PITTSBURGH — David Morehouse resigned as the CEO of the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday.
Morehouse joined the NHL franchise in 2004 and was promoted to CEO in August 2010.
The Penguins won two Stanley Cups during Morehouse's tenure as CEO.
Brian Burke and Kevin Acklin will run the team's day-to-day operation.
FOX43's Ed Albert talked about the sudden change in Penguins' leadership with Hunter Hodies, host of the Locked On Penguins podcast.
Hodies called the resignation surprising.
"The timing of it was very odd, I thought. There were really no rumors that this was going to happen," Hodies said.
Morehouse did not give a reason for why he was leaving the team.
The Pittsburgh Penguins were bought by Fenway Sports Group (FSG) in 2021 after being owned for several years by NHL Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux and billionaire Ron Burkle.
"I want to thank Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux for taking a chance on me in 2007 and giving this Pittsburgh kid the dream of a lifetime to run his hometown hockey team. During those 16 years, I’ve been lucky enough that this never felt like a 'job'," Morehouse said in a statement.
"David presided over an era that is formidable in every way. We are grateful for the leadership he has provided throughout this remarkable period, overseeing the construction of a new arena, record sell-outs, and Stanley Cup Championships," said FSG principal owner John Henry and Chairman Tom Werner in a statement.
"I'm confident that the Penguins' future is in good hands with Fenway Sports Group. The new ownership group prioritizes winning and that has always been the philosophy of the Pittsburgh Penguins," Morehouse added in his statement.