Penguins president of business operations Kevin Acklin is moving on at the end of this year after seven years with the team.
With Acklin being in his role since before Fenway Sports Group's acquisition of the team, there was natural speculation as to whether Acklin was actually let go or pushed out in some way from his role. But after speaking with several people on Thursday -- including Acklin himself -- he's 100% leaving of his own accord.
The decision was not a rash one, but it did all become official only on Wednesday -- Acklin let Fenway know early that day, sent out an email to the rest of the organization, and then attended the Penguins' charity gala that evening, where Penguins alternate governor and Fenway Sports Group representative Teddy Werner announced the change while speaking to attendees, with Acklin at his side. No animosity, no drama.
A lot happened in Acklin's seven seasons with the Penguins, but his legacy will without a doubt be the repairing of the team's relationship with Jaromir Jagr and subsequent jersey retirement. He deserves full credit for it. It started out small -- long phone conversations between the two while Jagr remained in Czechia, then bringing Jagr over to Pittsburgh for a visit. Acklin was able to reassure Jagr that the fanbase felt more fondly toward him that it once did, and that a jersey retirement would be well-received.
Because Fenway wasn't aware that the decision was coming until Wednesday, there isn't yet a replacement for Acklin.
• I really wouldn't expect noticeable changes if Fenway does find a minority partner to buy a share of the Penguins, as they are exploring doing so -- they have around 10 minority partners as it is, and all but one or two of them are Pittsburgh-based. Fenway would retain a controlling share regardless.
• If Fenway did find a minority partner, it would provide an additional revenue source, which would obviously be helpful. Fenway has poured significantly more money into staffing throughout the organization, including greatly building up the development staff with additional hires ... which has paid off to the tune of two of the best minor-league teams around.
• Something to remember too with what money could be needed for is that while the Penguins don't own PPG Paints Arena, they do have to foot the bill for arena upgrades they want, like when they upgraded the videoboard. Two things Acklin mentioned to me in the past that were on a sort of "wishlist" were replacing the old Vegas gold-colored rows of seats and enhancements to in-game elements, like the ability to do full projections on the ice as many other teams around the league do. The seat replacement was something they looked into two summers ago while they added the new videoboard, but Acklin told me at the time that changing the seats was much more costly than one might imagine.
• Obviously, another area for spending: The cap is rising significantly over the next three years: An additional $7.5 million in 2025-26; $8.5 million in the 2026-27 season and $9.5 million in the 2027-28 season, with the potential for those numbers to rise even further depending on the league's revenue in the next couple years. If they're going to try to contend and spending to the cap will help them do that, they won't be constrained by some kind of internal limit, like some smaller-market teams may end up doing.
• With the Penguins aiming to add younger, NHL-ready players, there's the sense that the Penguins may extend offer sheets to restricted free agents this summer, which would result in draft pick compensation going to a player's original team if they are successful. That's one of the reasons for accumulating picks -- not because those picks specifically can be used for offer sheets, the picks going out would have to be the Penguins' own pick in the following draft, with the round being contingent on salary offered -- but because if they do end up spending their picks on offer sheets, they have a bunch of others already acquired to make up for that.
• You may recall that about this time last year I led Insider with the news that the Penguins were looking into adding an extra sheet of ice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, something that could benefit the NHL club, serve as another home for the various other events and games hosted in Cranberry throughout the year, and also potentially be home to a PWHL team. At the time, the Penguins had drawings and plans done for that expansion and had met with local authorities about it. But right now, there aren't any active plans to build that third sheet anytime soon.
• After Marcus Pettersson signed a six-year extension with a $5.5 million cap hit with the Canucks this week, I asked someone on Pettersson's side if that's something he would have accepted -- or potentially even less -- with the Penguins had they offered it. Answer: They never offered anything at all, so it's hard to say.
• I get asked every now and then how modified no-trade clauses work, if there's a set time players have to submit their list of teams they wouldn't accept a trade to, or if it's when the team asks. The answer: It could be either, it depends on the language in the contract. The Penguins do have some players whose contract specifies "upon request," and the Penguins have made those requests in some cases, just to have that clarity as they explore options.
• Amanda Kessel hasn't been in Pittsburgh as frequently this season -- she's now the manager of minor league operations and assistant general manager of Wilkes-Barre, so those roles often have her elsewhere. This past weekend the Penguins sent her out to Palm Springs, Calif. for the AHL All-Star Classic, where Owen Pickering and Emil Bemstrom were the Penguins' representatives.
• Something I noticed from Alex Nedeljkovic this season: He wrote "next puck" in Sharpie on his glove. Just a little interesting look into his mindset and how he tries to quickly turn the page after goals.
• People sometimes wonder about the logistics of moving and living arrangements and the like for players post-trade at this time of year. Vincent Desharnais and Drew O'Connor made things easy after they were part of a trade for each other -- they're living in each other's apartments.
• One last nice note on that trade: It's never easy going to a new team, and having a teammate come along with you certainly helps. I don't know if it was ever outwardly clear that O'Connor and Pettersson were particularly close, but O'Connor was the only non-Swede on the team to fly over to Sweden this past summer for Pettersson's wedding.
