Penguins general manager Ron Hextall continued to build out his hockey operations department on Tuesday when he named Alec Schall director of hockey operations.
Schall, who previously worked as an NHLPA registered agent, will primarily focus on contract negotiations, managing the salary cap and other hockey-related duties. He will report to Hextall.
“Having spent over 25 years in professional sports, Alec brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with contract negotiations,” Hextall said in a statement. “His unique perspective and background make him an exciting addition to our hockey operations staff.”
Schall graduated from Trinity College in 1990 with a degree in sociology. He went on to earn an MBA in marketing and business economics at Columbia Business School in 1993. He’s worked nearly three decades in various roles related to sports marketing and athlete representation.
Most recently, Schall spent the last nine years as director of athlete representation at LEGACY Global Sports, a marketing firm for amateur and professional athletes. Before that, he founded R4PA in 2001, an independent agency specializing in representing professional hockey players.
During his time as an NHL agent, some of the notable players Schall has represented include James van Riemsdyk, Alec Martinez, Connor Clifton, Joel Farabee and Luke Glendening. In total, he has negotiated over $200 million in contracts for various clients.
Schall’s addition to the Penguins organization comes at an intriguing time. The Penguins, who are pressed right up against the upper limit of the $81.5 million salary cap, are permitted to engage in contract talks with a number of key players who are entering the final year of their respective deals.
Evgeni Malkin, 35, is coming off of knee surgery and is entering the final year of his eight-year contract ($9.5 million average annual value). Kris Letang, 34, is set to play the final year of his own eight-year contract, which carries a $7.25 million average annual value. Previously, Hextall said the Penguins see a future with these members of the core.
While both Malkin and Letang will likely need to take less money to fit into the Penguins’ cap future, Bryan Rust could be in line for a raise. The 29-year-old forward is entering the final season of a deal that carries a team-friendly $3.5 million cap hit. After scoring more goals than any other Penguin over the last two years, Rust is likely to see that cap hit grow, whether that’s in Pittsburgh or elsewhere.
One way or another, the Penguins were going to be engaged in some tough offseason negotiations. After Tuesday’s news, Hextall will have another voice in the front office to help make these salary cap decisions.
Mike DeFabo: mdefab@post-gazette.com and Twitter @MikeDeFabo.
First Published: August 17, 2021, 4:42 p.m.
