New Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has been reunited with one of his colleagues from the Carolina days, as the team announced Thursday the hiring of Jason Karmanos as vice president of hockey operations.

Karmanos, 40, spent 15 seasons with the Hurricanes, working with Rutherford in varying roles as vice president/assistant general manager and executive director of hockey operations.

“I’ve worked with Jason for many years, know him well and know he can make great contributions to our hockey operations department,” Rutherford said. “His first priority here will be to re-shape our analytics so that we have all the tools available in our decision-making process throughout the season.”

In relation to analytics, Karmanos described his approach in terms of a balance between new and old methods:

Karmanos: …We believe that using analytics in conjunction with traditional methods makes you stronger. Want consistency from the top down. — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) June 12, 2014

Karmanos, of course, is the son of Hurricanes' owner Peter, and was let go by the team prior to the start of the 2013-14 season due to a family matter; it appears as though the issue may be lingering.