Penguins fire GM Shero; Bylsma still coach
At a Friday press conference, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have relieved general manger of his duties as general manager.
Dan Bylsma, who led the Penguins to four 100-point seasons and six straight playoff berths since taking over late in the 2008-09 season, is still the coach.
Since winning the Stanley Cup five years ago in Bylsma's debut behind the bench, the Pens have won only four playoff series and endured two losses in which the club held a 3-1 advantage.
There was speculation about Bylsma's future after Pittsburgh was swept in the Eastern Conference finals by Boston last year, but the franchise rewarded him with a two-year extension last summer. He repaid that trust by leading the club to a 51-24-7 mark and the inaugural Metropolitan Division crown, but the Penguins struggled past Columbus in the first round of the playoffs and could not overcome the Rangers in a Game 7 on home ice in the conference semifinals.
The 43-year-old Bylsma has the best regular-season winning percentage of any coach in Penguins history (.670) with a record of 252-117-32 in six seasons. He was the recipient of the Jack Adams Award as the league's top coach in 2011.
Shero, the ninth general manager in Penguins history, built a team that reached the Stanley Cup Finals twice. In addition to the 2009 title, the Penguins lost to Detroit in the 2008 championship series.
The son of late Hall of Fame coach Fred Shero joined the Penguins after eight seasons as an assistant GM in Nashville and six in the same position with Ottawa.
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