Vancouver Canucks hire Jim Rutherford as president of hockey operations, interim general manager
Days after the Vancouver Canucks cleaned house, a new face is rolling into town.
The club has hired NHL Hall of Fame builder Jim Rutherford as its president of hockey operations and interim general manager, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported Thursday.
“It is an honour to join the Vancouver Canucks and to lead an NHL team in Canada,” Rutherford said in a statement released by the Canucks. “I would like to thank Francesco and the Aquilini family for the opportunity. The Canucks have an exciting young group of players, and I look forward to building a plan that will take this team to the next level and excite Canucks fans everywhere.”
Rutherford, 72, resigned as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins after spending seven years with the organization citing “personal reasons.” With the Penguins he grew a reputation as a manager who was never shy to pull the trigger on trades and shake things up.
“It is time for a new vision and a new leader who will set a path forward for this team,” Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini said in a statement. “Jim has tremendous experience building and leading winning organizations and I believe he will help build the Vancouver Canucks into a team that can compete for championships again.”
Between being hired and his resignation, Rutherford completed 53 trades. With the Penguins, Rutherford won two Stanley Cups.
Prior to arriving in Pittsburgh, Rutherford spent more than 20 years as GM for the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes franchise, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.