It was a real media fireworks display in Pittsburgh, as Kyle Dubas, in complete fury, literally destroyed Montreal journalist Marco D’Amico in front of the local press.
The Penguins general manager was nothing short of scathing, attacking head-on the rumors spread by D’Amico, who claimed earlier this week that the Penguins were prepared to liquidate several of their players in an imminent fire sale.
During his weekly interview on the “GM Show” with Josh Getzoff, Dubas did not hesitate to set the record straight in a scathing manner.
Visibly irritated by the speculation surrounding his team, the CEO wanted to clarify the situation with a statement that was as firm as it was direct:
“To say that this is a fire sale or that we are willing to withhold salaries on long-term contracts…
I understand how these stories start to circulate and take on a life of their own, but that’s simply not true. »
Dubas did not hide his contempt for the intrusion of a Montreal journalist into the internal affairs of the Penguins.
According to sources close to the organization, Dubas perceives this situation as a pure and simple provocation, categorically refusing to allow an outsider to sow discord in his locker room.
For him, Montreal has no say in the management of the Penguins, and he does not accept that journalists from the Canadian metropolis come to delve into his strategic plans.
“It’s not a fire sale. We had several discussions, but did we tell the other groups that everything was for sale? NO. »
Dubas then added that the Penguins’ goal was not to abandon the season, but rather to build around the existing core by integrating young players, prospects and draft picks.
For Marco D’Amico, this public outing is a hard blow. The Montreal journalist, who had suggested that almost the entire Penguins squad – with the exception of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Owen Pickering and Philip Tomasino – was available, finds himself found wanting.
His information, based on internal sources, was brushed aside by Dubas, who seems to want to defend his long-term project for the Penguins at all costs.
But what is most striking is the aggressiveness with which Dubas responded.
The CEO of the Penguins, although renowned for his composure, this time let his frustration explode in the face of what he considers to be intolerable interference from the Montreal media in the management of his team.
Despite this inflammatory statement, rumors continue to circulate about several Penguins players, including Anthony Beauvillier, Tristan Jarry and Rickard Rakell.
Although Dubas denies a “fire sale,” NHL observers know Pittsburgh is in a delicate situation, caught between a desire to make the playoffs and the need to prepare for the future.
Teams like the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils are closely monitoring the situation, hoping to take advantage of a possible opening despite the GM’s strong words.
What is clear is that Kyle Dubas will not tolerate outside journalists disrupting his plans.
The relationship between Pittsburgh and the Montreal media, already tense, could well become even worse.
For Dubas, it is a battle for influence, and he will not hesitate to use public forums to protect his team from rumors that he considers unfounded.
Dubas has just sent a clear message: he will not let anyone dictate his management of the Penguins, especially not a Montreal journalist who, according to him, crosses the line.
It remains to be seen whether this media storm will subside or if, on the contrary, it will mark the start of a cold war between Pittsburgh and the Quebec media.
-But one thing is certain: Marco D’Amico rubbed shoulders with a wall named Kyle Dubas, and the latter is not about to forgive him.
There is no doubt that the Penguins GM exploded in a press conference because of the tension around a subject much more sensitive than the simple “fire sale” of the Penguins: the incessant rumors linking Sidney Crosby to Montreal.
For several weeks, the Quebec media and Canadiens fans have been feeding an increasingly attractive narrative: Crosby, tired of dragging a moribund team with no future, would finally find a competitive environment in Montreal, a team on the rise under the orders of Martin St-Louis.
On social media, the idea is catching on, so much so that fans are already seeing Crosby lifting the Stanley Cup in blue-white-red.
If Dubas stepped up to the plate with such intensity, it is not only because of the statements of Marco D’Amico – who, by the way, never mentioned Crosby or linked the Penguins captain to a departure .
No, what really ignited the powder was the way in which Montreal took hold of the issue and transformed a simple speculation into a real media bombshell.
Dubas did not accept the suggestion that Crosby himself might consider waiving his no-trade clause to escape the trainwreck that Pittsburgh has become.
“Sidney Crosby is and will remain a Penguin. We have never, and I repeat NEVER, discussed a possible transaction involving Sidney. » – Kyle Dubas, visibly furious.
Penguins fans, already at the end of their patience, saw these rumors as a potential betrayal, and it was precisely this toxic atmosphere that pushed Dubas to find a culprit.
Marco D’Amico became the perfect scapegoat, a Montreal journalist who symbolized all this turmoil for Dubas.
The fact is, the speculation surrounding Crosby doesn’t come out of nowhere. The Penguins are adrift, struggling to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference.
With a 20-21-8 record and increasingly slim playoff chances, the question arises: Why would Crosby, at 37, want to waste his remaining years on a club in ruins?
On the other hand, the Montreal Canadiens continue to progress, and with a young, dynamic team and an inspiring coach, the possibility of adding Crosby to a team aspiring to the Stanley Cup is a dream.
Even if this rumor was never directly started by D’Amico, it is on everyone’s lips and the Montreal media, and it makes Dubas mad with rage.
Canadiens fans take the idea even further: Crosby donning the blue-white-red jersey, and offering Montreal invaluable leadership…and the Stanley Cup.
These kinds of rumors, as exaggerated as they may be, increase the pressure on Dubas, who finds himself having to calm the fire within his own locker room, while answering embarrassing questions from the local media.
Ultimately, while Marco D’Amico never insinuated that Crosby was on the market or Montreal-bound, he found himself in the spotlight due to the mass hysteria surrounding the Penguins captain’s future.
Dubas, desperate to regain control of his team and media perception, chose to attack him in an attempt to distract from the real question: Are the Penguins still a viable team for Sidney Crosby?
To ask the question is to answer it.
If Dubas thought he would calm the storm by humiliating a Montreal journalist, he was completely wrong.
Montreal continues to believe in it, and each Penguins defeat only fuels speculation about a possible escape from Crosby to a market where he could really aspire to one last conquest of the Stanley Cup.
Are Crosby’s days in Pittsburgh numbered? One thing is certain: Dubas will have to deliver more than a furious media outing if he wants to put out the fire.
