Penguins hire Kyle Dubas as president of hockey operations
Move comes less than 2 weeks after former Maple Leafs' GM was dismissed by Toronto
Less than two weeks after being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs as the team's general manager, Kyle Dubas has found a new home.
The 37-year-old was hired by the Pittsburgh Penguins as their president of hockey operations, the team announced on Thursday.
"On behalf of my family, we are thrilled to join the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and all of the incredible people across Fenway Sports Group," Dubas said in a statement released by the Penguins.
"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."
WATCH | Dubas introduced in Pittsburgh:
The move comes one day after the Maple Leafs replaced Dubas with Brad Treliving and 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.
Dubas spent the previous nine seasons with the Maple Leafs, including the last five as GM. He became the second-youngest GM in NHL history at age 32 when he was hired for the post in 2018.
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.
WATCH | Dubas dismissed as Leafs GM:
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.
With files from The Canadian Press
