The Toronto Maple Leafs won a playoff round for the first time since 2004, but after following it up with a disappointing five-game loss to the Florida Panthers, the team is letting general manager Kyle Dubas go.
“Brendan Shanahan, President and Alternate Governor of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced today that the club has decided to part ways with General Manager Kyle Dubas,” the team's official statement wrote. “Dubas' contract is set to expire on June 30 and he will not return as Toronto's General Manager next season.”
It's a mildly surprising but not shocking move, as Dubas said during the team's end of season media availability that it was a very trying year for him and his family, and he had considered stepping away from hockey.
“I would like to thank Kyle for his unwavering dedication over these last nine seasons with the organization, including his last five as General Manager,” Shanahan said in the statement.
“Kyle fostered a great culture within our dressing room and staff, and consistency pushed to make our team better season over season. We wish Kyle and his family the best moving forward and thank him for his valuable contributions.”
The announcement comes just days after Dubas' frank end-of-season press conference following the Leafs losing to the Panthers in the Eastern Conference semifinal on May 12. The 37-year-old said that if he were to continue in the NHL next season, it would only be with Toronto.
“I definitely don't have a view to going anywhere else,” Dubas explained. “It would either be [Toronto] or taking time away to reflect…I can't put my family through that after this year.”
Kyle Dubas joined the team in 2014 as an assistant GM after three seasons with the Ontario Hockey League's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He was promoted to GM in 2018.
Although the Leafs made the playoffs every season under Dubas' leadership, they were only able to win one playoff round against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023.
Toronto still hasn't advanced past the second round since 2002, with the Stanley Cup drought now stretching into year 56.
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