Kyle Dubas done as Maple Leafs GM, contract not being renewed

Kyle Dubas and the Toronto Maple Leafs have ended their employment relationship, the team announced on Friday.

The 37-year-old general manager, who started as assistant GM with the team in 2014 before his promotion to the top spot in 2018, will not return for the 2023-24 NHL season. His current contract expires on June 30.

Brendan Shanahan, President and Alternate Governor of the Leafs, said that Dubas and the club are “parting ways.”

“I would like to thank Kyle for his unwavering dedication over these last nine seasons with the organization, including his last five as General Manager,” said Shanahan. “We wish Kyle and his family the best moving forward and thank him for his valuable contributions.”

Dubas led the Leafs to their first playoff series win in nearly two decades after they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning. They ultimately lost to the Florida Panthers after five games in the second round.

At an end-of-season press conference, the emotional GM said that he didn’t know if he would continue to serve as GM, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.

Rights when a fixed-term contract ends

Kyle Dubas became general manager of the Leafs when he signed a five-year, fixed-term contract. The contract runs from May 11, 2018 to June 30, 2023.

A fixed-term contract is an agreement between a business and a worker that explains what the employment relationship looks like, and the specific end date of the relationship.

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains everything you need to know about fixed-term contracts on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

Do you get severance at the end of a fixed-term contract?

A person typically does not get a severance package at the end of their fixed-term contract. They are not entitled to compensation if the contract ends at the specified date and is not extended.

What happens if the contract is ended early?

If an employer ends an employee’s fixed-term contract early, before the end date set out in the agreement, the employee is owed the remaining balance of the contract.

Working after the end of the contract

A person is considered a full, indefinite employee if they continue working for a company after the end date of their fixed-term contract. The employer owes the individual severance pay if they are fired or let go in the future.

Multiple fixed-term contract renewals

Someone who works consecutive fixed-term contracts may actually be considered by the law to be an employee. If the company decides to “end their contract” or not renew it, the employee will be owed a full severance package – as much as 24 months’ pay.

How does severance pay work?

In Canada, non-unionized employees can get up to 24 months of severance pay when they are fired or laid off from their job. This includes individuals working full-time, part-time, and hourly in Ontario, Alberta, or B.C.

Employers often incorrectly calculate severance pay. There is a belief that severance pay is one week’s pay, two weeks’ pay, or a week for every year of service an employee has with the company.

For non-unionized employees, the main factors of termination or severance pay include:

• Age
• Length of service
• Position
• Bonuses
• Benefits
• Ability to find new work

To determine out how much compensation you may be entitled to, use our firm’s Severance Pay Calculator.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• Severance Pay in Ontario
• Alberta severance packages
• Understanding severance in B.C.
• Layoffs in Canada

Don’t sign on the dotted line!

Do not accept any severance offer, termination papers, or exit agreement that your employer may provide you with.

Once you sign back these documents, you eliminate your ability to negotiate a fair and proper severance package.

Lost your job? Speak with an employment lawyer

If you lose your job or your contract is terminated early, contact the experienced employment law team at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

Our lawyers in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. have helped tens of thousands of non-unionized individuals resolve their workplace issues.

We can review your situation, enforce your rights, and ensure that you receive the compensation you are legally entitled to.