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Kyle Dubas Reveals When the Penguins Will Hire Their Next Head Coach
Photo credit: Edit from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Penguins search for a new head coach is ongoing, and GM Kyle Dubas recently revealed his expected timeline as to when they will officially announce the new hire.
It's time for the weekly peek at the Penguins' coaching search. Similar to last week, it's quiet, maybe not what fans had expected. One development of note: Rick Tocchet is now officially off the Penguins list, deciding instead to sign with the Flyers.
Kyle Dubas remains abroad with Team Canada at the World Championships, continuing early-round interviews via conference calls.
A decision will more than likely not be made until Dubas gets back in late May to Pittsburgh for face-to-face meetings.
The Penguins don't expect to name a coach for a couple more weeks.
"I'm planning on bringing the final candidates to Pittsburgh in the last week of May," Dubas said.
"My plan is to have a new head coach in place by June 1," Dubas said. "It's not so much about having a coach in place for the NHL Draft (June 27) as it is having a coach in place for our pro scouting meetings in mid-June. That's the thing that's really important"
"I'm planning on bringing the final candidates to Pittsburgh in the last week of May," Dubas said.
"My plan is to have a new head coach in place by June 1," Dubas said. "It's not so much about having a coach in place for the NHL Draft (June 27) as it is having a coach in place for our pro scouting meetings in mid-June. That's the thing that's really important"
There are still three other teams competing with the Penguins for a new coach
The Penguins are one of four NHL teams looking for a new head coach, along with the Bruins, Blackhawks, and Kraken.
A few names are already being floated. Mitch Love, who turns 41 years old next month, is making some noise. He has had success on the bench as a coach in the WHL and AHL, going 96-33-11 over two years in the AHL.
Recently, he has been helping with defensemen as an assistant on the bench for the Capitals.
Jay Woodcroft, 48, is another good option. After years as an NHL assistant as well as an AHL head coach, he was handed the Edmonton job in 2022.
He got the Oilers to a Western Conference Final quickly and was 76-32-9 before a tough opening last season shortened his tenure there.
Also in the mix: DJ Smith. The 48-year-old won a junior title with Oshawa in 2015 before joining the Maple Leafs' staff, where he overlapped with Dubas from 2015-19.
Smith subsequently spent four-plus seasons as head coach in Ottawa and was an assistant in Los Angeles last season.
All three of these are some of the most probable candidates for NHL openings, but they are not the only ones. Drew Bannister is also reported to have been interviewed.
A decision is coming within the next two weeks, and fans are eager to finally see who will lead the charge in the new season.
| POLL | ||
MAI 19 | 244 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas Reveals When the Penguins Will Hire Their Next Head Coach Are you okay with the fact that the Penguins are taking time to hire a new coach? | ||
| Yes | 209 | 85.7 % |
| No | 35 | 14.3 % |
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