Penguins hire former Leafs GM Dubas as president of hockey operations
The Pittsburgh Penguins have named former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas its new president of hockey operations, the club announced Thursday.
The Penguins say Dubas, 37, will oversee all aspects of the team's hockey operations department including establishing the strategic vision and philosophy for the franchise.
The hiring comes just weeks after the Penguins dismissed general manager Ron Hextall, director of hockey operations Brian Burke and assistant general manager Chris Pryor after the club failed to reach the playoffs for the first time in 17 years.
The Maple Leafs fired Dubas on May 19, less than a week after the team suffered a second-round playoff defeat to the Florida Panthers.
Dubas, who had been Toronto's GM since 2018 and didn't have a contract beyond June 30, suggested at an end of season news conference May 15 he wasn't sure he wanted to remain in the role -- at least in part because of the stress on his young family.
Former Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving was named Toronto's general manager Wednesday.
Dubas takes over a team that still believes it can compete for a Stanley Cup if it builds properly around the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. While Crosby and Malkin were excellent for much of last season while Letang dealt with multiple setbacks -- including a stroke and the death of his father -- Pittsburgh struggled to gain any real momentum during much of the 2022-23 season and stumbled down the stretch to snap the longest active playoff streak in major North American Sports.
"Throughout his career, Kyle has proven himself as a forward-thinking hockey mind and embodies all of the qualities -- integrity, intelligence, and an unwavering commitment to building a winning culture -- that we value in a leader at the Penguins and within Fenway Sports Group," FSG principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner said in a statement.
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas speaks to reporters after a locker clean out at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, on Thursday, April 25, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov)
Dubas comes to Pittsburgh after nine seasons with the Maple Leafs organization, including the last five as general manager. Toronto won a postseason series for the first time since 2004 this spring before falling to Florida in the Eastern Conference semifinals in five games.
While the Penguins remain one of the NHL's marquee teams, they also haven't advanced out of the first round of the postseason since 2018. Dubas takes over the NHL's oldest team, one with several players with no-trade clauses and a handful of onerous contracts that could be difficult to move. Pittsburgh's farm system is also in need of a major upgrade after the team spent years dealing prospects for more established players as part of a "win-now" mindset.
Dubas helped build the Maple Leafs into a regular-season power during his tenure. Toronto set single-season records for wins and points, and went 221-109-42 in his tenure. Dubas also didn't shy away from big moves -- he fired Stanley Cup-winning coach Mike Babcock in November 2019 and replaced him with Sheldon Keefe -- but struggled to find the right mix in the playoffs until this spring.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.