Penguins, Kyle Dubas hire away Maple Leafs’ director of amateur scouting, Wes Clark

Wes Clark, who has guided the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ recent NHL drafts, has left the hockey club for a job with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In doing so, Clark, 41, reunites with Kyle Dubas, the Leafs’ former GM who made the move to Pittsburgh a year ago.

Clark had been with the Leafs for six years.

As the Leafs’ assistant director of player personnel and director of amateur scouting, Clark was involved in drafting Matthew Knies at 57th (2021), and prospects Fraser Minten at 38th (2022) and OHL MVP Easton Cowan at 28th (2023).

In the 2024 draft, the Leafs dealt their 23rd-overall selection to Anaheim for the 31st and 58th picks. The Leafs then selected Oshawa Generals defenceman Ben Danford, whom many experts had ranked outside of the first round, at No. 31. Clark announced the selection.

“Having worked with Wes for many years, I have a deep trust in his ability to identify talent, lead staffs, advance our scouting process and methods, learn from mistakes to improve processes and to challenge my own thinking and planning on a near daily basis,” said Dubas, in a statement released by the Penguins.

More from Sportsnet

After finding his game in Florida, Ekman-Larsson ready to help Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs announce Cincinnati as ECHL affiliate starting in 2024-25 season http://sportsnet.ca/feed/