The Vancouver Canucks inked president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford to a three-year contract extension, club owner Francesco Aquilini confirmed Friday.
Rutherford oversaw the reshaping of a roster that has greatly exceeded expectations this season. The Canucks weren't a lock to make the playoffs coming into the campaign, but they now sit atop the Pacific Division at 30-11-4.
Though Rutherford and the organization took heat for how they handled ex-head coach Bruce Boudreau last season, Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin tabbed Rick Tocchet to replace him. Rutherford, Tocchet, and Allvin all worked together with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Alongside Allvin, Rutherford made several moves that eventually helped Vancouver turn things around in 2023-24.
The longtime executive and former NHL goaltender joined the Canucks in December 2021 after resigning from his previous post as the Penguins' general manager.
Rutherford was at the helm in March when Vancouver acquired defenseman Filip Hronek and a fourth-round pick from the Detroit Red Wings for a conditional first-rounder and a second-round selection. Hronek is now a fixture on the club's top pairing alongside Quinn Hughes, and the Czech blue-liner ranks second on the team behind Hughes in average ice time at 23:36.
In December, the Canucks further bolstered their back end by landing Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames for a 2026 third-round pick and a fifth-rounder this year.
Rutherford signed off on Vancouver re-upping skilled forward J.T. Miller on a seven-year extension in September 2022. He did so after drawing some criticism for choosing not to trade Miller at the previous deadline. Miller ranks among the NHL's scoring leaders this season with 20 goals and 41 assists in 45 games.
He also helped Vancouver correct the mistake of the Oliver Ekman-Larsson trade that the previous regime led by Jim Benning consummated with the Arizona Coyotes in July 2021. Rutherford and the Canucks bought out Ekman-Larsson's contract this past June, giving the club added financial flexibility.
Rutherford also significantly expanded the number of staff on the club's management team and brought in the first two female executives in franchise history, assistant GMs Emilie Castonguay and Cammi Granato.
Rutherford, who'll turn 75 on Feb. 17, constructed the Penguins clubs that won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017. He also did so with the Carolina Hurricanes squad that won it all in 2006.
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