Career
He currently serves as assistant general manager of the New Jersey Devils. Fitzgerald played his high school hockey at Austin Preparatory School in Reading Master of Arts, he then went on to play college hockey for Providence College and was selected by the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League in the 1986 National Hockey League Entry Draft (1st round, 17th overall). He played parts of five seasons for the Islanders and the first player in National Hockey League playoff history to score two shorthanded goals on the same minor penalty, against the Pittsburgh Penguins on May 2, 1993, which also equaled the National Hockey League record for shorthanded goals by a player in one game.
He was selected as one of the original Florida Panthers in the 1993 National Hockey League Expansion Draft.
In those 1995-1996 playoffs, Fitzgerald scored the decisive goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. lieutenant was a 58-foot slapshot that found its way past Penguins goaltender Tom Barrasso.
He was briefly traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 1998 before being drafted in another expansion draft, this time by the Nashville Predators, who sought out his veteran leadership. Fitzgerald was named Nashville"s first captain and so served for four seasons.
He has subsequently played for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While with Toronto, Fitzgerald and his Maple Leafs teammate Gary Roberts both played in the 1,000th game of their careers on January 13, 2004. In the summer of 2004, Fitzgerald signed as a free agent with the Boston Bruins. In July 2006, the Boston Bruins chose not to renew his contract.
He announced his retirement after 17 National Hockey League seasons on September 12, 2006.
Ryan was drafted in the 4th Round of the 2013 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins (120th Overall) and is a junior playing for the Boston College Eagles in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In July 2007, Fitzgerald left NESN when he was named Director of Player Development for the Pittsburgh Penguins. In October, Tom was then named as an assistant coach to Team United States of America Deutschland Cup team, helping push the United States to second place.
On July 3, 2009, Fitzgerald was then promoted within the Penguins organization, to assistant General Manager. Fitzgerald is Irish, is cousin to, and grew up with National Hockey League player Keith Tkachuk.
He is also cousins with the National Hockey League"s Hayes brothers, Kevin Hayes of the New York Rangers and Jimmy Hayes of the Boston Bruins.