Poile Reflects on Passing of Former Predators Assistant General Manager, Close Friend, Ray Shero

Ray Shero, a former Predators Assistant General Manager, Stanley Cup Champion and beloved figure in the world of hockey, passed away on Wednesday. He was 62.

Reaction from across the sport was swift and somber for one of the more popular people in the game. Known for his infectious smile, shrewd business acumen and affinity for telling stories that made everyone feel as though they were one of his best friends, Shero was truly one of a kind.

His impact throughout the game of hockey - including Nashville - was immense, and he helped build the Predators from the ground up.

Starting with the Preds as an assistant GM in 1998, the franchise’s first season in the NHL, through 2006, Shero was one of former Predators General Manager David Poile’s closest confidants. Shero was in attendance for Poile’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame last November, something he simply wouldn't have missed.

Poile reflected on Shero’s life Wednesday morning upon hearing the news, and there’s one thing that instantly came to mind.

“He made me laugh every day,” Poile said of Shero. “He made a long day of work very enjoyable. The first thing when you see him is that smile - a huge smile. He was always upbeat, always had a ton of energy that he brought to our organization, to our team. Work is hard enough as it is, so you’ve got to have some fun along the way, and Ray brought that in spades every day.”

Poile and Shero had many things in common. For one, they were raised in hockey.

Poile’s father, Bud, was a manager of teams, including the Philadelphia Flyers, and Shero’s father, Fred, was the legendary coach of the Flyers when they won two Stanley Cups in the 1970s. Both Poile and Shero were college hockey players - David at Northeastern, Ray at St. Lawrence - and once they worked together in Nashville, they also saw time together with USA Hockey with Olympics, World Championships and the like.

“Ray was a big part of the growth of the Predators, from what I would call that expansion era into our most successful times that we had as a franchise,” Poile said. “He was certainly my right-hand man during all those years, which obviously led to him becoming a Stanley Cup winning general manager in Pittsburgh.”

Shero left Nashville for Pittsburgh in 2006, and Poile was immensely proud of the success Shero went on to have as his career blossomed.

In the present day, Shero was in the midst of his fourth season as senior adviser to Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin, whom he acquired as a player in 2008-09 and hired as a development coach in 2011-12 with the Penguins.

Prior to landing in Minnesota, Shero spent 13 seasons as an NHL GM, first with the Penguins from 2006-14 and the New Jersey Devils from 2015-20. He also served on the United States management team for two Olympics, in 2010 in Vancouver and in 2014 in Sochi.

Before he arrived in Nashville, Shero was an assistant GM with the Ottawa Senators from 1993-98.

Shero’s successes as a hockey executive were plentiful, but Shero the person? That’s the man Poile will remember - and miss - most.

“Maybe hockey is not a popularity contest, but Ray was pretty popular,” Poile said. “He was an extremely popular guy with everybody he interacted with, going back to his friends in St. Lawrence, to all the hockey guys that he has interacted with over the years. You know that big smile, that big personality, the storytelling made Ray not only a great hockey guy, but one of the people that you considered a friend and always wanted to be with and around.”