Capitals and Penguins empty front office after missing Stanley Cup Playoffs for first in 16 years

Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals decide to replace their management board after teams miss Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in nearly 16 years.

Capitals and Penguins empty front office after missing Stanley Cup Playoffs for first in 16 years

Peter Laviolette and Ron Hextall [Image Credit: Wiki Data/TSN]

It wasn’t easy for Washington Capitals or Pittsburg Penguins fans this season, especially with the two hyped teams missing the playoffs. This was the first time since Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin’s rookie years that the teams missed playoff contention.

Fans have been distraught by the situation but have shown support for the team. Looking back at the 2022-23 season, both Capitals and Penguins decided to make management changes. The Capitals decided to part ways with their head coach Peter Laviolette prior to the 2023-24 season.

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Furthermore, the Penguins cleared up the whole front office consisting of GM Ron Hextall, assistant GM Chris Pryor, and President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke. The decision was announced on Friday, and the teams will now be looking for a rebuild as Stanley Cup season marks its debut on Monday.

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Related: “It’s ridiculous,” Tony DeAngelo FUMING after coach John Tortorella’s 5-game scratch decision

Peter Laviolette and Ron Hextall will not be a part of 2023-24 season

Peter Laviolette and Ron Hextall [Image Credit: Pittsburgh Hockey Now/ECHL]
Peter Laviolette and Ron Hextall [Image Credit: Pittsburgh Hockey Now/ECHL]

Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette had his contract expire on June 30, and with the recent ream decision, the contract will not be followed up. He was the 19th coach of the franchise and led the team with a 115-78-27 record from 2020-23.

In a statement released by the Caps, GM Brian MacLellan noted, “We are grateful for Peter’s leadership and dedication to our organization for the last three seasons“, as per NHL.com. 

“Peter is a first-class individual who has represented our club with integrity and guided our team through many difficult circumstances in his tenure as our head coach. We wish him all the best moving forward.” 

Penguins, on the other hand, released a statement by owners John Henry and Tom Werner stating, “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“. 

“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.” The teams will be looking for replacements immediately, and start team restructuring for next year’s Stanley Cup contention.

The Penguins’ main core, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang will be there for another season, as well as Caps captain Alex Ovechkin. Their contracts throughout the season are confirmation enough for the fans, that the players will prep for another race.

This season, Hextall drew heavy criticism from the fans for his decision on trade deadlines. Fans were not happy with it and demanded resignation. It’s safe to say that the fan’s concerns were not left unheard as the organization decided likewise.

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