PITTSBURGH — The Penguins have their new general manager.
Ron Hextall, a fiery former goalie and a member of the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame, was officially announced as the new hire Tuesday. Brian Burke was also announced as president of hockey operations.
In their new roles, Hextall will oversee the Penguins’ day-to-day hockey operations, reporting to Burke as his primary advisor. Burke will report to David Morehouse, the team’s president and CEO.
“We feel incredibly lucky to bring in two highly respected executives with a combined 50-plus years of NHL management experience,” Morehouse said in a statement. “Ron and Brian are well-known in the hockey world as fierce competitors with championship pedigrees. They’re very well-connected and experienced in all aspects of the game. They are both excited to get to work here in Pittsburgh, blending their skills and building on our long tradition of success.”
Hextall, 56, most recently served as an advisor within the L.A. Kings organization. However, he is best known for his connections to the Philadelphia Flyers organization, first as a mobile, puck-handling goalie that reinvented the way the position is played and then as a member of the front office.
Following his playing days, Hextall joined the Flyers organization as a scout. He was eventually named general manager in 2014, where he helped restock their farm system with talent. The Flyers went 165-128-58 under Hextall and failed to win a playoff series. He was eventually fired in 2018, in part because the ownership believed he was moving through the rebuilding process too slowly.
However, that patient approach is now paying dividends. The Flyers are now positioned for future success with one of the better minor league systems and several promising, young NHL players.
Following his dismissal from the Flyers, Hextall returned to the Kings for his second stint with the club. He acted as the assistant general manager with the Kings from 2006 to 2013, helping navigate a rebuild and lead the Kings to the Stanley Cup in 2012.
As a player, Hextall won 296 games in a 13-year career with the Flyers, Quebec Nordiques and New York Islanders. He was awarded the Vezina Trophy in 1986-87 as the NHL’s top goalie.
Passionate and sometimes reckless on the ice, Hextall was several times suspended for violent altercations. An infamous stick-swinging incident in the 1987 Stanley Cup final earned Hextall an eight-game suspension. Then, he was suspended for 12 games to start the 1989 season after an attack on Montreal defenseman Chris Chelios. Hextall retired as the NHL’s all-time leader in penalty minutes for a goalie with 569.
The Penguins began their GM search about two weeks ago when Hall of Fame general manager Jim Rutherford unexpectedly resigned just seven games into the season. Friedman reported that at least eight candidates interviewed for the position, including the Penguins’ interim general manager Patrik Allvin. Other candidates included John Ferguson Jr., Michael Futa, Mark Hunter, Jason Karmanos, Chris MacFarland and Kevin Weekes.
Burke, 65, has spent 31 years as an NHL executive and won the Stanley Cup as general manager of the Anaheim Ducks in 2006-07. He also served as general manager of the Hartford Whalers and the Canucks; president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs; and president of hockey operations for the Calgary Flames.
The Penguins are, in some senses, at an inflection point within the organization. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have hosted three Stanley Cup parades but are also entering the back stretch of their careers. Meanwhile, efforts to maximize the Crosby-Malkin window have left the Penguins with one of the thinnest prospect pipelines in the NHL. The club has also already traded away 2021 draft picks in the first, third, fourth and sixth rounds.
In the immediate aftermath of Rutherford’s resignation, Morehouse said that the club will continue to take a win-now approach.
“We’re looking for someone that can take this great group of players and hang another banner in the rafters,” Morehouse said.
However, at some point, the Penguins will eventually need to restock the pipeline. It appears they could have a candidate in place with a track record of doing just that.
