The NHL’s Las Vegas franchise will name its first-ever general manager on Wednesday.
According to multiple reports, the club is expected to hire George McPhee for the position.
McPhee served as the GM of the Washington Capitals for 17 seasons from 1997-98 to 2013-14. The club made 10 trips to the post-season during that time, claiming seven Southeast Division championships and one Presidents’ Trophy (2009-10) along the way. He also led the Capitals to the franchise’s only Stanley Cup Final during his first season at the helm.
The former NHLer and longtime hockey executive spent the 2015-16 season as a special advisor to New York Islanders GM Garth Snow. He began his management career in 1992 with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was their VP and director of hockey operations.
Las Vegas team owner Bill Foley will make the official announcement Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.
On Monday, Foley told The Las Vegas Review-Journal that he and his staff had interviewed seven candidates before narrowing the search down to two, but wouldn’t reveal any names.
“I can tell you the people we talked to are all well-known in the hockey community and are well-respected,” Foley said. “Some are strong on the (salary) cap. Some are strong when it comes to assessing talent. But they all have strong backgrounds.”
According to the Review-Journal, Florida Panthers president Dale Tallon and Chicago Blackhawks assistant GM Norm Maciver were not interviewed.
Las Vegas was awarded an NHL franchise via expansion on June 22. The team will debut at the start of the 2017-18 season.
