The Pittsburgh Penguins have scheduled a news conference for Friday, at which time the club will reportedly name Jim Rutherford as its new general manager.
Rutherford had spent the last 20 years as the general manager for the Carolina Hurricanes, stepping down from that role in late April when Ron Francis was named to the post. He was expected to remain with the organization as team president in an advisory role.
According to numerous media outlets, including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Rutherford became a candidate to replace the fired Ray Shero only a few days ago.
Shero had been the GM since May 2006. He was fired last month after the Penguins blew a 3-1 series lead and were eliminated by the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Rutherford joined the Carolina franchise in June 1994 when it was still located in Hartford. The club moved to Raleigh before the 1997-98 season and he built teams that twice reached the Stanley Cup Finals, winning the championship in the spring of 2006.
The Hurricanes have reached the playoffs just once since that title run and missed the postseason for a fifth straight year in 2013-14.
Rutherford spent 13 seasons as a goaltender in the NHL from 1970-83 with Detroit, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Los Angeles. He had a record of 44-49-14 with a 3.14 goals-against average during parts of three seasons with the Penguins from 1971-74.
[SportsNetwork.com]
