Penguins Name Vukie Mpofu Director of Hockey Operations and Legal Affairs
The Pittsburgh Penguins has named Vukie Mpofu as Director of Hockey Operations and Legal Affairs.
Mpofu’s primary responsibilities will include advising and assisting Pittsburgh’s Hockey Operations Department with player contract negotiations, ensuring compliance with the collective bargaining agreement and salary cap, and taking an active role leading the Penguins Hockey Research and Development Department. He will report to President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas.
“We are very excited to have Vukie Mpofu join the Penguins management team today. Vukie has accrued great experience the last several seasons with Vegas and Los Angeles after graduating from Law School at UCLA,” said Dubas. “In the process of completing this hire, Vukie came highly recommended from everyone he has interacted with in the game and he was most impressive throughout. He has great potential and we look forward to welcoming him to Pittsburgh.”
The 27-year-old has spent the previous two seasons with the Los Angeles Kings as their Manager of Hockey Operations and Legal Affairs. While with the Kings, Mpofu assisted with player contract negotiations, managed salary cap and collective bargaining issues, managed the Kings’ analytics staff and assisted with employment contracts for the Kings and the Ontario Reign, their AHL affiliate. During his time in Los Angeles, the Kings compiled a 91-52-21 record, good for a .629 points percentage.
Prior to his time with the Kings, Mpofu spent the 2020-21 season with the Vegas Golden Knights as their Hockey Legal Affairs Intern. He also spent time in 2021 as a Legal Intern with Wasserman, a major sports marketing and talent management company, and was an NCAA Compliance Extern with UCLA athletics in 2019-20.
Mpofu is a native Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a BA in Political Science. He later received his Juris Doctor at UCLA School of Law, with a specialization in Media, Entertainment, Technology & Sports Law, and served as President of UCLA’s Sports Law Federation from 2020-21.