Hailey Hunter SportsNet Pittsburgh fired news broke this week, one month after she married Gage Posey on May 16. The move ends her Penguins rinkside run after three years with the SportsNet broadcasting team.
Hunter said she was told the Penguins had decided that they simply wanted to move in a different direction with the role. She also said she really wasn’t given any details, even as SportsNet Pittsburgh prepared to replace her.
Hunter’s three-year Penguins run
Hunter joined the broadcasting team during the 23-24 season and spent three years with the SportsNet. That span covered the franchise linked to her father, Tim Hrynewich, who played 55 games for it from 1982-84.
Her path into the booth also carried a different track before broadcasting. Hunter is a graduate of Ohio State, and she first attempted to make the LPGA Tour before entering the broadcasting business.
SportsNet Pittsburgh search begins
SportsNet Pittsburgh said it will soon begin a nationwide search for a rinkside reporter for its Penguins coverage. That turns the opening into a job search rather than a simple roster swap, with the replacement expected to step into a visible role tied directly to game coverage.
The timing of the move leaves Hunter out after a brief stretch tied to her wedding and a longer run with the team. On Wednesday, fan support for her poured out after the news broke, while the reason for the change remained limited to the direction change she described.
