Who is Derek Clancey? Meet the new Assistant GM of Toronto Maple Leafs who left Vancouver Canucks

The Toronto Maple Leafs welcomed Derek Clancey as their new Assistant General Manager and Player Personnel on Tuesday.

Clancey joins the franchise after serving as the Vancouver Canucks' Assistant General Manager for the previous campaign.

Derek Clancey is a seasoned 54-year-old professional who has a distinguished NHL career. He spent the 2021–22 season as a Pro Scout for the Calgary Flames after a 14-year career with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins won three Stanley Cups during his association with the team. Clancey served in a number of significant positions throughout his career with the Penguins. This includes three seasons as a professional scout, from the 2007-08 to 2009-10 season, nine seasons as the director of professional scouting from 2010-11 to 2018-19 season, and two seasons as the director of player personnel, from 2019-20 to 2020-21 season.

St. John's native Derek Clancey is an important member of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ newly renovated front office.

Maple Leafs also hired Brad Treliving, who took over as general manager when Kyle Dubas resigned during last off-season.

They also hired Shane Doan, who plays a significant role as the GM's special adviser.

Treliving praised Clancey, and said:

"I feel Derek is one of the premier talent evaluators in our game. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and will play a big role as we continue our goal of building a championship team."

Derek Clancey’s professional NHL career

Before switching to his executive position, Clancey had a distinguished playing career.

He played for several clubs in the ECHL over the course of eight seasons, including Winston-Salem, Erie, Toledo, Columbus, and Chesapeake. He was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame for his outstanding performance and services to the hockey realm in 2020.

Derek Clancey has a strong background as both a player and an executive. Vancouver Canucks’ president of hockey operations, Jim Rutherford. Rutherford said:

“Derek has been with me since I started in Pittsburgh and is a terrific hockey guy. This is a situation that works well for both the Canucks and Maple Leafs.”