The Pittsburgh Penguins just promoted Jason Spezza to the general manager position of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Spezza will replace Erik Heasley, who served from 2019 until 2024. Interestingly, Heasley is one of two Wilkes-Barre/Scranton bosses who did not play in the NHL, which means Spezza will continue the team’s tradition of having a former player in the role.
Here’s a look at the history of former NHL players who served as general manager of the baby Penguins.
Craig Patrick (1999-2000)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s history is a little murky in the beginning. Their first general manager was Craig Patrick, who won an Olympic gold medal with the United States at the 1980 Games. He played 401 games in the NHL from 1971 to 1979 while spending a year in the World Hockey Association.
Eventually, Patrick got into coaching and won two Stanley Cup titles as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992. He is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and the NHL Hall of Fame. Patrick served as general manager of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in their inaugural season.
Today, Patrick serves as a pro scout for Pittsburgh.
Jason Botterill (2009-2017)
The baby Penguins didn’t have a general manager from 2000 to 2006, hiring Chuck Fletcher to run the team for three seasons until 2009. That’s when they replaced him with the team’s most extended general manager, Jason Botterill, who served for eight seasons.
Unlike Patrick, Botterill played only 88 games in the NHL during a career that lasted from 1997 to 2004. Within two years of retiring, he got into management, working with the Dallas Stars before joining the Pittsburgh team. He earned his AHL promotion in his third season.
Today, Botterill is the assistant general manager with the Seattle Kraken.
Bill Guerin (2017-2019)
Bill Guerin finished his NHL career with Pittsburgh in 2010. After a year away, he became a development coach and, within three years, was promoted to assistant general manager. By 2017, he became the general manager of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Although he served in the role for two campaigns, he found a new gig as general manager of the Minnesota Wild, a role he maintains heading into the 2024-25 season.
Mike Vellucci (2019-2020)
Mike Vellucci took over from Guerin and served as the boss of the baby Penguins for one season. Although he came into the role with the most executive experience, having been a coach or manager for over two decades, he only played two games in the NHL.
While in the AHL with the Penguins, he served as general manager and head coach. At the end of his one campaign, Vellucci was promoted to assistant coach in Pittsburgh, a role he still occupies in 2024-25.
Jason Spezza (2024)
Spezza played 1,248 games in the NHL and came within five points of reaching 1,000. As a former second-overall pick, he became a five-time 30-goal scorer and two-time All-Star.
He joined the Toronto Maple Leafs front office under Kyle Dubas after retiring. As soon as Dubas came to Pittsburgh and had an opening on his team, he recruited Spezza in 2023. Taking over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will be his first general manager role.
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