A significant and beloved late member of the Pittsburgh Penguins' community has received a high honor from the NHL and USA Hockey.
On Friday, former Penguins' general manager Ray Shero - who died in April - was posthumously awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy, which recognizes outstanding service to hockey in the United States. Shero's surviving family will accept the award in his honor during the 2025 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Dec. 10.
Shero was hired as the Penguins' GM in the summer of 2006, which directly followed Sidney Crosby's rookie season and the Penguins' disappointing finish as the second-worst team in the league. Through draft selections, savvy trade deadline moves, and a go-for-it mentality, Shero became beloved in Pittsburgh and helped lead the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances in 2008 and 2009 - the latter of which resulted in Pittsburgh's first Stanley Cup since 1992.
He remained with the Penguins' organization until 2014, and he moved on to the New Jersey Devils as GM in 2015 and stayed in that post until 2020. Most recently, he held an advising position with the Minnesota Wild, and he held that position until his death.
Bill Guerin keeps Ray Shero in his heart on the opening day of camp in Minnesota:pic.twitter.com/L76JuH4PMG
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) September 18, 2025
Shero also held assistant GM positions with the Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators, and he was also the assistant GM for the U.S. Olympic team at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.
Even In Passing, Shero Leaves Legacy On Penguins OrganizationIt's hard to talk about the Sidney Crosby-era Pittsburgh Penguins without talking about former general manager Ray Shero.
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