Penguins hire new scouts, minor league coach
The Penguins have hired four new scouts as well as a new coach for their minor league system.
Brett Hextall, son of general manager Ron Hextall, was named as an integrated development coach. In his role, Brett Hextall will primarily work with prospects at the American Hockey League (AHL) level. Previously, the 33-year-old Hextall worked as a development coach for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2017-20. Part of his tenure with the Flyers came while his father was that franchise’s general manager.
Brett Hextall was a sixth-round pick (No. 159 overall) of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008 but never played in the NHL.
Will Acton, Kerry Huffman, Alexander Khavanov and Matt Mangene were hired as scouts.
Acton and Huffman will serve as professional scouts.
The 33-year-old Acton, played in 33 career NHL games as a forward and scored five points (two goals, three assists) for the Edmonton Oilers during the 2010s. He most recently played for the Nurnberg Ice Tigers of Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) during the 2019-20 season. He is the son of former NHL forward and coach Keith Acton, a former teammate of Ron Hextall during their playing career with the Flyers.
Huffman, 53, also was a teammate of Ron Hextall during their playing careers as members of the Flyers and Quebec Nordiques in the 1980s and 1990s. Also spending time with the Ottawa Senators, Huffman, a defenseman, appeared in 401 career games and scored 145 points (37 goals, 108 assists).
For the past five seasons, Huffman has served as an assistant coach with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, AHL affiliate of the Flyers.
Khavanov will serve as an amateur European scout with a focus on his native Russia.
The 49-year-old Khavanov spent parts of four seasons with the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs as a defenseman in the 2000s. In 348 career games, Khavanov had 102 points (27 goals, 75 assists).
Mangene, 32, will serve as a amateur free agent scout and oversee draft-eligible players in North America. A veteran of nine AHL seasons, Mangene recently retired as player after spending the 2020-21 season as a forward with Villacher SV in Austria’s ICE Hockey League.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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