Kyle Dubas shares his honest thoughts on the Brad Treliving hire.

No one likes being fired from their job and I am quite certain that general managers in the National Hockey League are no exception.

Earlier this summer former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, and now president of hockey operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins, was fired in a very public fashion by Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan. It was undoubtedly a painful moment in the life of Kyle Dubas and one that was likely made all the more difficult when Brad Treliving was announced as his replacement.

Although you might expect that this could lead to tension between the two men, that seems to be anything but the case given the recent comments made by both general managers. In a recent conversation with NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, Treliving revealed that he considers Dubas a friend.

"Like, Kyle is a good friend," said Treliving as per The Athletic.

To his credit Dubas returned the favor by speaking highly of the man that became his replacement in Toronto, a sign of the bond the two men have built over their respective careers in the National Hockey League.

"Tree is a great person who has done great over decades in management," said Dubas. "There are also a lot of great people I thoroughly enjoyed working with in Toronto over my time there. I am very happy for both (the Maple Leafs and Treliving) that they will have the chance to work together and think it’s a great fit for all."

Dubas' decision to join a rival team in the Eastern Conference will no doubt lead to a heated rivalry between the Maple Leafs and the Penguins, but it does not appear that the rivalry will extend to the press box given the respect both men seem to have for one another.