The Pittsburgh Penguins responded to missing out on making the playoffs for the first time since 2006 by firing GM Ron Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke on Friday.
The team also fired assistant GM Chris Pryor.
Hextall, 58, had only been in the job for two years, having been hired in February of 2021, the same time as Burke, 67.
While the Penguins’ playoff record is impressive, the team did not advance past the first round under Hextall and has not won a playoff round since 2018, despite having likely future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby, Evegni Malkin, as well as veteran defenceman Kris Letang on the roster. The team won its most recent Stanely Cup in 2017, which was the second of two straight.
Fenway Sports Group, which is the majority owner of the team, took over the club at the end of 2021, effectively inheriting its management.
Crosby, the team captain, is 35, and coming off a 93-point season, the most he’s posted since he had 100 in 2019. Malkin is 36 and had 83 points, which is his best campaign since 2018. The Russian avoided significant injuries, too, playing all 82 games, something he had not done since 2009.
The team struggled to find consistency this season and blew their final shot at post-season contention thanks to a 5-2 defeat to the 30th-place Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. The Penguins were officially eliminated on Wednesday, when the Islanders locked up the last spot.
