Brett Peterson Named USA Hockey GM; 1st Black Executive to Hold Position

Florida Panthers assistant general manager Brett Peterson will serve as general manager of the U.S. men's national hockey team for the 2024 IIHF Men's World Championship, USA Hockey announced Thursday.

Peterson will be the team's first Black general manager, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

Peterson also became the NHL's first Black assistant general manager when joining the Florida Panthers in 2020.

Under the direction of Peterson and GM Bill Zito, the Panthers have since appeared in three straight postseasons and the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.

Prior to joining the Panthers front office, Peterson served as Wasserman Media's vice president of hockey, worked as an NHLPA-certified player agent and played hockey at the AHL level.

He will now build the men's roster for the 2024 championship, which is set to take place from May 10-16 in Czechia.

Zito will also contribute to the team's roster construction. The Panthers GM is a member of the U.S. men's national team advisory group assembled to assist Peterson.

Nine other NHL general managers will be involved in building the roster, including the Buffalo Sabres' Kevyn Adams, Calgary Flames' Craig Conroy, New York Rangers' Chris Drury, New Jersey Devils' Tom Fitzgerald, San Jose Sharks' Mike Grier, Minnesota Wild's Bill Guerin, New York Islanders' Lou Lamoriello, Colorado Avalanche's Chris MacFarland and Carolina Hurricanes' Don Waddell.

This group will continue USA Hockey's quest to win gold at the men's world championship, a feat the team has not accomplished since 1933.

The men's team also hasn't won silver since 1950. Its last medal was a bronze in 2021.

Team USA made it to the semifinal in the tournament last May but blew a third-period lead to Germany and lost in overtime. The 2023 roster featured no NHL All-Star players for the first time since 2010.

Worlds will once again take place during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so rosters can't include players whose teams are still active in the postseason.

John Vanbiesbrouck, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey, said Peterson's "extensive knowledge of the overall player pool in our country" will help construct the roster despite that limitation.

One notable American star on Peterson and Zito's Panthers roster is Scottsdale, Arizona native Matthew Tkachuk, who previously represented the United States at the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.