Penguins hire Karmanos as VP of hockey operations

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Penguins have hired longtime Carolina Hurricanes official Jason Karmanos as vice president of hockey operations.

The hiring reunites Karmanos with new Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford. The former Carolina general manager was brought in by the Penguins last week to replace Ray Shero.

Karmanos worked in various roles for Rutherford in Carolina, including assistant general manager and executive director of hockey operations. The 40-year-old Karmanos joins associate general manager Jason Botterill and assistant general managers Tom Fitzgerald and Bill Guerin on the management team under Rutherford.

Karmanos played college hockey at Harvard and spent one season in the minor leagues before retiring because of an eye injury.