941 t ...
. Devellano and Patrick had met in person during the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft in Montreal. One of the first players Devellano recommended, Gary Edwards, was drafted in the first round by the Blues in the 1968 NHL Draft. Also a part of the Blues organization at the time was
Scotty Bowman William Scott Bowman, OC (born September 18, 1933) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs and ...
, who was first an assistant coach and assistant general manager, and later head coach of the Blues.


New York Islanders

In 1972 Devellano was hired by general manager Bill Torrey and head scout Ed Chadwick as an Eastern Canada scout for the expansion New York Islanders. In his first season, he scouted "no-brainer" number 1 overall pick
Denis Potvin # Denis Charles Potvin (born October 29, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman and team captain for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is a four-time Stanley Cup winner as a member of the earl ...
, whom the Islanders selected in the 1973 NHL Draft. Devellano also played a role in nominating
Al Arbour Alger Joseph Arbour (November 1, 1932 – August 28, 2015) was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and executive. He is third to Joel Quenneville for games coached in National Hockey League history and fifth all-time in wins, behind Scotty Bo ...
, a former player in St. Louis, to be Islanders head coach. In 1974, Devellano was promoted to Director of Scouting, where he would be overseeing the Islanders drafts. He also served as general manager for the Islanders minor league affiliate, the
Indianapolis Checkers The Indianapolis Checkers were a minor league professional ice hockey team from Indianapolis, Indiana. The Checkers' home arena was the Fairgrounds Coliseum from 1981 to 1985 and Market Square Arena from 1979 to 1981 and again from 1985 to 1987. Th ...
of the
Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which opera ...
. In 1981, Devellano was named Assistant General Manager of the Islanders after Stanley Cup championships in 1980 and 1981. After winning the Stanley Cup again in 1982, Devellano invested his playoff bonus of $25,000 into Maple Leaf Gardens Limited. Devellano received three Stanley Cup rings with the Islanders; two as scout (1980, 1981) and one as Assistant General Manager/Director of Scouting (1982). Some of the Islanders drafted during his tenure include Denis Potvin,
Bryan Trottier Bryan John Trottier (born July 17, 1956) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won four Stanley Cups with the ...
, Mike Bossy,
Clark Gillies Clark Gillies (April 7, 1954 – January 21, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played for the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League between 1974 and 1988. Gillies served as captain of the Island ...
, John Tonelli, Ken Morrow, and
Brent Sutter Brent Colin Sutter (born June 10, 1962) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player and former head coach of the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames. Selected by the New York Islanders 17th overall at the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, Sut ...
.


Detroit Red Wings

Devellano was hired as general manager for the Detroit Red Wings by new owner Mike Ilitch in the summer of 1982. Devellano served as the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings from 1982–1990, and again from 1994-1997. He remained in the Red Wings front office as a vice president during Bryan Murray's tenure as GM from 1990-1994. During his second stint as GM, Devellano served alongside Red Wings head coach
Scotty Bowman William Scott Bowman, OC (born September 18, 1933) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs and ...
, who also held the title of Director of Player Personnel. Devellano was instrumental in bringing the
Russian Five The Russian Five was the nickname given to the unit of five Russian ice hockey players from the Soviet Union that played for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League in the 1990s. The five players were Sergei Fedorov, Vladimir Konstan ...
to the Red Wings. He drafted
Sergei Fedorov Sergei Viktorovich Fyodorov (; born December 13, 1969) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player and the current head coach of CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). During his playing career, for which he is best known fo ...
,
Vladimir Konstantinov Vladimir Nikolaevich Konstantinov (russian: Владимир Николаевич Константинов; born March 19, 1967) is a Russian-American former professional ice hockey player who played his entire National Hockey League (NHL) caree ...
, and Vyacheslav Kozlov while all three were still playing in Russia, and later played a role in helping them defect to the United States so that they could play in the NHL. He added
Slava Fetisov Viacheslav Alexandrovich "Slava" Fetisov (Russian: Вячеслав Александрович Фетисов, ''Vjačeslav Aleksandrovič Fetisov''; born 20 April 1958) is a Russian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played for HC CS ...
in a trade with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, and then acquired
Igor Larionov Igor Nikolayevich Larionov (russian: Игорь Николаевич Ларионов; born 3 December 1960) is a Russian ice hockey coach, sports agent and former professional ice hockey player, known as "the Professor". Along with Viacheslav ...
just after the start of the 1995-1996 season by trading Ray Sheppard to the
San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
. Detroit went on to win two consecutive Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998, and won two more in 2002 and 2008. After the Stanley Cup Championship 1997 season, Devellano was named Senior Vice President and Alternate Governor, Bowman remained as head coach, and Assistant General Manager Ken Holland was named General Manager. On September 22, 2012, the Red Wings were fined $250,000 by the NHL after Devellano made public comments about the
2012 NHL lockout 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length  ...
during negotiations between the owners and the players' union. Owners and team officials had been warned that they would be fined if they made any such comments after the lockout began.


Detroit Tigers

On June 7, 2001, Detroit Tigers owner Mike Ilitch reorganized the team's front office. He named Devellano Senior Vice President, and tasked him with providing advice and expertise to the Tigers' business and marketing operations. During Devellano's tenure, the Tigers won the American League Championship in 2006 and 2012.


