After missing the playoffs for the first time in 17 years, the Pittsburgh Penguins are making major front office changes. On Friday, the Penguins announced that they have fired general manager Ron Hextall, President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke and assistant general manager Chris Pryor.
Hextall and Burke were hired by the Penguins in February of 2021, and the Penguins fell short of expectations in their two seasons on the job. Pittsburgh lost in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and then a season later its historic 16-year playoff streak officially came to an end on Wednesday night.
In a statement from John Henry and Tom Werner of Fenway Sports Group -- the team's ownership group -- they thanked Burke, Hextall and Pryor for their contributions to the franchise. They also emphasized their belief that the team still has the ability to compete for the Stanley Cup in the near future.
"We are grateful to Brian, Ron, and Chris for their contributions to the organization over the past two seasons, but we feel that the team will benefit from new hockey operations leadership," Henry and Werner said in a statement. "While this season has been disappointing, we believe in our core group of players and the goal of contending for the Stanley Cup has not changed."
Director of Hockey Operations Alec Shall, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton general manager Erik Heasley and head coach Mike Sullivan will lead the front office as Pittsburgh searches for its next general manager.
