Devils GM Sunny Mehta says Martin Brodeur ‘got hosed’ for 2003 Conn Smythe

Sunny Mehta, the newly hired general manager of the New Jersey Devils, held his introductory press conference on Tuesday, and he took the opportunity to get some takes about legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur off his chest, while simultaneously proving his Devils fan bona fides.

“I actually went to Game 7 in 2003. Marty got completely hosed on the Conn Smythe,” Mehta opined. “It should not have been (J-S Giguère). But anyway, in case it’s not obvious, this is my heart.”

Mehta, who grew up a Devils fan in Wyckoff, New Jersey, continued to endear himself to New Jersey’s fanbase, invoking the franchise’s glory days as he described his Devils fandom.

“I remember I think it was the 1987-88 run when we made it to the conference finals for the first time. It was incredible,” he recalled. “I was devastated in 1994 by the Matteau goal, and I was elated in 1995, 2000, 2003.”

Mehta made it clear that to him, this is more than just a job, but in fact a life-long dream come true.

“This is where I’ve always wanted to be,” Mehta explained. “This is where I want to be. This is where I grew up. I was seven years old, and my mom used to take me to the old rink to watch this team practice.”

The 48-year-old Mehta, who was previously the assistant GM of the Florida Panthers and started the NHL’s first full-time analytics department as the Devils’ director of hockey analytics in 2014, did more than just walk down memory lane on Tuesday. He also shared the beliefs, goals, and expectations he has for a Devils team that has made the playoffs just three times in the past 14 years.

“I’m extremely optimistic about this team, we have a lot of talented players, and I really truly believe that these talented players are about to hit an inflection point and get over that hurdle,” Mehta said. “I want to put a winning team on the ice with smart and educated decisions to be a championship team.”

He is now tasked with building New Jersey’s next dynasty around a core led by star forward Jack Hughes.