Pittsburgh Penguins make more than 20 cuts to business operations staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Pittsburgh Penguins are making a slew of changes.
KDKA-TV Sports has learned that the Penguins have made more than 20 cuts to their business operations staff. The cuts do not impact the team's hockey operations.
Many of the cuts involve high-level executives who have been with the Penguins for many years.
"This season, we have taken time to evaluate our business operations and concluded that a restructuring was necessary, which included some difficult personnel decisions," Kevin Acklin, the Penguins' president of business operations, said in a statement on Wednesday. "While change is never easy, we believe our plans to reinvest and bolster critical areas of our organization will allow us to build on the high standard of excellence that our fans, players and partners have come to expect."
The moves come after the Penguins missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive season. Pittsburgh has not won a playoff series since 2018, and the team last lifted the Stanley Cup in 2017.
Playoff success has been vital for the Penguins' annual budget expectations.
Fenway Sports Group owns the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Red Sox, Liverpool Football Club and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. NBA superstar LeBron James is among the group's celebrity investors.