Penguins name ex-Maple Leafs general manger Kyle Dubas as president of hockey operations
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Penguins and Fenway Sports Group have announced that they have hired Kyle Dubas as president of hockey operations.
After weeks of speculation, the team made the announcement official.
"On behalf of my family, we are thrilled to join the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and all of the incredible people across Fenway Sports Group," said Dubas. "I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity that lies ahead of me. The ownership group, FSG leadership, and the Penguins staff on the ground in Pittsburgh have been absolutely outstanding. Everyone has demonstrated a clear commitment to building a best-in-class hockey operation."
Dubas will oversee all aspects of the Penguins hockey operations department, which includes establishing the strategic vision for the franchise.
"We are thrilled to welcome Kyle to the Pittsburgh Penguins," said Fenway Sports Group Principal Owner John Henry and Chairman Tom Werner in a joint statement. "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."
Last month, Dubas and the Toronto Maple Leafs agreed to part ways after nine seasons, five of which Dubas served as general manager.
Despite only a single playoff series victory in those nine seasons, Dubas oversaw building a roster with plenty of talent, not being afraid to swing a big trade to acquire players such as Ryan O'Reilly, or signing some of the bigger free agents on the market, as he did with John Tavares.
The 37-year-old Dubas is something of a wunderkind, going from being the youngest player agent certified by the National Hockey League to making the leap from the Soo Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the Canadian Hockey League and then being hired as assistant general manager for the Maple Leafs in his late-20s.
Multiple times last year, PPG Paints Arena echoed with chants of "fire Hextall." After the season ended, they got their wish.
"A terrible mess, that's for sure. The fans are not terribly happy right now with what happened there," Billy Anger of Pittsburgh said.
Dubas will have a formidable task ahead of him as the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 17 years, find themselves up against the salary cap and do not have a lot of assets to move or assets to develop.
"Kyle Dubas is the man, is going to be the guy who either will make the Penguins relevant again and back into the playoffs and maybe contend for a cup or not," Chris Mueller of 93.7 The Fan said.
Fans seem to have some cautious optimism right now. They may not know a ton about the new hire, but they think he can handle the job better than his predecessor.
"They just looked so flat most of the time when they were playing. I don't know if they were tired from traveling," Lisa Price of Pittsburgh said.
Fans know the window is closing on a championship, but they hope there is still one more in there.
"We have Crosby, Letang and Malkin. Their years are limited and if we are going to make a move, we need to do it now," Tim Piett of Shaler said.
The NHL Draft is set for June 28 and the Penguins currently hold the 14th overall pick in the first round.