Later career

As of 2017, Devellano continues to serve as Senior Vice President and Alternate Governor for the Red Wings. He divides his time between Detroit, Toronto, and
Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...
. In 2006, Devellano was named to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. In 2008, Devellano co-authored his autobiography with
sportswriter Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...
and radio personality Roger Lajoie titled ''The Road to Hockeytown: Jimmy Devellano's Forty Years in the NHL''. In 2009, Devellano earned the Lester Patrick Award for his outstanding service to the sport of hockey in the United States. Also in 2009, Devellano was named to the Board of the Directors of the Indianapolis Indians, the Triple A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the International League. Devellano is a minority owner of the franchise. Devellano was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on June 22, 2010. He was inducted November 8, 2010. In August 2016, Devellano became a part-owner of the
Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...
's
Saginaw Spirit The Saginaw Spirit are a major junior ice hockey team based in Saginaw, Michigan. They are members of the West Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of the Major Junior leagues of the Canadian Hockey League ...
. A few days later, former Red Wing goaltender
Chris Osgood Christopher John Osgood (born November 26, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently a Detroit Red Wings studio analyst and part-time color commentator for Bally Sports Detroit. He won three Stanley Cup champi ...
also joined the ownership group of the
Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
-based team.


Legacy

In interviews and in his autobiography, Devellano recalled that the one player he tried to acquire on several occasions was
Ray Bourque Raymond Jean Bourque (born December 28, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He holds records for most career goals, assists, and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). He won the James Norris Memoria ...
; and that he recommended
Scotty Bowman William Scott Bowman, OC (born September 18, 1933) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs and ...
and
Al Arbour Alger Joseph Arbour (November 1, 1932 – August 28, 2015) was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and executive. He is third to Joel Quenneville for games coached in National Hockey League history and fifth all-time in wins, behind Scotty Bo ...
over
Mike Keenan Michael Edward Keenan (born October 21, 1949) is a Canadian professional hockey coach who most recently coached the Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League. Previously, he served as head coach and/or general manager with several NHL team ...
as candidates to be the Wings coach in 1993. He said his best trade was probably in 1996, acquiring
Brendan Shanahan Brendan Frederick Shanahan (born January 23, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player who currently serves as the president and alternate governor for the Toronto Maple Leafs, having previously served as the direct ...
and Brian Glynn from the
Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to ...
in exchange for
Keith Primeau Keith David Primeau (born November 24, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers. ...
,
Paul Coffey Paul Douglas Coffey (born June 1, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for nine teams over 21 seasons in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among ...
, and a 1997 first-round draft pick ( Nikos Tselios). Another of his favorite trades was sending
Kelly Kisio Kelvin Wade Kisio (born September 18, 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who currently serves as a scout for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kisio played 761 games in the NHL as a centre for th ...
to the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
for goaltender Glen Hanlon. Devellano admitted that his worst trade was sending
Adam Oates Adam Robert Oates (born August 27, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, former co-head coach for the New Jersey Devils and former head coach for the Washington Capitals. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League ...
and Paul MacLean to the
St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
after the 1988-89 season for
Bernie Federko Bernard Allan Federko (born May 12, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre of Ukrainian ancestry who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1976 through 1990. Playing career Federko began playing hockey at ...
and
Tony McKegney Anthony Syiid McKegney (born February 15, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1978–79 until 1990–91. He is the first black player in NHL history to score 40 goal ...
. Oates went on to play 19 seasons in the NHL and ranks sixth in all-time assists. Federko played one season in Detroit before retiring, and McKegney lasted only 14 games before he was traded. Recollecting, Devellano called Islanders forward Mike Bossy "the best pure goal scorer" he had ever seen. Devellano has been a part of 15 championship teams: seven Stanley Cup wins with the Islanders (1980, 1981, 1982), and Red Wings (1997, 1998, 2002, 2008); three
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
Calder Cup The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its cur ...
wins with the
Adirondack Red Wings The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, United States at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the Nation ...
(1986, 1989, 1992); two
Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which opera ...
Adams Cup wins with the
Fort Worth Texans The Fort Worth Texans were a professional ice hockey team based in Fort Worth, Texas. They started play in 1967 as the Fort Worth Wings, a minor league affiliate for the Detroit Red Wings. They were part of the Central Hockey League and played t ...
(1978) and
Indianapolis Checkers The Indianapolis Checkers were a minor league professional ice hockey team from Indianapolis, Indiana. The Checkers' home arena was the Fairgrounds Coliseum from 1981 to 1985 and Market Square Arena from 1979 to 1981 and again from 1985 to 1987. Th ...
(1982); one
East Coast Hockey League The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The E ...
Riley Cup win with the
Toledo Storm The Toledo Storm were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the ECHL from 1991 to 2007. The Storm played their home games at the venerable Toledo Sports Arena along the eastern banks of the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The team colors ...
(1994); and two American League Championship wins with the Detroit Tigers (2006, 2012).


References


External links


Jim Devellano's Detroit Red Wings Biography

Family Heritage Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devellano, Jim 1943 births Living people Canadian people of English descent Canadian people of Italian descent Canadian people of Russian descent Detroit Red Wings executives Detroit Red Wings general managers Detroit Tigers executives Hockey Hall of Fame inductees Ice hockey people from Ontario Lester Patrick Trophy recipients New York Islanders executives New York Islanders scouts St. Louis Blues scouts Sportspeople from Toronto Stanley Cup champions