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Kyle Dubas Explains What Really Happened During His Controversial Exit from the Maple Leafs


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Alexander Cole
August 12, 2025  (11:34)
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Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas
Photo credit: Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas was criticized by Toronto Maple Leafs fans for his 2023 exit, but it seems like he had his fair share of reasons.

When Brendan Shanahan announced in 2023 that Kyle Dubas would be leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs, there were a lot of fans quick to cast judgment.
This was especially true after Dubas turned around and took the General Manager job with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he remains a controversial figure.
Some Leafs fans still have some smoke for Dubas, and they still feel as though he left the franchise in tatters without coming back around to clean up the mess.

Kyle Dubas on leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs

However, Dubas is staying firm in his claims that this is not the case whatsoever. In fact, during an episode of the Cam & Strick Podcast, he was able to clear the air.
Essentially, he never wanted to go. That said, the Toronto situation was weighing heavily on his family, and it was becoming clear that he couldn't commit to the team long-term or short-term.
I didn't want to go, and that day [exit interviews] when everyone was doing the rounds I would have felt like a coward if I didn't talk to them. I was just brutally honest with them, and I did not know what was going to happen going forward.


It is also important to remember that at the time, Dubas didn't have a contract offer from the Maple Leafs. There is a world in which they would have gotten rid of him regardless.
Now, the Toronto Maple Leafs have Brad Treliving, who some feel is a real upgrade. Meanwhile, Dubas continues to do his own thing in Pittsburgh.
At the end of the day, there is no point in holding grudges against anyone. Dubas is a good guy who just wanted to do right by his family.
Only time will tell whether or not the Leafs or Penguins come out on the better end of all of this.
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Kyle Dubas Explains What Really Happened During His Controversial Exit from the Maple Leafs

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