Canucks president Jim Rutherford addresses future with team

Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford is in the final season of his contract with the club, a three-year deal he’d signed after being instated in a permanent role in December 2021. His and GM Patrik Allvin’s short-term surgery on the roster is a significant reason why the surging Canucks find themselves well-positioned to make the playoffs for the second time since 2015.

Speaking with Rick Dhaliwal and Don Taylor on CHEK’s Donnie & Dhali program on Wednesday, Rutherford said he’s had preliminary extension discussions with team owner Francesco Aquilini but it is not his “top priority right now.” 

The 74-year-old has been a high-level NHL executive for nearly 30 years, first joining the professional ranks as president and GM of the Hartford Whalers in 1994. Since then, he’s captured three Stanley Cups as a GM: 2006 with the Hurricanes and 2016 and 2017 with the Penguins. He also won the NHL’s General Manager of the Year Award in 2016 after making midseason trades to acquire Trevor Daley, Carl Hagelin and Justin Schultz, all of whom played key supporting roles in Pittsburgh’s run to the championship. He was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame under the Builder Category in the class of 2019.

Under his watch, the Canucks now find themselves free of most of the bloated contracts signed with former GM Jim Benning at the helm and, in true Rutherford fashion, have already made a sizable trade this season to improve their depth well ahead of the trade deadline, capturing hulking defender Nikita Zadorov from the Flames for a value price.