The Pittsburgh Penguins get desperate with multiple hires
Fenway Sports Group, owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, has continued to hire new staff after dismissing the Ron Hextall regime from the Penguins front office.
A number of new hires have been made as the team tries to strengthen the Dubas-run office.
Mark Osiecki and Matto Lorito have been hired as professional scouts, Robbie Sandland and Brandon DeFazio as amateur scouts, and Cam Charron has been hired as a hockey research and development analyst.
In the Midwest, Osiecki will be responsible for scouting, while Lorito will be responsible for the Northeastern territories, Sandland will be in charge of amateur scouting in the Northwestern US and Western Canada, and DeFazio will be responsible for amateur scouting in Ontario.
Osiecki has nearly 30 years of coaching experience at various levels, including the AHL, USHL and collegiate hockey. The native of St. Paul, Minnesota has spent the last seven seasons on the coaching staff at the University of Wisconsin as Associate Coach. Before his time at Wisconsin, Osiecki had various positions on the coaching staffs of Rockford (AHL), Ohio State University (NCAA), University of North Dakota (NCAA), Green Bay (USHL) and Wisconsin (2004-10). He also served on the coaching staff of Team USA at the World Junior Championship on four occasions (2010, '11, '13, '15), helping his teams win two gold medals (2010, '13) and one bronze medal (2011).
Prior to his coaching career, Osiecki played five seasons of professional hockey from 1990-95, including parts of two seasons in the NHL with Calgary, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Minnesota. In his role, he will be responsible for scouting professional organizations in the mid-western United States.
Lorito joins Pittsburgh after a nine-year professional playing career that included stops in the NHL, AHL, KHL, DEL and SHL in Sweden. A native of Oakville, Ontario, Lorito suited up in the 2022-23 campaign with Grizzlys Wolfsburg of the DEL, but spent the majority of his career over the course of eight seasons in the AHL with Albany, Grand Rapids, Bridgeport, Toronto, San Diego and Hartford, accumulating 244 points (94G-150A) in 340 career games. His best season came in 2016-17 with Detroit, where he made his NHL debut and won the Calder Cup with the Red Wings' AHL affiliate, Grand Rapids. Lorito is a graduate of Brown University, and his primary responsibility will be to scout professional organizations in the Northeast.
Sandland has spent the past four seasons with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL, where he served as Director of Player Personnel from 2019-22 and was most recently their Assistant General Manager in 2022-23. Under his guidance, the Blazers finished with the WHL's third-best regular-season record last season, which included a division title and a trip to the Conference Finals. A native of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Sandland's primary responsibility will be to scout amateur players in the Pacific Northwestern United States and Western Canada.
DeFazio is coming off of a 13-year professional playing career which includes stints in the NHL, AHL, ECHL, the KHL in Russia, Liiga in Finland and the DEL in Germany. The Oakville, Ontario native has spent the last six seasons playing overseas, and suited up in the 2022-23 campaign with Schwenninger of the DEL. Before his time in Europe, DeFazio enjoyed a seven-year run in North America which culminated in the 2014-15 season with his NHL debut while with the Vancouver Canucks. DeFazio is a graduate of Clarkson University, and his primary responsibility will be to scout amateur players in Ontario.
Charron joins the Penguins as a Hockey Research and Development Analyst after spending eight seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the same role from 2014-22. The Vancouver, BC native also spent time as a writer with published work most recently on The Athletic. He is a graduate of Thompson Rivers University with a degree in journalism, and in his new role, Charron will provide analysis to all departments within hockey operations.
Prior to his coaching career, Osiecki played five seasons of professional hockey from 1990-95, including parts of two seasons in the NHL with Calgary, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Minnesota. In his role, he will be responsible for scouting professional organizations in the mid-western United States.
Lorito joins Pittsburgh after a nine-year professional playing career that included stops in the NHL, AHL, KHL, DEL and SHL in Sweden. A native of Oakville, Ontario, Lorito suited up in the 2022-23 campaign with Grizzlys Wolfsburg of the DEL, but spent the majority of his career over the course of eight seasons in the AHL with Albany, Grand Rapids, Bridgeport, Toronto, San Diego and Hartford, accumulating 244 points (94G-150A) in 340 career games. His best season came in 2016-17 with Detroit, where he made his NHL debut and won the Calder Cup with the Red Wings' AHL affiliate, Grand Rapids. Lorito is a graduate of Brown University, and his primary responsibility will be to scout professional organizations in the Northeast.
Sandland has spent the past four seasons with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL, where he served as Director of Player Personnel from 2019-22 and was most recently their Assistant General Manager in 2022-23. Under his guidance, the Blazers finished with the WHL's third-best regular-season record last season, which included a division title and a trip to the Conference Finals. A native of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Sandland's primary responsibility will be to scout amateur players in the Pacific Northwestern United States and Western Canada.
DeFazio is coming off of a 13-year professional playing career which includes stints in the NHL, AHL, ECHL, the KHL in Russia, Liiga in Finland and the DEL in Germany. The Oakville, Ontario native has spent the last six seasons playing overseas, and suited up in the 2022-23 campaign with Schwenninger of the DEL. Before his time in Europe, DeFazio enjoyed a seven-year run in North America which culminated in the 2014-15 season with his NHL debut while with the Vancouver Canucks. DeFazio is a graduate of Clarkson University, and his primary responsibility will be to scout amateur players in Ontario.
Charron joins the Penguins as a Hockey Research and Development Analyst after spending eight seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the same role from 2014-22. The Vancouver, BC native also spent time as a writer with published work most recently on The Athletic. He is a graduate of Thompson Rivers University with a degree in journalism, and in his new role, Charron will provide analysis to all departments within hockey operations.
As Seen On: hockeyfeed.com
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