The Minnesota Wild have fired general manager Paul Fenton just over one year into his tenure with the club, it was announced Tuesday.
“After giving much thought to this difficult decision, I informed Paul today that he was not the right fit for our organization going forward,” owner Craig Leipold said in a statement. “I believe we have a good hockey team, a team that will compete for a playoff spot this year, and I look forward to hiring a general manager that will help us win a Stanley Cup. I would like to thank Paul for his time with the Wild and wish him and his family the best in the future.”
Assistant general manager Tom Kurvers will serve as the acting GM until the team finds a replacement for Fenton. The team said a search for that replacement would begin immediately.
Leipold is scheduled to address the media later Tuesday.
Fenton, 59, was hired as the Wild’s GM in May 2018 after spending the previous 12 seasons as an assistant general manager for the Nashville Predators.
The Wild went 37-36-9 in their only season under Fenton, finishing last in the Central Division and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012.