DEVILS ANNOUNCE NEW COMETS GM BRADEN BIRCH
May 11, 2026Utica, NY – New Jersey Devils General Manager Sunny Mehta announced today that Braden Birch has been named Assistant General Manager.
The Hamilton, Ontario native will serve as the Comets’ new General Manager, the fourth in franchise history. He succeeds Dan MacKinnon who held the post for the previous five seasons. Birch will also assist Mehta and his staff in scouting, contract management, and roster and cap strategy.
The 36-year-old joins the Devils organization after spending 12 years with the Florida Panthers, working as Director of Hockey Operations and Salary Cap Management over the past five years, and previously serving as Special Assistant to the General Manager when he first joined the organization. Birch worked alongside Mehta in Florida and played a pivotal role in the team’s back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2024 and 2025. His blend of on-ice and management experience will be an asset in his new role and help strengthen hockey operations in both New Jersey and Utica.
The former left-shot defenseman was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the sixth round (179th overall) in the 2008 NHL Draft. He made his professional debut in 2013-14, playing a total of 31 games with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades and Colorado Eagles and recording a combined six points (1g-5a). He also suited up in 17 games with HIFK in Liiga (Finland) where he was an assistant captain. Before his professional campaign, Birch played four seasons at Cornell University (ECAC) from 2009 to 2013, where he recorded 21 points (5g-16a) in 128 career games. He served as tri-captain during his senior season with the Big Red and also obtained a master’s degree in Sports Management from Florida Atlantic.