Kyle Dubas officially takes on Penguins’ general manager role among other front office changes
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It took more than two months, but Kyle Dubas finally found the Pittsburgh Penguins’ next general manager.
Himself.
Thursday, the team announced Dubas, who was hired as president of hockey operations June 1, also would be officially taking on the general manager role.
That position had been vacant since Ron Hextall was fired April 14.
In all reality, Dubas already has been serving as general manager this offseason as the Penguins have made some major transactions, including re-signing top goaltender Tristan Jarry, trading for top-six winger Reilly Smith and signing shutdown defenseman Ryan Graves.
At his introductory news conference June 1, Dubas suggested he would fill the general manager role on an interim basis through July before potentially interviewing candidates for the position.
In a statement issued Thursday, Dubas indicated he will “reevaluate the (general manager) position alongside all others in future offseasons.”
Additionally, on Thursday, the Penguins formally announced the promotion of four people in the front office:
• Andy Saucier is now the director of player personnel after spending one year in his previous role as hockey operations analyst/pro personnel. Entering his 12th season with the organization, Saucier had served as video coach until 2022 and was a member of the franchise’s Stanley Cup championship teams in 2016 and 2017.
In his new role, Saucier also will lead the professional scouting department. Previously, Kerry Huffman was the director of professional scouting until he was fired June 3.
• Erik Heasley was named director of minor league and amateur scouting operations. Previously the manager of hockey operations, Heasley dealt with amateur scouting and player development in his previous role.
A member of the organization for the past 15 seasons, Heasley will continue in his previous role as general manager of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League.
• Amanda Kessel was installed as a special assistant to the president of hockey operations and general manager. That change was formally announced Thursday, though it officially took place sometime last week. In her new role, Kessel will focus on hockey research and development, player personnel and minor league operations.
Kessel previously served as a fellow in the Penguins’ executive management program, working in all sorts of areas of the organization including hockey operations, marketing and communications.
• Trevor Daley also was named to a special assistant to the president of hockey operations and general manager role. Previously a hockey operations advisor, Daley will have an increased focus on player personnel in addition to continuing his previous duties on player development and minor league operations.
Daley spent 16 years in the NHL as a defenseman and was a member of the Penguins’ Stanley Cup championship teams in 2016 and 2017. After retiring as a player in 2020, Daley was hired by the Penguins in his previous role.
• Two changes to the front office that were not announced were the departures of goaltending development coach Charles Grant and integrated development coach Brett Hextall. Each left the organization in July.