Ron Hextall Named Penguins GM; Brian Burke Hired as President of Hockey Ops

Former All-Star goalie Ron Hextall is taking over as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The Penguins announced on Tuesday that Hextall will fill the role previously occupied by Jim Rutherford, with Brian Burke being hired as president of hockey operations. 

"It's an honor to be joining the Pittsburgh Penguins—an organization well-known for its excellence on and off the ice," Hextall said in the announcement. "I look forward to working with ownership, Brian and the entire organization toward the ultimate goal of bringing another Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh."

Rutherford announced his resignation because of personal reasons on Jan. 27. Patrik Allvin took over as interim general manager until the team found a permanent replacement. 

The Penguins originally hired Rutherford as their general manager in June 2014. The 71-year-old won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017. He won the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award for the 2015-16 season. 

Rutherford was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019. 

Hextall played for three different teams during his 13-year playing career from 1986-99. The 56-year-old previously worked as a general manager for the Philadelphia Flyers from May 2014 to November 2018. 

Prior to being hired by the Penguins, Hextall was working part-time as an adviser in the Los Angeles Kings front office. He won a Stanley Cup as Los Angeles' assistant general manager during the 2011-12 season. 

The Penguins are currently in fifth place in the East Division with a 5-5-1 record and 11 points.