Maple Leafs fire two top executives in 'front office restructuring'

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced the firing of two executives on Tuesday as part of what they called a "front office restructuring." Vice president of hockey operations Dave Poulin and assistant general manager Claude Loiselle will depart, while the team also announced the hiring of Kyle Dubas as new assistant general manager.

The Toronto Maple Leafsannounced the firing of two executives on Tuesday as part of what they called a "front office restructuring." Vice president of hockey operations Dave Poulin and assistant general manager Claude Loiselle will depart, while the team also announced the hiring of Kyle Dubas as new assistant general manager. 

The moves come three months after Toronto named Brendan Shanahan as its new president and alternate governor. 

Dubas, 28, spent the last three seasons as the GM of the OHL Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

“Kyle is a young executive that has made a strong name for himself in hockey with a progressive style, work ethic and maturation beyond his years,” Shanahan said in a statement. “He has a fresh approach that we feel will benefit our club for years to come.”

Shanahan also thanked Poulin and Loiselle for their "tireless dedication" during their time with the Leafs. 

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The Maple Leafs finished 38-36 last season and failed to make the playoffs. The 47 years since their last Stanley Cup Final appearance is the longest of any team in the NHL, and they have not won a playoff series since 2003-04. 

- Molly Geary