Penguins GM Rutherford on Mike Babcock: 'We will not be pursuing him'

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford says the team won't be in the hunt to land coveted head coach Mike Babcock.

"We are committed to our present coaching staff," Rutherford told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "We have our coaching staff in place. We will not be pursuing him."

Babcock was given permission to speak with other teams on Friday. His contract expires June 30.

The longtime Detroit Red Wings bench boss is expected to be the top coaching candidate available this summer, but the Penguins are sticking with head coach Mike Johnston and his staff.

Rutherford's statements echo the words of Penguins president and CEO David Morehouse.

"I know there's been a lot of speculation out there, but (co-owners) Ron (Burkle) and Mario (Lemieux) never once considered a change," Morehouse told the Tribune-Review two weeks ago.

"We had a new coach who almost never had a chance to coach his full team because of injuries," Morehouse added. "I don't know if there's a team in the league that could have succeeded in the playoffs without three of its top four defensemen. That's the situation we faced."

Pittsburgh was plagued by injuries this season, playing long stretches without Kris Letang, Christian Ehrhoff and Olli Maatta.

The Penguins were eliminated in five games by the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, one year after the Rangers dispatched them in a seven-game second-round series.

Johnston was hired to replace Dan Bylsma, who was fired last June after the Penguins' playoff exit.