Introducing Comets' New GM: Braden Birch
Jul 21, 2026Utica, NY – On May 11th, the New Jersey Devils announced Braden Birch would be the team’s new Assistant General Manager and the General Manager of the Comets. Last week, we caught up with the man who will be the brains behind the Comets’ roster moving forward and the team’s fourth General Manager in franchise history.
The Hamilton, Ontario native is a former defenseman who spent four years at Cornell University and played one year in the pro ranks before starting his working career. During that pro season, Birch played 17 games in the Finnish Elite League (Liiga) with HIFK and 31 total games in the ECHL (25 with the Florida Everblades and six with the Colorado Eagles).
Following the conclusion of his playing career in 2014, Birch joined the Florida Panthers' front office where he would spend the next 12 years, working as Director of Hockey Operations and Salary Cap Management for most of his tenure. He helped the club capture back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025.
Birch’s hiring in New Jersey came nearly a month after the Devils brought on their new General Manager, Sunny Mehta. The two worked alongside one another in Florida, making it a natural fit. In the new role, Birch will assist Mehta and his staff in scouting, contract management, and roster and cap strategy.
Having joined the organization in the springtime, Birch’s onboarding resembled an all-out sprint, with a primary focus on the upcoming Draft and free agency. “That was the bulk of the first month or so and it was like drinking from a firehose. Now we’re getting into training camp, how we want things to work from an NHL standpoint, a minor league standpoint, a development standpoint. So there’s all these different areas we need to focus on to make sure we’re up to speed come October,” Birch noted.
This offseason has looked markedly different from years past with 11 players being signed or acquired via trade who may see time in Utica this season, demonstrating that Mehta and Birch mean business. “I’m really excited about the roster. We’ve made some bets at both the NHL and AHL level. We’ve added guys who we think will be great recalls and will push for an NHL job. We have some great pieces already in place in Utica in some younger prospects like Matyas Melovsky and Xavier Parent. There are also some signings we’ve made, guys like Gabe Klassen and Jeremy Wilmer, who we think have a lot of upside and just need time to develop,” commented Birch when asked about some of the team’s recent transactions.
The plethora of moves has fueled optimism for the upcoming season, and Comets fans are hoping Birch’s championship pedigree will translate to sustained success in Utica. In talking about the back-to-back Cup wins in Florida, Birch reflected, “It’s everyone’s goal and you don’t know if you’re ever going to get there. I got to see the full evolution of a franchise where we were fighting to make the playoffs my first six years to becoming a strong contender over the next six years. You put your blood, sweat, and tears into building a roster and trying to improve the culture. At the end of the day, it’s up to the players, but it was really rewarding to witness that evolution and a dream come true to win those two years.”
While his plans for the rest of the summer are centered on work and getting ready for the season, Birch admitted that he is an avid pickleball player. He found some spare time to get on the court at the league meetings in Hilton Head a couple weeks ago and hopes to play more regularly once things slow down a bit on the work front.
Birch’s first season as an AHL General Manager is quickly approaching as the Comets are set to kick off the 2026-27 campaign on October 2nd in Providence and will open at home against Rochester on October 10th. Tickets for Opening Night are going fast. To reserve your seats, please visit uticacomets.com/tickets or call 315-790-9070.