The Road to Hockeytown
Jimmy Devellano’s Forty Years in the NHL
Autobiography Offers Insight into the Life of One of Hockey’s Greatest Masterminds
No one knows Hockeytown like Jimmy Devellano. He never played or coached, but Devellano has lived his life in hockey and is one of the most respected executives in the game. Since being hired by Mike and Marian Ilitch in 1982, Devellano has helped shape the Detroit Red Wings into one of the most respected and admired franchises in all of sports. Under Devellano’s tutelage, the Red Wings have won four Stanley Cup Championships, participated in five Stanley Cup Finals, collected six Presidents’ Trophies, won eight regular season Western Conference championships and 14 division championships.
Devellano, currently Red Wings Senior Vice President and Alternate Governor, can be credited with building the Wings by drafting future Hall-of-Famer Steve Yzerman and suggesting the hiring of coach extraordinaire Scotty Bowman. Having assembled a strong European scouting staff in 1984, Devellano can also be credited with helping draft current Red Wings standouts Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom, Niklas Kronwall, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Henrik Zetterberg.
From his humble beginnings in the working-class neighborhood of Cabbagetown in Toronto of the 1940s, to the years of glory and parades in Hockeytown, Jimmy D. has seen it all along the way. “The Road to Hockeytown” gives a rare glimpse inside the world of hockey from an unusual perspective — through the eyes of one of the game’s greatest executives.
“The Road to Hockeytown” is personal account of Devellano’s life and his more than 40 incredible years in the game of hockey gives an insider’s insight into the business and personalities of the game and a behind-the-scenes look at what the players and coaches are really like; how they are assessed, hired, and fired; how decisions are made on draft day; and how deals and trades really get done.
Devellano has left his indelible mark on the game of hockey everywhere he has gone, from Cabbagetown to Hockeytown. As told to veteran journalist and broadcaster Roger Lajoie, “The Road to Hockeytown” is a fascinating memoir of a life lived in hockey.
From Red Wings Owners Mike and Marian Ilitch
“Although Jimmy never played professional hockey himself, he was born with an intense love for the game and has devoted his life to hockey. He lives and breathes the game. Hockey is better off because of Jimmy Devellano.”
From Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland
“He is my mentor. He gave me my first opportunity to get into the business. When he came to Detroit, one of the things he talked about was he was never going to trade a draft pick. He’s a tremendous architect.”
About the Authors
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. 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.
Details
- Hardcover: 301 pages
- Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.
- Available: 1-800-WINGS-25, Joe Louis Arena Merchandise Stands and Hockeytown Authentics in Troy
Source: Detroit Red Wings