Poulin joins Maple Leafs' front office

Brian Burke, president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Thursday that former National Hockey League player Dave Poulin has joined the team's front office. Poulin will serve as the Vice-President of Hockey Operations.

"Dave and I have known each other for a very long time," said Burke. "I was fortunate enough to represent Dave during his playing career and he was also a valuable resource to me in a scouting capacity in 2006-07 and at the start of 2008-09.  He's a hard-working person that takes pride in everything that he does."

Poulin played in 724 career NHL games and he scored 205 goals and added 325 assists for 530 points. He originally signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers late in the 1982-83 season and then appeared in 16 games with the Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League (AHL). He joined the Flyers later that year and then went on to play the next 12 seasons in the NHL with the Flyers, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals before retiring at the conclusion of the 1994-95 campaign.

The Timmins, Ontario native served as the captain during his time with all three NHL teams, was selected to the All-Star Game three times, and he played in the Stanley Cup Final on three occasions. He is a member of the Flyers Hall of Fame and he captured the 1986-87 Frank J. Selke Trophy ('top NHL defensive forward') and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy ('leadership qualities on and off the ice') in 1992-93.

Poulin, 50, played four seasons of college hockey and earned his B.B.A. at the University of Notre Dame from 1978 to 1982. Thirteen years later he returned as the head coach at his alma mater and led the team to its first NCAA tournament experience. After 10 seasons, he stepped down to take on the new challenge at Notre Dame as Assistant Athletic Director in a development capacity. After occupying the role for two years he joined Reilly Partners, an executive search firm located in Chicago, as a managing director and partner in 2007.