"He is a truly respected hockey man who deserves all accolades
that have been presented to him. However, where he has helped me the
most is in understanding the sports environment in the city of
Detroit. Jimmy spent countless hours advising me on this sports
landscape upon my arrival in Michigan."
-Dave Dombrowski, President & General Manager, Detroit Tigers (MLB)
"For more than the past 40 years Jim Devellano has had his hands
on the hockey pulse. His remarkable accomplishments make him a Hockey
Icon. Congratulations."
-Scotty Bowman, Consultant, Detroit Red Wings
Jim Devellano is Senior Vice President and
Alternate Governor of the Detroit Red Wings. The first person hired by
Mike and Marian Ilitch after they purchased the struggling Red Wings
in 1982, Devellano built the team into a four-time Stanley Cup winning
franchise as General Manager and then Senior Vice President in charge
of hockey operations. After over 25 seasons with the Red Wings and
more than 40 years in the National Hockey League, Jimmy D. is one of
the most accomplished and respected executives in the NHL. He is the
proud owner of 14 championship rings: seven Stanley Cup rings (three
with the New York Islanders and four with Detroit), three Calder Cup
rings (AHL), two Adams Cup rings (CHL), one Riley Cup ring (ECHL), and
one American League championship ring with the Detroit Tigers of major
league baseball for whom he also serves as Senior Vice-President.
Devellano continues to be a driving force behind the Red Wings'
success as well as a strong influence in the evolution and improvement
of the league itself, campaigning for opening up the NHL draft to the
public in NHL arenas, and for instituting the four-on-four overtime
format. Before joining the Red Wings, Devellano helped build the
three-time Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders team as a scout and
Assistant General Manager. He also served as a scout with the St.
Louis Blues and as General Manager of the Islanders' Indianapolis farm
club (CHL), where he was named Minor League Executive of the Year by
The Hockey News. Devellano has set up two private foundations
supporting mainly children's charities in the United States and
Canada. He resides in Detroit, Michigan, Toronto, Ontario, and
Sarasota, Florida.
Roger Lajoie is one of the busiest guys in sports media,
operating Triumph Sports Communications (www. rogerlajoie. com). He
is best known to Toronto sports fans as a sports talk show host on The
FAN 590. As a North American sports correspondent for the Reuters News
Agency, Roger has covered events such as the Stanley Cup final, the
World Series, the NBA finals, the NCAA Final Four, and MLB's All-Star
Game. Roger is seen during junior hockey season on Rogers TV's
coverage of the Oshawa Generals and Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
and has done junior broadcast work on Rogers Sportsnet. He covers the
OHL for the Toronto Sun and teaches at the College of Sports Media in
downtown Toronto. Roger lives with his wife Rita and family in
Courtice, Ontario.