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
4:11 am - 02.07.2025Cranberry, Pa.Friday Insider: On Acklin’s terms
Penguins president of business operations Kevin Acklin is moving on at the end of this year after seven years with the team.
With Acklin being in his role since before Fenway Sports Group's acquisition of the team, there was natural speculation as to whether Acklin was actually let go or pushed out in some way from his role. But after speaking with several people on Thursday -- including Acklin himself -- he's 100% leaving of his own accord.
The decision was not a rash one, but it did all become official only on Wednesday -- Acklin let Fenway know early that day, sent out an email to the rest of the organization, and then attended the Penguins' charity gala that evening, where Penguins alternate governor and Fenway Sports Group representative Teddy Werner announced the change while speaking to attendees, with Acklin at his side. No animosity, no drama.
A lot happened in Acklin's seven seasons with the Penguins, but his legacy will without a doubt be the repairing of the team's relationship with Jaromir Jagr and subsequent jersey retirement. He deserves full credit for it. It started out small -- long phone conversations between the two while Jagr remained in Czechia, then bringing Jagr over to Pittsburgh for a visit. Acklin was able to reassure Jagr that the fanbase felt more fondly toward him that it once did, and that a jersey retirement would be well-received.
Because Fenway wasn't aware that the decision was coming until Wednesday, there isn't yet a replacement for Acklin.
• I really wouldn't expect noticeable changes if Fenway does find a minority partner to buy a share of the Penguins, as they are exploring doing so -- they have around 10 minority partners as it is, and all but one or two of them are Pittsburgh-based. Fenway would retain a controlling share regardless.
• If Fenway did find a minority partner, it would provide an additional revenue source, which would obviously be helpful. Fenway has poured significantly more money into staffing throughout the organization, including greatly building up the development staff with additional hires ... which has paid off to the tune of two of the best minor-league teams around.
• Something to remember too with what money could be needed for is that while the Penguins don't own PPG Paints Arena, they do have to foot the bill for arena upgrades they want, like when they upgraded the videoboard. Two things Acklin mentioned to me in the past that were on a sort of "wishlist" were replacing the old Vegas gold-colored rows of seats and enhancements to in-game elements, like the ability to do full projections on the ice as many other teams around the league do. The seat replacement was something they looked into two summers ago while they added the new videoboard, but Acklin told me at the time that changing the seats was much more costly than one might imagine.
• Obviously, another area for spending: The cap is rising significantly over the next three years: An additional $7.5 million in 2025-26; $8.5 million in the 2026-27 season and $9.5 million in the 2027-28 season, with the potential for those numbers to rise even further depending on the league's revenue in the next couple years. If they're going to try to contend and spending to the cap will help them do that, they won't be constrained by some kind of internal limit, like some smaller-market teams may end up doing.
• With the Penguins aiming to add younger, NHL-ready players, there's the sense that the Penguins may extend offer sheets to restricted free agents this summer, which would result in draft pick compensation going to a player's original team if they are successful. That's one of the reasons for accumulating picks -- not because those picks specifically can be used for offer sheets, the picks going out would have to be the Penguins' own pick in the following draft, with the round being contingent on salary offered -- but because if they do end up spending their picks on offer sheets, they have a bunch of others already acquired to make up for that.
• You may recall that about this time last year I led Insider with the news that the Penguins were looking into adding an extra sheet of ice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, something that could benefit the NHL club, serve as another home for the various other events and games hosted in Cranberry throughout the year, and also potentially be home to a PWHL team. At the time, the Penguins had drawings and plans done for that expansion and had met with local authorities about it. But right now, there aren't any active plans to build that third sheet anytime soon.
• After Marcus Pettersson signed a six-year extension with a $5.5 million cap hit with the Canucks this week, I asked someone on Pettersson's side if that's something he would have accepted -- or potentially even less -- with the Penguins had they offered it. Answer: They never offered anything at all, so it's hard to say.
• I get asked every now and then how modified no-trade clauses work, if there's a set time players have to submit their list of teams they wouldn't accept a trade to, or if it's when the team asks. The answer: It could be either, it depends on the language in the contract. The Penguins do have some players whose contract specifies "upon request," and the Penguins have made those requests in some cases, just to have that clarity as they explore options.
• Amanda Kessel hasn't been in Pittsburgh as frequently this season -- she's now the manager of minor league operations and assistant general manager of Wilkes-Barre, so those roles often have her elsewhere. This past weekend the Penguins sent her out to Palm Springs, Calif. for the AHL All-Star Classic, where Owen Pickering and Emil Bemstrom were the Penguins' representatives.
• Something I noticed from Alex Nedeljkovic this season: He wrote "next puck" in Sharpie on his glove. Just a little interesting look into his mindset and how he tries to quickly turn the page after goals.
• People sometimes wonder about the logistics of moving and living arrangements and the like for players post-trade at this time of year. Vincent Desharnais and Drew O'Connor made things easy after they were part of a trade for each other -- they're living in each other's apartments.
• One last nice note on that trade: It's never easy going to a new team, and having a teammate come along with you certainly helps. I don't know if it was ever outwardly clear that O'Connor and Pettersson were particularly close, but O'Connor was the only non-Swede on the team to fly over to Sweden this past summer for Pettersson's wedding.
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