Kyle Dubas didn’t take long to find a job. The former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager was named president of hockey operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday morning.

The announcement comes less than two weeks after Dubas learned that his contract would not be renewed by the Maple Leafs.

As President of Hockey Operations, the 37-year-old Canadian will be responsible for establishing the franchise’s strategic vision and philosophy; he is only the second to occupy this position in the history of the latter.

“Throughout his career, Kyle has proven himself to be a forward-thinking hockey man. He embodies all the qualities — integrity, intelligence and commitment to building a winning culture — that we value in a leader at the Penguins and at Fenway Sports Group,” owners John Henry and Tom Werner said in a statement.

Both men say they did an “exhaustive” job of selecting candidates, but say they were quickly “impressed with Kyle, the reputation he has built in and around the National Hockey League, and his vision of the organization on and off the ice”. His leadership style, they believe, will set the team on a “long path to short-term success with our current championship-caliber core.”

Dubas, 37, has spent the past nine seasons with Toronto, including five as general manager. Upon his appointment, he became the second-youngest general manager in NHL history. The Leafs went 221-109-42 during his reign.

The principal pointed out, also in a press release, “the rich history of victories and the competitiveness of the coaching staff and players” which was “evident in every conversation” during the selection process.

“The opportunity to work with such passionate and committed people, along with the established character and leadership of the long-standing core of talented players, gives me great enthusiasm for the challenge ahead. Our family has felt extremely comfortable throughout this process and we are thrilled to now call Pittsburgh our home. »