Who will be the next general manager?
Faces familiar and new among options
The Penguins must undertake a search for a new general manager to lead them into the final years of Sidney Crosby’s career after Jim Rutherford’s resignation due to undisclosed personal reasons blindsided the organization Wednesday.
Team president and CEO David Morehouse said in the wake of Rutherford’s resignation the Penguins have not put a timetable on making a hire. Assistant general manager Patrik Allvin will step in to be the interim GM.
Morehouse said he will work alongside owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle to try to identify the right person.
“We’re going to do a careful analysis of people who are interested,” Morehouse said. “We’re going to look at people who we think fit into the Penguins mold and into our model. And we’re going to make the hire when we find that.”
The Penguins are starting to compile a list of prospective candidates. The job figures to be more desirable for executives interested in putting together the last pieces of a championship puzzle around the current veteran core than those who would prefer to start from scratch and build gradually through the draft.
Morehouse said he had already received calls inquiring about the vacancy even before getting on the phone with reporters Wednesday afternoon.
Morehouse didn’t go into great detail about what the
Penguins will be looking for in their next general manager. But he did make a couple of things clear.
One, the Penguins are “not in a rebuilding mode.” They remain committed to trying to win at least one more Stanley Cup title before the Crosby era ends.
“We’re in a win-now mode, and we’ll continue to be in that mode,” he said.
Two, while experience is a plus, Morehouse said the Penguins covet two other key qualities Rutherford brought to Pittsburgh when he was hired in 2014: an aggressive approach and a willingness to think outside the box.
“We’re looking for something similar,” he said. “We’re looking for someone that can take this great group of players and hang another banner in the rafters.”
Here are 12 names, listed alphabetically, that could be on the team’s radar:
Patrik Allvin: The interim GM has been with the organization since 2006, winning three Cup titles. The last four years, with other execs leaving, the Swede shot up the front-office ranks. The Penguins appreciate his eye for talent. But can the former amateur scout handle everything else that goes with this highprofile gig?
Marc Bergevin: Bergevin is a close friend of Lemieux’s and was an alternate captain for the Penguins during Bergevin’s final season as a player. Bergevin is currently under contract as executive vice president and GM for the Montreal Canadiens, who are off to a strong start. But he will certainly be a name to monitor.
Craig Billington: The former NHL goalie, selected 22 picks after Lemieux in 1984, has been with the Colorado Avalanche since 2003, filling roles in the front office, player development and on the business side. Given Colorado is on the rise, Billington and coworker Chris MacFarland could both be up for GM gigs.
Pat Brisson: The superagent was linked to the Penguins opening in 2014 before the team hired Rutherford. He represents Crosby and is close with Lemieux. So, yeah, that’s pretty notable. Back in 2014, Brisson wasn’t interested in leaving the agent business. If that’s changed, you’d have to think he and Mario will chat.
Jason Botterill: The former Penguins exec was once viewed as a potential heir apparent to Rutherford. When GMJR decided to stick around, Botterill left for Buffalo. That did not go well. He was just named assistant GM with expansion Seattle. But, in theory, that wouldn’t preclude him from taking the job here.
Peter Chiarelli: With Boston, Chiarelli built the team that won the Cup in 2011, signing Zdeno Chara and drafting players such as Tyler Seguin, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and some dude named Phil Kessel during his nine years there. But in Edmonton, he was unable to build a contender around Connor McDavid.
Mathieu Darche: If the Penguins want to nab somebody from the front office of the most recent Stanley Cup champs, they could look at the ex-NHL forward Darche. He is in his second year as director of hockey operations for the Tampa Bay Lightning, with the tough task of managing their tricky salary cap situation.
Chris Drury: Pittsburgh’s ties to USA Hockey run deep, with coach Mike Sullivan and several Americans on their squad. Drury, like Sullivan, was once a standout at Boston University. He won the Stanley Cup and two Olympic silver medals as a player. Now, he is assistant GM for the upand-coming New York Rangers.
Dean Lombardi: Another guy with Team USA ties, Lombardi led the Los Angeles Kings to two Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014. He was fired in 2017 when the championship window abruptly slammed shut on the Kings. Perhaps Lombardi learned lessons there that could be applied to the situation in Pittsburgh.
Pierre McGuire: The polarizing NBC hockey analyst was in the running for the GM job in 2014. He has said publicly he thought it was his after his second interview. Will McGuire, a scout and an assistant coach when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992, be a candidate again this time around?
Dale Tallon: After assembling the Chicago core that won the Cup three times, Tallon spent a decade with the Florida Panthers. Last year, he was investigated by the league for using racially insensitive language but has been cleared. He was reportedly already on the Penguins’ radar prior to Rutherford’s resignation.
Kevin Weekes: The former NHL goalie and current NHL Network personality was in the running this past offseason for the GM job in Florida, which ultimately went to Pittsburgh native Bill Zito. If Weekes were hired by the Penguins, he would become the only Black general manager in the league.