Penguins hire ex-Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas as president - ESPN

The Pittsburgh Penguins have hired former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas as their president of hockey operations, the team announced Thursday.

Dubas, 37, will oversee all aspects of the Penguins hockey operations department «establishing the strategic vision and philosophy for the franchise,» according to the team.

The Penguins fired president of hockey operations Brian Burke, general manager Ron Hextall and assistant general manager Chris Pryor on April 14. Pittsburgh missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs cut for the for the first time since Sidney Crosby's rookie season, a span of 16 years.

Burke had been the first person to ever serve as president of hockey operations for the Penguins.

«We are thrilled to welcome Kyle to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 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,» Fenway Sports Group principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner said in a joint statement.

"… It did not take long to be impressed by Kyle, the reputation he's cultivated for himself in and around the National Hockey League, and his vision for the organization on and off the ice. His passion for the sport and ability to foster collaborative relationships with his staff, coaches and players is the type of leadership style that will undoubtedly resonate with the front office and set us on a new path for success in the near-term with our current championship-caliber core and beyond with a commitment to sustainable, long-term success."

Dubas spent nine seasons with the Maple Leafs, including