The Pittsburgh Penguins dramatically reformed their front office on Tuesday by appointing Brian Burke as president of hockey operations and Ron Hextall as the team’s new general manager.
“We feel incredibly fortunate to bring together two highly respected executives with a combined more than 50 years of NHL management experience,” said David Morehouse, president and CEO of Penguins, to whom Burke will report.
Patrik Allvin, who became interim GM of the Penguins when Jim Rutherford resigned on January 27 for personal reasons, will return to his role as assistant GM.
Hextall, 56, became the frontrunner for the opening of the general manager during the second round of interviews for the Penguins. Other drivers who were scrutinized included Chris MacFarland, GM Assistant of Colorado Avalanche, John Ferguson Jr., Director of Boston Bruins, Former GM Assistant, GM Map Hunter, of Toronto Maple Leafs, Mike Gillis, Former Vancouver GM, and former NHL player and current NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes.
Hextall was the general manager of rival Philadelphia Flyers (2014-18) for four seasons and was a longtime member of the Los Angeles Kings office, as assistant general manager and an advisor. He is attributed to having set up well and developed the minor system for both organizations.
He played 608 games as a goalie for the NHL, and he won both the Vezina Trophy as top net-less and the Conn Smythe Trophy as a playoff game for the Flyers in 1986-87.
While Hextall has strong rumors that he wanted the Penguins position in the mix, Burke’s hiring shocked the hockey world. The 65-year-old follows his 31 years as an NHL general manager with a key role in Sportsnet’s NHL coverage in Canada, as one of his most popular commentators.
Burke was previously general manager of the Hartford Whalers, Canucks, Anaheim Ducks and Maple Leafs. He was recently director of hockey operations for the Calgary Flames until April 2018. He built the Ducks in 2006-07 to a Stanley Cup champion.
“To me, Pittsburgh is a breathtaking destination for any GM or president of hockey,” Burke said. “I’m so excited for the opportunity. The Penguins are a great franchise with excellent ownership in Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle, and Pittsburgh is just a great hockey city. Ron Hextall and I are very happy. We can not wait to get does not start. ‘
The Penguins are 5-5-1 this season for a 500-point percentage point. Turning the team back into a Stanley Cup contender is seen as a challenge. Its core of stars – Sidney Crosby (33), Evgeni Malkin (34) and Kris Letang (33) – are aging past their prime. The team did not have a first round this season and had the prospect pipeline in 31st place on ESPN’s recent rankings.
“If you do not have a job, it’s all desirable,” one NHL general manager told ESPN. “The only possible problem could be if ownership was unstable. But that’s not the case in Pittsburgh. So it’s a very popular job.”