© William Douglas

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. — Sunny Mehta, who deals in probability for a living, marveled about the improbable odds of having his name etched on the Stanley Cup.

He stated, “As a child from New Jersey, born to immigrant parents, and someone with average athletic abilities, I never imagined I would be standing here holding the Stanley Cup. This goes to show that if you dare to dream big, you never know what incredible possibilities await you.”

On Monday afternoon, Mehta, the assistant general manager and head of analytics for the Florida Panthers, returned to his alma mater, Ramapo High School, with the prestigious Cup as a part of his special day.

The occasion was a homecoming, presenting Mehta and his wife, Nicole, with the perfect opportunity to thoroughly relish Florida’s triumphant 4-3 series victory against the Edmonton Oilers in the Cup Final.

Following a Q&A session in the school’s auditorium and posing for pictures with the Cup, Mehta organized a special viewing exclusively for Ramapo’s hockey team and its alumni. To wrap up the day, he and his wife attended a private party with Stanley.

Mehta expressed, “It has been an incredibly long time since I last visited this high school and I haven’t resided in this area for nearly three decades. However, this place holds great significance for me as it is where my upbringing took place and where I honed my skills in hockey. The lessons and abilities I acquired here have played a vital role in my achievements, so it feels wonderful to contribute back to the community.”

© William Douglas

Ramapo students, alumni, and Mehta’s childhood friends were filled with joy when he made the decision to bring the Cup to the high school where he humbly claimed to have been a “forward/benchwarmer” for its hockey team between 1992 and 1996.

Anand Shukla, a childhood friend who used to play street hockey with Mehta, expressed his disbelief by saying, “Can you believe it? Mehta went from high school and playing on the school team to winning the Stanley Cup. It’s incredible! It’s not just about achieving personal success, but also about inspiring other students and young hockey players. This accomplishment proves that dreams can truly come true.”

When an email from Mehta came in on July 8, asking if he could bring the Cup to the school, Mike McLachlan, head coach of Ramapo’s hockey program, admitted that he initially found it hard to believe.

McLachlan, the driver returning home from a hockey tournament in Suffern, New York, shared, “I was so startled that I nearly veered off the road. Initially, I was tempted to discard it, assuming it was spam. I mean, how often do you receive a message asking, ‘Can you be the host for the Stanley Cup?'”

Mehta confessed that he was uncertain about how to spend his day with the Cup at first.

In his journey to the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft in Las Vegas, he sought advice from Mario Della-Savia, an outreach specialist at the Hockey Hall of Fame, and Phil Pritchard, famously known as the Keeper of the Cup and the curator of the Hall of Fame. They traveled together from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to ensure he had the necessary guidance for the event.

Della-Savia explained, “I suggested that it would be best to bring it to the community and ensure that you also have a good time. It’s important not to overextend yourself and lose the enjoyment by being pulled in all directions. The goal is to have fun.”

On Monday, Mehta seemed to accomplish exactly that by engaging in conversations with his teammates from a less-than-stellar hockey team. He shared anecdotes and enlightened them about his groundbreaking work as an analytics pioneer in the NHL.

© William Douglas

Mehta, born to an Indian mother and a father with Indian ancestry, embarked on an extraordinary and vibrant journey to reach the NHL and ultimately win the Cup.

He has pursued various careers in different cities, including being a musician in New Orleans, a professional poker player in Vegas, a best-selling author specializing in poker, and a proprietary derivatives trader in Chicago.

Ever since he first witnessed the New Jersey Devils practice on one of the two ice sheets at the local rink in Totowa during his childhood, hockey has remained his ultimate passion.

After growing up in Wyckoff, New Jersey, the individual pursued their passion for music at the Frost School of Music in the University of Miami, specializing in jazz guitar. They later embarked on a musical career in New Orleans.

Afterwards, he acquired skills in poker through self-teaching and started making money by playing at various casinos. Mehta decided to temporarily move to Las Vegas to pursue a full-time career in poker, but eventually returned to New Orleans where he resided for a consecutive five-year period.

Math was the underlying thread connecting Mehta’s diverse journey. He initially employed it within a growing group of individuals dedicated to sharing their hockey analytics findings on the internet.

© Courtney McLachlan

After his successful work, he secured a consulting analytics position in 2011 with Matthew Hulsizer, who was then aspiring to become the owner of the Phoenix Coyotes. When his tenure in this role concluded, Mehta ventured into trading options in Chicago.

Mehta stated, “People often wonder how I transitioned from poker to this. However, I find quite a few similarities between these activities. In each case, I rely on probability and statistics to make predictions. While playing poker, I utilized these tools to anticipate my opponents’ hands. In options trading, I predicted the volatility of stocks. And now, in hockey, my aim is simply to forecast the performance of hockey players.”

In 2013, Josh Harris and David Blitzer’s acquisition of a majority stake in the Devils marked a significant turning point in his NHL career. Subsequently, he was appointed as the director of the league’s inaugural full-time analytics department, a role he held from 2014 until 2018.

Following his departure from the Devils, Mehta pursued a master’s degree in data science at The City University of New York. Simultaneously, he provided consultation services to the Washington Capitals and collaborated with Zelus Analytics to offer his expertise to six Major League Baseball teams.

In August 2020, he became part of the Panthers organization as the vice president of hockey strategy and intelligence. Then, in September 2023, he earned a promotion to his current role.