Las Vegas chooses George McPhee as GM

George McPhee, a former longtime general manager and current executive with the New York Islanders, will be named the first general manager of the NHL's Las Vegas expansion team, multiple outlets reported Tuesday night.

Las Vegas owner Bill Foley interviewed as many as seven candidates for the position with the assistance of former NHL player Murray Craven, ESPN reports. The hiring will be made official in a press conference on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

Assistant general managers such as Pittsburgh's Jason Botterill, Tampa Bay's Julien BriseBois and Nashville's Paul Fenton were also considered for the position, per ESPN.

The team also asked for permission to interview Florida general manager Dave Tallon, but the two sides reportedly did not engage in talks.

McPhee, 58, served as the general manager of the Washington Capitals from 1997 until 2014, when he was relieved of his duties. He accepted a position as a special adviser to Islanders general manager Garth Snow on Sept. 23, 2015.

Under McPhee, Washington reached the Stanley Cup Finals in his first season. The Capitals won the Southeast Division seven times, had eight 40-or-more win seasons and a franchise-record 121-point season in his tenure.

McPhee also made headlines when he punched then-Chicago Blackhawks coach Lorne Molleken outside the locker room after a Sept. 25, 1999, exhibition. McPhee, who was angry about a dirty play by the Blackhawks during the game, was suspended for one month without pay and fined $20,000 by the NHL.

The Guelph, Ontario, native played six seasons in the NHL -- four with the New York Rangers and two with the New Jersey Devils. The left winger finished his career with 24 goals and 25 assists (49 points) in 115 games.

The league approved the expansion franchise in Las Vegas, the league's 31st team, on June 22. The team will begin play in the 2017-18 season. Las Vegas will select players from the 30 current teams in an expansion draft next June.