Pierre McGuire wants Penguins GM job after Ray Shero’s blessing

LOS ANGELES – Pierre McGuire’s name has been in the mix for the Pittsburgh Penguins job for weeks, as the NBC Sports analyst and former Penguins assistant coach was linked to the opening as candidate.

(Having coached the team owner over 20 years ago probably doesn’t hurt getting his foot in the door.)

But from the start, McGuire said he wasn’t going to pursue the job out of respect to his friend Ray Shero, whom the Penguins fired after being eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the New York Rangers.

So why is McGuire now confirming his candidacy for the Penguins GM opening, including the fact he’s had discussions with them?

"I'll tell you right now what happened. Ray Shero picked up the phone,” McGuire said on TSN 690 in Montreal. He said he would not have pursued the job “without Ray’s blessing.”

On an NBC conference call on Tuesday, McGuire said he met with the Penguins, but “so have a lot of other people. It’s a long list, an attractive job.”

McGuire praised the “infrastructure” that Shero and his team have in place in Pittsburgh, as well as the talent currently on the roster.

“Whether I’m a finalist or not, I can’t speak to that. Except to say this: There’s a lot of people that want that job,” said McGuire.

Sam Flood, the executive producer of NBC’s NHL coverage, said that McGuire would complete his work on the series whether or not he’s hired by the Penguins during the Stanley Cup Final.

So Pierre McGuire, Penguins general manager is a thing that might happen.