Silver Knights hire Maple Leafs executive as 1st general manager

The Silver Knights have their first general manager.

Tim Speltz, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ head of amateur scouting the past three seasons, was hired to fill the role, the American Hockey League franchise announced Tuesday. Speltz was also a longtime major junior executive in the Western Hockey League before joining the Maple Leafs.

“I am very excited about joining the Henderson Silver Knights and the entire organization,” Speltz said in a statement. “I look forward to being ingrained in the community of Henderson, and I can’t wait to get started. Everything with the Silver Knights is set up for success, from the players and staff to the fan support to the facilities. Hockey in Nevada is thriving, and I’m enthusiastic to have a role with it.”

Speltz joined Toronto in 2016 as its director of western area scouting after a long tenure with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. He spent 26 years as the organization’s general manager starting in 1990, winning two WHL championships and two Memorial Cups in 1991 and 2008. He was also named the WHL executive of the year in 1996 and 2000, and the Canadian Hockey League (which includes the three Canadian major junior leagues) executive of the year in 1996.

“We are very excited to have Tim join our organization,” Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said in a statement. “I’ve known him for a very long time, dating back to our days in the Western Hockey League, and he has an outstanding hockey mind. As our organization has developed, we believe that it is important to our staff, players and fans to have a dedicated manager who will be involved in the day-to-day business of the Silver Knights. Tim will do an incredible job leading our efforts in Henderson.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.